This historically-rooted narrative reveals the rich and indelible contributions of Black culture in shaping the footprint of American cuisine. From enslavement to modern day culinary trends, this deep dive into the foodways of the United States also includes 50 recipes and stories from the country’s top Black chefs, restauranteurs, food historians, and influencers.

This illuminating narrative from Anela Malik, the voice behind the popular Feed the Malik blog, tracks the development of American cuisine from the days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to modern history. With nuance and empathy, she reveals the unrecognized Black roots of some of the most iconic American food traditions.

Featuring reflections and profiles from more than 30 Black chefs, restauranteurs, and culinary historians, as well as 50 innovative recipes, this beautifully illustrated volume explores food trends from crop migration from West Africa to the chitlin’ circuit of the Civil Rights Movement to the recent fried chicken sandwich craze. In these pages, the complexity of Black American regional cuisines and what defines the culinary footprint of the United States is brought into high relief.

Equal parts historical exploration and cookbook, American Soul takes the reader on a captivating journey through Black food history in the U.S, providing a deeper understanding of the profound yet hidden contributions of the Black diaspora to American cuisine.