The story of African diaspora cuisine is a tapestry woven with threads of resilience, adaptation, and the profound connection between food, land and identity. It's a tale that underscores the ways in which people of African descent have adapted to ecosystems while preserving and evolving our cultural heritage. One dish that epitomizes this journey is fufu—a dish with deep roots in West Africa that has traversed continents and cultures to become a symbol of collective memory and community (Watch High on the Hog).
Food systems are vital to individual and community well-being, impacting public health, environmental sustainability, and economic strength. Canada's national food policy highlights that food serves as medicine for well-being, sustains culture and community, and fosters a connection to the land. However, people of African descent and Black communities in Canada face structural racism and systemic barriers, limiting their access to land and community-owned spaces essential for practicing their rich cultures and traditions (Read about Africville). The Unfunded Report underscores the inequities these communities encounter when seeking public funding. As a result, without affordable, fresh, healthy, and culturally relevant food, many have lost access to their traditional medicine, cultural connections, and ties to the land.
In 2022, according to a recent Statistics Canada report, 38 percent of Black families experienced food insecurity, a rate that was alarmingly high and exceeded that of many other racialized communities. This statistic underscores the profound and persistent challenges faced by Black families in securing consistent and reliable access to nutritious food. Contributing to this issue is the difficulty Black communities face in accessing land to grow and share nutrient-dense foods and medicinal plants, a topic often not discussed openly with strangers but critical for their food sovereignty and health (Murwira, Nyandika, 2022).
Collective Eating and Collective Cooking
There is an extraordinary power in the act of eating together, especially when it involves foods that resonate deeply with our ancestral memory. For the African diaspora anywhere in the world, dishes like fufu serve as a bridge to the past, evoking the flavors, aromas, and communal spirit of home—wherever that may be. The yearning for these familiar foods is a common thread among those who have journeyed far from their roots, navigating new landscapes and cultural practices along the way. In Vancouver Island this situation is no different.
Growing up in Santiago de Cuba, fufu was more than just a dish; it was a staple that sustained us, especially during tough times like the Special Period in the 1990s . With limited resources, fongo (a variety of plantain) became a lifeline, transforming into the comforting, hearty fufu that my Mum would prepare weekly, sometimes she added chicharrones (deep fried pork skin), with garlic if available. This simple, yet profound dish is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of those who have had to adapt to new circumstances while holding on to the essence of their culinary heritage.
Ancient Futures: The Journey of Fufu
On June 28th, we hosted an event called "Ancient Futures: The Journey of Fufu," in partnership with 4Roots Collective, a community-based research network dedicated to supporting the African diaspora in Vancouver Island and beyond. The event aimed to celebrate our connection to culturally significant foods and explore how we can cultivate crops that thrive in our local climate.
Zarya Thomas is a Canadian-Afro-Caribbean-Celtic, co-founder of 4Roots Collective, mother of four unschoolers and a fervent advocate for preventative, restorative, and relational approaches to diverse, inclusive, and decolonizing education. Zarya's dedication to these educational philosophies fosters environments where cultural diversity is celebrated and equity is prioritized.
Zarya led participants through an enriching experience that encouraged them to share their personal stories, struggles, and joy related to accessing culturally relevant foods. This gathering became a vibrant space for exchanging traditions and building connections through the universal language of food. This conversation also facilitated an important dialogue regarding the diversity within the PAD/Black identity and highlighting both the commonalities and our differences as Black identifying people, by parallels drawn between the evolution of fufu (ie. ingredients used are based on access) and our people (ie. creolization of African ways of knowing and being by descendants of enslaved peoples) throughout the African diaspora over the past 500 years.
Conversations, energy in the room. Photo credit: Cilliannete Simon
A Journey of Rediscovery: Emmanuel's Story
For my fellow chef Emmanuel, entrepreneur and co-founder of 4roots collective, the journey with "swallow" foods like fufu, semovita, eba (garri), and pounded yam was quite different. Growing up, he often avoided these dishes, even when they were paired with the most delicious soups. It wasn't until he visited his sister in London for Christmas and she served egusi soup with pounded yam that he rediscovered his love for these traditional foods.
Emmanuel and I have been discussing how we do not use recipes, it is like the ancestors are talking and cooking through us. Emmanuel's reflection on his experience with egusi soup is particularly poignant:
"Growing up I didn't like most 'swallow' foods. I would avoid eating semovita, eba (garri), and pounded yam, even when they were served with the most delicious soups. It wasn't until I visited my sister in London, UK one year with my mom, and she made us egusi and pounded yam for Christmas Day that I tried it again and fell in love with the taste. How could I have avoided such amazing food most of my childhood? Egusi soup and pounded yam bring me to a place of realizing that food from back home is full of nutrients and love. Even the process of making it ensures that the cook is paying attention to important details at specific moments. This food represents home and a labor of love, down to every morsel."
Emmanuel's experience highlights a common theme in the diaspora: the rediscovery of foods from our homelands that we may have taken for granted in our youth. The taste of egusi and pounded yam transported him back to a place of nutritional richness and familial love. These foods, carefully prepared with attention to detail, represent a labour of love and a deep connection to home.
Emmanuel serving lamb egusi soup. Photo credit: Ciliannette Simon.
The Evolution of Fufu in the African Diaspora
Fufu's journey from West Africa to the Caribbean and beyond is a fascinating example of cultural adaptation. In the Eastern part of Cuba, where I grew up, fufu is a beloved dish made with plantains. The plantains are picked green, cut into pieces, and traditionally fried, boiled, or roasted, then mashed with salt, garlic, broth, and olive oil in a wooden pilón.
In our event, we introduced the recipe I’ve created on this land where we adapted fufu to the ingredients available in the Pacific Northwest. We incorporated sweet potatoes, yams, and garri (cassava fiber), creating a variation that stayed true to the dish's essence while embracing local flavours. The result was a tight ball of mashed ingredients that paired perfectly with Mojo sauce—a flavorful blend of parsley, garlic, lime, Jamaican pepper, olive oil, and salt.
Afrocuban fufu and original fufu side by side Photo Credit: Trish
Fufú and Callaloo: A Caribbean Classic
In addition to fufu, we also prepared Callaloo, a famous Caribbean dish. Our version, influenced by Jamaican cuisine, used collard greens and amaranth grown by Solara Goldwing from the Giving Farm, one of our main partners. I first encountered Callaloo in Baracoa, a town in Eastern Cuba, where it was made with crab, leafy greens, and coconut milk over rice. For our event, we created a variation that honoured its Caribbean roots while showcasing the adaptability of this beloved dish.
Fufu is not only a cultural treasure but also a nutrient dense powerhouse. It is low in bad cholesterol and trans fats, rich in fiber, potassium, and resistant starch or complex carbohydrates, which promotes gut health and reduces inflammation. Whether enjoyed as a vegetarian dish or with a variety of condiments and accompaniments, fufu continues to be a versatile and healthful part of the African diaspora's culinary repertoire.
Callaloo dish. Photo credit: Trish
Food for Transitional Thoughts
The journey of fufu and other culturally significant foods in the African diaspora are a testament to the power of collective memory and the importance of preserving, and the knowledge translation of culinary traditions. As we continue to navigate new landscapes, political and cultural contexts, these foods serve as a vital link to our ancestral memory and a source of communal strength.
Through cultural innovation and tradition, we ensure that the rich and diverse flavours of our Ancient Futures continue to nourish and inspire our communities. By blending time-honoured practices, cultural adaptation and spaces and places for knowledge, we create a sustainable and thriving future that respects and preserves our culinary heritage.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the people who came out to participate, especially to Trish and Logan for the hands, to Ciliannette Simon for capturing the spirit of the event through her lenses, to the Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program (CSMARI), the Government of Canada, and our co-designers at 4Roots and Young Agrarians for their invaluable support in making this event a resounding success.
Sources
BascaraMurty, D. (2024, February 1). On Africville, the razing and the racism. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-africville-canada-news-coverage/
Burley, R. (Producer), & Burley, R. (Director). (2007). Cuba: The accidental revolution. Part 1 [Streaming video]. Reading, PA: Bullfrog Films. Retrieved July 5, 2024 from https://docuseek2.com/bf-cuba1.
Husbands, W., Lololi, A., Hasford, J., & Tafari, Z. (2024). Too many Black Canadians are going hungry. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-too-many-black-canadians-are-going-hungry/
Murwira, T., & Nyandika, N. (2022). Food insecurity preliminary study: The experiences of Black individuals in Greater Victoria. Retrieved from https://simplebooklet.com/iyecreativeblackcommunitiesr
Pereira, R., Abokor, L., Ahmad, F., & Abdikkarim, F. J. (2020). Unfunded: Black communities overlooked by Canadian philanthropy. Retrieved from https://forblackcommunities.org/assets/docs/Unfunded-Report.pdf
Statistics Canada. (2022). Food insecurity among Canadian families. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231114/dq231114a-eng.htm
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