National Soul Food Month

National Soul Food Month celebrates the heritage and history of the foods and foodways of African Americans and peoples from the African diaspora. Observed throughout June, it highlights the culinary contributions that have influenced the American menu. Soul food grew from the ingenuity of enslaved peoples transported from Africa, who combined remembered foods from their homelands with locally available ingredients and European recipes, according to Taste of Home.

The cuisine includes dishes such as greens, cornbread, black-eyed peas, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, okra, and sweet potato pie, though recipes vary among families and regions. Food expert and former Ebony food editor Charla L. Draper founded National Soul Food Month in 2001 after recognizing that traditional soul foods deserved a celebration. The observance appeared for the first time in that year’s Chase’s Annual Calendar of Events, as noted by the National Soul Food Month website. Draper has explained that June was chosen because it brings fresh seasonal foods and coincides with family celebrations and Juneteenth, according to Cuisine Noir.

How to Observe National Soul Food Month

Celebrate by preparing a soul food dish, exploring the history behind its ingredients, or asking relatives to share favorite recipes and food memories. You can also visit a soul food restaurant in your community, share what you learn with family or friends, or enjoy a meal featuring classics such as cornbread, greens, black-eyed peas, or sweet potato pie. If you have family recipes, write them down and pass them on.

Exclusive Content

Enjoying Checkiday? It takes a lot of support from fans like you to run a free website. For exclusive content and other perks, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Thank you!

Sponsor

This event does not currently have a sponsor. If you'd like to increase visibility for this event while gaining exposure for yourself or your brand, you can learn more here.

Something Wrong or Missing?

We would love to hear from you! Please contact us using this form.

Observation Notifications

Would you like to be notified before the next observation? Add this event directly to your calendar with this link. You may also sign up here to be told when other notifications are available!