ryner 's review for:

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty

4.0

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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Michael Twitty, a food historian and chef specializing in African American culinary history and its origins in Africa, invites the reader on a journey into the past. Through the genealogy, stories and recipes of his ancestors, most of whom were enslaved in the American South, Twitty describes crops and other foods common in various regions, where they originated and how they were prepared by the local populations, how life was different for an enslaved population in one place versus another, family stories and lore, and anecdotes from his own life experiences.

I was absolutely fascinated by all of the information Twitty presents in this book, and I would love nothing more than to sit down with him and listen to more stories, as well as learn further details and updates about his personal genealogy research. I'm drawn to books in which people learn more about their own family history, whether by uncovering long-hidden family secrets or through, in this case, labor- and emotionally-intensive research. In addition to his culinary talents, Twitty is a gifted writer, and he earned an automatic follow on social media from me for overall interestingness. And the recipes! More than anything, this book made me hungry, and I am resolved to prepare a few of the recipes myself.