Juneteenth: Taste of Freedom

While African Americans have always known that they were free, a cruel group of White Americans tried to convince them otherwise from 1619 to 1863 through slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863 to end that wicked lie. But, it would take over two (2) years for the last set of slaves residing in Texas to be made aware that the enslavement had seen its last day. This is why we celebrate that amazing moment in American history: Juneteenth.

Across the world, food is used to bring people together - to celebrate. On this historical day, we wanted to use food as a form of celebration and highlight two (2) Black Chefs on either side of the nation: Chef Tarik Abdullah (@tarik.abdullah) of Seattle, WA and Chef Brittney Williams (@stikxz) of New York City. We sat down over a meal with both of them to discuss what this holiday and the current climate of our nation is igniting in them. Today, June 19, 2020, you will also have the opportunity to order from their special menus so be sure to read the full story below to find out how you can support them. You can also shop the photo collection by searching "Juneteenth" or visit our 'TASTE' Collection.

Food is the bridge. If I can make harmony on a plate and everyone is eating together, then what are we doing as people? We all taste good together! -Chef Tarik Abdullah

Chef Tarik grew up around a lot of different cultures so the mesh of food was an every day occurrence for him. "You could imagine what the food was like in my household having a Middle Eastern friend in the neighborhood and a Muslim friend down the street," he recollected. It was no surprise then that the food Chef Tarik was preparing for the day had no regional inspiration - for him, the spices are always the base and from there it leads him into a myriad of directions to take based on his diverse food palate. But, the meal today was particularly unique as it was serving a greater cause: free food for over 200 people in the Africa Town community in the Central District of Seattle. 95% of the food has been donated daily to Chef Tarik's community kitchen, so with the spices at the forefront, he tries to get as much flavor as he can in a $10 meal.

Across the way in Queens, New York, Chef Brittney boasts a diverse food palate herself. "My mother and father were phenomenal cooks so I’ve always had a pretty eclectic palate from young." When we asked her the inspiration behind the meal she was whipping up for Juneteenth, it was all centered around liberation. " In Jamaica the slaves that were able to free themselves and runaway into the mountains had no choice but to cure what food they had. Which is the history of jerk. They found a plethora of spices and herbs on their journey, like scotch bonnet, thyme, pimento, scallion and nutmeg. They used the pimento wood to smoke what meats they had in pits known as barbocoa, which we call in modern day "barbecue". So to be able to bring forth something from the past into the present is confirming that knowledge has been passed down and honored."

This idea of passing down knowledge is an interesting lesson that not even something like food can dodge. Though Chef Brittney references slaves in the Carribean, the direct relatability amongst all slaves like African American ones was this idea of making due with what you had and relying on the community to preserve that. When Chef Tarik was 19 years old, his father died leaving a void of a father figure to help guide him. Cooking was an escape for him and he resolved to be that figure for youth looking for the guidance that he longed for. "My role is educating. We need male figures for the youth. That's why I have this community kitchen. I've been cooking with kids and it's good for them (to not be couped up at home)." For Chef Brittney, she became inspired to cook when a friend recognized her culinary talents during a dinner party that she hosted in college. She dropped out of college and decided to attend culinary arts school and everything became aligned from there. "For me, cooking speaks to my roots and lineage. Being able to tell a story through flavors and love with compassion and knowledge ensures that my culture and heritage lives on."

As a Jamaican-American woman, hospitality has always been rooted in everything that Chef Brittney does. The same can be said for Chef Tarik, most notably during this pandemic. Cooking has turned into activism for him as he has taken a closer lens on food and people's proximity to it. Food legislation is something that has inspired him. "We shouldn't be having a world hunger issue. We have a food access issue. Grocery stores are over ordering and providing truck loads of food for my community kitchen as a result. Rich people tend to waste food because they know they can replenish it while poor people are typically overeating because they don't know when their next meal is. We have to change this."

It was change that freed the slaves and so we have no doubt that the changes we are demanding in this current climate that we are in will see it's day. If there is one thing we learned from both Chef Brittney and Chef Tarik, it is that food can be the unifier. Black people have used food to bring people together so today, to celebrate our freedom and how we use it, support local black-owned restaurants and chefs. The menu for Chef Brittney on this glorious day is jerk pork belly and prawn étouffée with brown butter polenta. You can order from her by messaging her on Instagram via @stikxz or emailing her at info@nyambwc.com. Chef Tarik will be serving sweet potato curry, turnip mash, a vegetable medley (snow peas, kale, heriloom carrots, etc) and a coconut apple crisp with coconut whip today. Since Chef Tarik operates via a Community Kitchen for those in need, he operates via donations. You can call him directly to place your order at 206-605-0159 and donations can be made to @Tarik-Abdullah via Venmo.

Happy Juneteenth!