FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHO ARE THE GULLAH GEECHEE
WHO ARE THE GULLAH GEECHEE
The Gullah (aka Gullah Geechee) people, descendants of those brought to America during the Transatlantic Slave Trade from western and southwestern Africa, including Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Angola. (Many historians believe the name “Gullah” is derived from a mispronunciation of Angola.) Prized for their proficiency in farming, Gullahs worked coastal plantations ranging from South Carolina and Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida. They farmed lima beans, okra, and tomatoes. They raised pigs and incorporated oysters, turtles, and shrimp into their cuisine. And they cultivated rice like their lives damn well depended on it.
The Gullah Geechee cuisine is a fusion of African cooking techniques and locally available ingredients. Fresh-from-the-ocean shrimp, crab, and fish comprise many of their favorite dishes, while ingredients including rice, okra, and watermelon are also staples. But this type of diet wasn’t isolated to the Gullah Geechee people. Because many enslaved African women became cooks in white homes, African-influenced dishes became regional staples. And those regional staples became what many consider as typical Southern food today.