GRIOTS REPUBLIC - AN URBAN BLACK TRAVEL MAG - SEPTEMBER 2016

Black?”
I knew that for me, as a Black foodie, things
were different. So I began searching the internet
for something; a central place where I
could find other people like me, Black people
who loved food, but added more to the conversation
than the mainstream’s dialogue. After
months of research, what I found was that we
were largely ignored.
Black Foodie was born to fill the gap and truly
explore food through a Black lens and celebrate
the cuisine, voices and experiences of
the diaspora. I knew we were out here and after
exploring many of the amazing African and
Caribbean food options in Toronto, I set my
sights abroad. First stop - the USA.
Black Foodie was born
to fill the gap and truly
explore food through
a Black lens and
celebrate the cuisine,
voices and experiences
of the diaspora
I remember walking down the streets of Washington,
D.C. and seeing crowds of beautiful
black people dressed to the 9’s on Sunday afternoon.
But they weren’t heading to churchor
the club, instead it was time for brunch. We
had our own social culture around food.
When I headed down to Atlanta where the
soulfood was plentiful, I fell in love with this
Black owned pizza lounge where I could get
my pizza with a beautiful rendition of Maxwell’s
classics. It was dope! Some of my best
American travel moments had to be eating
my way through New Orleans. It was there at
the Essence Music Festival whe,re I connected
with amazing celebrity chefs who not only
showed me how to eat, but kept me laughing
the entire time.
Next was Europe, where I began to learn
about my own history exploring the East African
restaurants in Rome; some of which
have been around for over 30 years. This was
where my father and other Ethiopian/Eritrean
immigrants like him found comfort and community
in the 80’s before journeying to North
America. In London, UK I ate amazing African
fusion and met Black foodies with British accents
who hosted an interesting supper club
in South London. During my most recent trip
to Montreal where I, of course, had plenty of
Haitian food, I was also introduced to Greek
West African food fusion in the city. People
across the diaspora have traveled and everywhere
I go I see how these travels have influenced
our palettes, events and businesses.
Within a little over a year, Black Foodie has
grown immensely. We have a growing list
of contributors from around the world and
events in several countries. Our events, Jollof
Wars, Doubles vs Patties and Injera and Chill,
have brought the flavor, talent and perspectives
of the African diaspora to the forefront.
Having received recognition from huge outlets
such as the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and
Essence, we know that we’re on to something
great. The overwhelming response has proven
to me that our voices matter. Our food, chefs,
and perspectives are amazing and worth celebrating.
Up next we are moving towards more video
content in the form of a food and travel
web series. I grew up watching food and travel
shows and there were always older white
men as hosts and content that “otherized” the
communities they visited. We’re changing that
narrative. We want to know what an African
American thinks about Trini corn soup at carnival
or how a British Ghanian is changing the
Uk’s food scene.
If there’s anything this past year has taught
me, it’s that amazing things are happening in
our food world. So stay posted as the Black
Foodie team shifts the narrative and gives us a
voice in food and travel.