Food has a way of bringing people together, especially those of us who love to eat. Most dishes often have interesting backstories or have taken shape through history, especially foods that have deep roots in cultures. 

The term “soul food” may have different meanings depending on how people would describe or define it. But the term gained notoriety in the ‘60s with the popularity of soul music and the word “soul” being used in the African American community, according to the Britannica Encyclopedia.

The cuisine is iconic and a cultural staple amongst African Americans with a history tied to other cultures throughout the African Diaspora and influences from other cultures around the world.

“I love soul food, in my family we usually have a full on meal of soul food every now and then,” said Eric Moore, a sophomore and fine arts major. “Usually it’s my mom, Grandma or another elder of the family that has knowledge of recipes that are passed down. It’s weirdly comforting when you eat it and I know any soul food cook usually puts a lot of love into what they make.” 

The origins of soul food date back to the deep South during the Antebellum period of American slavery. The food has some influences from West African and European cuisines due to the Transatlantic slave trade. African slaves were given the leftover foods and undesirable cuts of meat from the slave owners, according to the African American registry.

Originally, soul food consisted of a heavy use of vegetables along with any cheap leftover cuts of meat and at times, the slaves would use meats or ingredients from hunting, farming and fishing if they had the time or opportunities to do so. 

Ingredients like yams, which have become interchangeable with sweet potatoes, are still used in popular soul food dishes to this day. Yams and sweet potatoes are a perfect example of the evolution and influence of soul food due to the Transatlantic slave trade. Yams originally are from parts of West Africa and other various regions in the world and different from sweet potatoes. But African slaves noticed the similarities between the two vegetables and utilized them in what would later become known as soul food. What’s even more confusing is that the USDA requires anything labeled as yams to also be considered sweet potatoes, according to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 

Soul food has become somewhat synonymous with Southern comfort food but still originated amongst the African-American community and has spread across the country due to the migration of freed slaves. Popular dishes include fried meats like chicken, pork, black-eyed peas, okra, chitlins, cornbread and mac and cheese, among many more and different variations. 

“Hopefully, one day, there will be a soul food restaurant or two that opens up in DeKalb, I think there are chicken spots that serve dishes associated with soul food and places like Jerk Fuzion, but it would be cool if there were more places that specializes in soul food,” said Aaron Barnes, a sophomore and undecided major.

Despite the lack of soul food restaurants in DeKalb for both residents and NIU students alike to enjoy, there are still restaurants in the Chicagoland area and other areas in Illinois, like Dee’s Place in South Elgin, Priscilla’s Ultimate Soul Food in Hillside and BJ’s Market and Bakery in Chicago.