The majority of enslaved people probably wore plain unblackened sturdy leather shoes without buckles. Again the slaves barbecued the ribs and the master ate. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Weekly food rations usually corn meal, lard, some meat, molasses, peas . Dozens of people watch as Twitty prepares to grill a rabbit over an open fire. The enslaved Africans supplemented their diet with other kinds of wild food. Owner, owned Slaves. Why was the decision Roe v. Wade important for feminists? Michael Twitty wants credit given to the enslaved African-Americans who were part of Southern cuisine's creation. In that year, the nation yielded approximately 752.9 million metric tons of sugar cane, accounting for more than 34 percent of the global sugar cane production. The traditional West African diet was plant-based. Not all the enslaved, however, were so ill-fed. People who may not feel comfortable talking about slavery feel OK talking about sweet potatoes and ham hocks. Men, women and children had to work long hours and in harsh conditions akin to slavery. 1865-The south passed black codes disabling the former slaves from work, forcing them back to plantations. A delicious cake which was made from a mixture of cornmeal and flour and poured into hot boiling water. Vegetable patches or gardens, if permitted by the owner, supplied fresh produce to add to the rations. John Burnside was the largest sugar planter in Louisiana. What did the slaves eat on the plantations? [7] In some histories of the antebellum South, like William Scarborough's Masters of the Big House (2006), slaveholders are depicted as going to great lengths to protect the health of their slaves. Cuisines Of Enslaved Africans: Foods That Traveled Along With The Slave Ships