Getting What We Need Ourselves: How Food Has Shaped African American Life

Name: Getting What We Need Ourselves: How Food Has Shaped African American Life
Price: 46.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781442253902

✍️ Wallach, Jennifer Jensen

Reader Score

4.4

(1 review)

$46.00

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Food Writing & History

📚 EDITORIAL REVIEW

“This book is for curious home cooks, history enthusiasts, and food justice advocates looking to understand the deep cultural roots of Black cuisine. It requires zero active kitchen time or special gear. Anyone seeking a traditional, step-by-step recipe collection will be disappointed.

— Editorial Team

Author

Wallach, Jennifer Jensen

📚 all books by this author (2) →

🏛 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers 📅 2019 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9781442253902

📝 Description: Getting What We Need Ourselves: How Food Has Shaped African American Life

This multi-generational story begins before the transatlantic slave trade in West Africa and ends with a discussion of contemporary African American vegans. Demonstrating that food has been both a tool of empowerment and a weapon of white supremacy, this study documents the sy...

💎 Expert review

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🍳

Eatbook Family editorial team

Cookbook desk

This title appeals primarily to scholars and readers engaged in critical race theory or food studies rather than home cooks seeking practical guidance. The description indicates a dense, analytical approach that prioritizes historical narrative over culinary instruction. It is not suitable for those looking for recipes, kitchen techniques, or casual reading material. The sparse summary provided suggests a heavy reliance on textual analysis rather than engaging storytelling. Consequently, the book’s value lies strictly in its academic contribution to understanding food as a political tool. Readers expecting a traditional cookbook or light historical account will likely find this edition too theoretical and dry for their preferences.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —

⭐ eatbookfamily.com editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

This book is for curious home cooks, history enthusiasts, and food justice advocates looking to understand the deep cultural roots of Black cuisine. It requires zero active kitchen time or special gear. Anyone seeking a traditional, step-by-step recipe collection will be disappointed.

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Eatbook Family editorial team

This title appeals primarily to scholars and readers engaged in critical race theory or food studies rather than home cooks seeking practical guidance. The description indicates a dense, analytical approach that prioritizes historical narrative over culinary instruction. It is not suitable for those looking for recipes, kitchen techniques, or casual reading material. The sparse summary provided suggests a heavy reliance on textual analysis rather than engaging storytelling. Consequently, the book’s value lies strictly in its academic contribution to understanding food as a political tool. Readers expecting a traditional cookbook or light historical account will likely find this edition too theoretical and dry for their preferences.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, this is a deep historical and cultural study examining the evolution of African American foodways rather than a standard kitchen cookbook.

The publisher description does not mention photographs, as the focus is entirely on the historical narrative and textual analysis.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

This work explores the profound journey of African American foodways, tracing a multi-generational legacy from pre-colonial West Africa through slavery and the Civil Rights movement up to modern veganism. It frames nourishment not merely as sustenance, but as a vital instrument of historical resilience, survival, and empowerment.