Recipes to celebrate Juneteenth

Friday’s Juneteenth holiday originated in Texas, where on June 19, 1865, following the end of the bloody US Civil War, the last enslaved African-Americans were finally declared free. One year after the announcement, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became an annual celebration, known then as Jubilee Day. During the 1890s, the holiday became known as Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June and nineteenth. It became an official US federal holiday in 2021. Like most holidays, foods are a prominent feature of celebrations. Serious Eats provides a list of 15 Juneteenth recipes that often appear at gatherings.

Yasmine Maggio, former associate editor of Serious Eats, explains that the holiday celebrations vary from region to region, and even from family to family. Maggio says that the one thread running through all of these gatherings is food. She interviewed several people to get their takes on Juneteenth festivities. Andre Springer, founder of Shaquanda’s Hot Pepper Sauce, says that “We focus on a lot of things that are traditional, in the sense of African diasporic food on this side of the hemisphere but, at the same time, we share foods that are also very specific to our regions.” Soul food like grits and barbecue are mainstays, with each area’s barbecue specialties gracing the tables.

Another attribute you will find in many Juneteenth foods is the color red. Chef Rasheeda Purdie, says that the color “bring[s] recognition to the bloodshed of the enslaved.” Red drink, watermelon, tomatoes, red beans, and red velvet cake are all popular choices. The red drink “comes with a long history that acknowledges the culinary traditions and goods—most notably hibiscus—brought over to America by enslaved Africans.”