What is soul food? Take a look at 5 soul food dishes you can easily prepare at home

Soul food is a type of ethnic cuisine traditionally cooked and eaten by African Americans in the Southern United States. Soul food dishes were food items that were given to captured West Africans on southern plantations during the American colonial period. However, this had a strong impact on the traditional practices of West Africans and Native Americans from its origin. In the mid-1960s, the word "soul food" originated, when "soul" was a common word used to describe African American culture. Check out five soul food dishes you can easily make at home. 

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese aka Mac and Cheese is one of the popular American dishes. It has a quick and easy recipe. Even before Italian foreigners arrived in the U.S., by the late 1800s, rich whites visiting Europe fell in love with mac 'n' cheese and brought recipes back with them. African Americans prepared the dish typically on the weekends or when special guests dined on the plantation. 

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Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken is prepared all around the globe with its variant unique recipes and flavours. It is one of the few food items  that could be prepared for a Sunday dinner, at church functions, or for other special occasions. There always have been speculations over where the lip-smacking dish was first born. However, whether it was West Africa, Western Europe, or Southeast Asia, fried chicken has become an African-American favourite. 

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Cornbread

The cornbread was like an essential dish in a soul food meal. Many a times certain food items like greens wouldn't be served unless cornbread was present. Soul food cornbread is always identified from southern cornbread by the fact that it always has some sugar in it. Cornbread can be hot water cornbread, Jiffy mix, or spoonbread a cornbread soufflé. 

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Fatback

Fatback is a hard fat cut of meat from a pig or hard fat pig's back. Fatback is not only a soul food , but also an important element of traditional charcuterie. Fatty, cured, salted pork, especially the first layers of the back of the pig was essentially used in slow-cooking. It can be served with bread. 

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Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie is a dessert soul food dish that became a classic soul-food staple. In the beginning, the popular dessert choice was a simple whole sweet potato roasted in embers of a dying fire. However, now the cooking strategies have changed and led to eventually adding some eggs, milk, and spices to mashed sweet potatoes