Food and Culture 7th Edition Sucher Solutions Manual Download

Food and Culture 7th Edition by Sucher
Kittler Nelms ISBN 1305628055

9781305628052
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Instructor’s Manual for Food and Culture 7e

Chapter 8: Africans
Learning Objectives
1. List the regions of Africa that are reviewed as well as where African Americans are currently living in
the United States.
2. Discuss the enslavement and emancipation of Africans in the history of America, and the important
socioeconomic influences on their lifestyles.
3. Describe the typical religions, family structures, and traditional health beliefs and practices of
Africans and African Americans.
4. Discuss the differences and similarities between staple foods and preparation techniques within and
across the regions of Africa and for African Americans.
5. Identify key foods for each of the food groups for these regions, how some of these foods were
integrated into the southern American diet, and how they have been adapted in the U.S. today.
6. Describe the traditional meal composition and cycles in Africa and during the American enslavement
and emancipation periods. Compare these historical patterns to the meal composition and cycles of
these groups living in America today.
7. Describe regional specialties and dishes of southern African Americans.
8. Identify health concerns and counseling strategies associated with nutritional intake of Africans and
African Americans.
Chapter Summary
More than 12%, or nearly 45 million people, of the U.S. population in 2013 were African Americans,
making this one of the largest cultural groups in the U.S. Most African Americans are descendants of
slaves brought to the U.S. from West Africa.
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license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
The second largest continent in the world, Africa is quite diverse; it varies widely in climate, rainfall, and
geographical features. Numerous ethnic groups have evolved and strong ethnic ties continue to define
politics and national identities.
The history of Africans in the United States began with the period of legal enslavement, in which 425,000
slaves were brought to America starting in 1619 after Dutch Traders sold 20 West Africans to colonists in
Jamestown. More than one half of the slaves came from West Africa, where they had been living
predominantly in horticultural societies. A black, Creole, native-born population developed. Various
states in the North banned slavery between the Revolution and the Civil War, thereby increasing the
population of free people of color in the U.S. through these years. Many former slaves emigrated to the
North after the Civil War but many also stayed in the South, where they worked mainly in agriculture.
After WWII, many blacks left the rural South for urban areas of the North. In 2010, about 1.6 million
American immigrants were of African descent. Most are from West Africa and East Africa with some
from South Africa.
Although African Americans are geographically, politically, and socioeconomically diverse, there is a
strong feeling of ethnic unity due in part to discrimination and a shared history of persecution. African
Americans continue to make up economic disparities with white Americans, but there are still higher
rates of unemployment and the average income is lower than it is for whites.
Spirituality was integral to African tribal society, and many slaves maintained their indigenous religious
affiliations after coming to the U.S. responding to pressure to convert to Christianity only after religious
groups became involved in the antislavery movement. Religion—mainly Protestant—is an important
part of the social and spiritual life of African American society today. A number of African Americans are
Muslim. Recent African immigrants include followers of Islam, Christianity and Eastern Orthodoxy.
The importance of the extended family has been maintained since tribal times. The extended family
included unrelated members. In 2012, 50% of African American families were headed by single women.
In Africa, traditional beliefs include the influence of natural, supernatural, and social forces as important
causes of events and illness. Traditional healers might use herbs, trances, spirit visits, and/or dietary
restrictions. Current practices in the U.S. include an integration of traditional practices and influences
from the Native Americans and whites. Prayer is an important aspect of care. Voodoo, which originated
in the Caribbean and is practiced by some traditional healers, includes African and Catholic beliefs and
was likely influenced by European witchcraft.
Traditional African foods included New World foods such as cassava, corn, chiles, peanuts, pumpkins,
and tomatoes. Native West African foods included watermelon, black-eyed peas, okra, sesame, and taro.
American southern cuisine is an amalgamation of West African, British, French, Spanish, and Native
American techniques emphasizing broiled, fried, and roasted dishes using pork, pork fat, corn, sweet
potatoes, and local green leafy vegetables.
In Africa, regional fare varies with the geography and climate of the region. In West Africa, corn, millet,
and rice are used in the coastal area. Yams, cassava, and plantains are used more often in the southern
regions. A thick, sticky texture is preferred in foods. Ethiopian staples include millet, sorghum, and
plantains. East African staples include cassava, corn, millet, sorghum, peanuts, and plantains. Beef cattle
are also raised. South African cuisine has been strongly influenced by the European settlers and Asian
Indian immigrants.
After Africans arrived in America, their diet consisted of whatever food the slave owners offered and
depended on local availability and agricultural surplus. Salt pork, corn, and sometimes rice were typical
foods; greens, legumes, milk, and sweet potatoes were occasionally eaten. When pigs were slaughtered, a
variety of pork cuts were often given to the slaves. West African cooking methods were adapted to slave
conditions.
After the Civil War, most foods eaten were similar to what whites of the same region and socioeconomic
class were eating. Typical African American foods and food habits in the U.S. South include texture being
more important than flavor, using many pork products, and eating corn and greens.
In West Africa, eating two meals a day is the normal eating pattern and snacking is common. The
traditional southern meal pattern was adopted by blacks in the U.S. as economic conditions improved.
The southern style breakfast is now only eaten on weekends or holidays. Sunday dinner had become a
large family meal during the slave period and continues to be the main meal of the week in African
American families. The family matriarch prepares a traditional meal. A holiday created in 1966, Kwanzaa
celebrates the unity of all people of African heritage and honors personal strengths and virtues.
In the American South, food has traditionally been a catalyst for social interaction. Sharing food helps to
maintain the cohesiveness of African American society.
African Americans have both traditional and biomedical views of health and illness. One specific health
belief includes the idea of high- and low-blood being associated with health and illness. Having thin
blood or bad blood may also be blamed for illness. Pica is the practice of eating nonnutritive substances,
for example, clay, chalk, and laundry starch. Pica has been extensively studied and various reasons for
this behavior have been hypothesized.
The major influences on food habits today are current socioeconomic status, geographic location, and
work schedule. African Americans eat pork (chops, bacon, sausage), poultry, fresh fish, sugar and non-
carbonated fruit drinks more often than the general population. Frying is a popular method of cooking.
“Soul food,” a traditional Southern black cuisine, serves as an emblem of identity.
Nutrient deficiencies associated with poverty are prevalent in poor blacks. With poverty, calories, iron,
and calcium are the most frequent insufficiencies; anemia rates are high as are the rates of obesity and
type 2 diabetes.
Hypertension is a leading health problem for African Americans. Limited access is an issue in health care.
Attitudes of fatalism, self-reliance, and distrust of the dominant medical community all impact the
cultural group’s use of services.
Chapter Outline
I. Introduction
A. African Americans are one of the largest cultural groups in the United States, including nearly 45
million people in 2013, more than 12 percent of the total American population
B. Most African Americans are descendants of slaves brought to the U.S. from West Africa
Segregation and discrimination have marked their history in the U.S., but at the same time,
Africans Americans made enormous contributions to American culture
C. Paradoxically, since African Americans have been in the U.S. for centuries and are such a large
population group, their ethnic identity results from their time in the U.S.
II. Cultural Perspective
A. Introduction – Africa is the second largest continent in the world
1. In 2013, 1 billion people
2. Portions have a tropical climate, there are wide variations in rainfall, there are diverse
geographical features, and distinct regions
3. Numerous ethnic groups have evolved and strong ethnic ties continue to define politics and
national identities
B. History of Africans in the United States
1. Enslavement
a. 425,000 slaves were legally brought to America during the enslavement period starting in
1619
b. Many slaves identified with tribal affiliations rather than a specific country or Africa as a
whole
c. More than one-half of the slaves came from West Africa, from horticultural societies
d. The process of separating newly arrived slaves from more acculturated Africans resulted
in many cultural values being maintained
e. The slave owners valued the slaves’ agricultural expertise
f. A black Creole, native-born population developed with regional variations
2. Emancipation
a. After the American Revolution, various states in the North banned slavery. By the 1830s,
there were 300,000 free people of color in the U.S.
b. After emancipation in 1862, some former slaves emigrated to the North, but many stayed
in the South, mainly working in agriculture
c. In the early 1900s, another wave of Southern Blacks moved to the northern urban areas,
correlating with the rise in segregation laws that created urban ghettos
d. Between the 1940s and the 1960s, 4 million Blacks left the South for fast-paced,
acculturated, urban lifestyles
e. After the 1960s, political movements pushed for more social and political equality
3. Current Demographics
a. Slightly more than one half (55%) of American Blacks live in the South, with more
moving back to the South than moving away
b. Other blacks live in urban areas of the Midwest and Northeast
c. In 2010, about 1.6 million of African Americans were immigrants of African decent
(1) Most are from West Africa and East Africa with some from South Africa
(2) Less than 1% came from the Caribbean or Central American descent
4. Socioeconomic Status
a. African Americans continue to make up economic disparities with white Americans, but
there are still higher rates of unemployment and the average income is lower than for
whites
b. Although African Americans are geographically, politically, and socioeconomically
diverse, there is a strong feeling of ethnic unity
C. Worldview
1. Religion
a. Spirituality was integral to African tribal society and many slaves maintained indigenous
religious affiliations
b. Religion is an important part of the social and spiritual life of African American society
today
c. National Baptist Convention of the USA, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
Pentecostal are the predominant Christian denominations
d. A small percentage of African Americans who are Muslim are members of either the World
Community of All Islam or the Nation of Islam (see Chapter 4 for more information about this
religion)
e. It is believed that nearly one-half of the African population participates in traditional tribal
religions or combine elements of several faiths
2. Family
a. The importance of the extended family has been maintained since tribal times
b. The extended family included unrelated members
c. In 2012, 50% of the families were headed by women and many of these were young
women with children
d. Extended kinship supports one another; the extended family is highly valued
3. Traditional Health Beliefs and Practices
a. In Africa, traditional beliefs include the influence of natural, supernatural, and social
forces as important causes for events and illnesses
b. A traditional healer would diagnose, determine the supernatural cause, and then
dislodge the evil cause of an illness. Cures might include the use of herbs, trances, spirit
visits, and dietary restrictions
c. Current practices in the U.S. integrate traditional practices with influences from the
Native Americans and whites
d. Rest and diet are part of maintaining health
e. Home remedies and herb teas are used
f. Prayer is an important component to health
g. Illness may be due to a punishment by God. Evil spirits might be causing hypertension
and other diseases
h. Voodoo, or hoo-doo, is practiced by some traditional healers and includes African and
Catholic beliefs
(1) Originating in the Caribbean
(2) Magical cures and spells are important aspects
III. Traditional Food Habits
A. Ingredients and Common Foods

1. Historical Influences
a. Traditional African foods included “new” world foods such as cassava, corn, chiles,
peanuts, pumpkins, and tomatoes
b. Native West African foods included watermelon, black-eyed peas, okra, sesame, and taro
c. American southern cuisine is an amalgamation of West African, British, French, Spanish,
and Native American techniques
2. African Fare
a. West African
(1) Coastal area—corn, millet, and rice used; southern region—yams, cassava, plantains
(2) Can’t farm dry Saharan areas; herding instead
(3) Chickens were higher-status meats
(4) Boiled or fried foods were eaten by hand
(5) Tomatoes, chili peppers, onions for seasoning
(6) A thick, sticky texture preferred
(7) Many tropical fruits and vegetables
(8) Nuts and seeds as well as the resulting oils
(9) Palm oil also used as a fat
(10) Modern-day West African fare is mainly vegetarian and has many of the traditional
foods.
b. Ethiopian, Eritrean, Somali, and Sudanese
(1) Arid climate with mountainous plains and lowland valleys
(2) Millet, sorghum, plantains are staples
(3) Many Ethiopians follow the Eastern Orthodox religions and eat little meat because of
religious reasons; or Moslems who follow Halal dietary practices
(4) Injera is the traditional Ethiopian flat bread
(5) Berbere, a hot spice mixture, is a frequent flavoring
c. East African
(1) Climate and geography are suited for farming and ranching
(2) Cassava, corn, millet, sorghum, peanuts, plantains are common staples
(3) Cattle indicate wealth, raised by northern tribes including the Maasai
(4) Predominantly vegetarian cuisine, but influenced by Arab, Asian Indian, and British
food habits
(5) Coconut milk is a frequent flavoring
d. South African
(1) A very temperate climate favors many fruits and vegetables that are not common in
the rest of the continent
(2) Cuisine has been strongly influenced by the European settlers—including the Dutch,
British, and French; some Asian Indian influences
(3) Many regional meat specialties are eaten
3. The Slave Diet
a. After slaves arrived in America, available foods were whatever the slave owners
provided—depending on local availability and agricultural surplus
b. Typical foods: salt pork, corn, sometimes rice—occasionally, greens, legumes, milk, sweet
potatoes
c. Hunger was common among slaves. Some slave owners allowed or required slaves to
maintain personal garden plots: slaves grew greens, okra, and cow peas from Africa
d. Meat: small wild animals, wild pigs, fish
e. When pigs were slaughtered, the variety pork cuts were often given to the slaves.
Chicken continued to be a status food
f. West-African cooking methods were adapted to slave conditions with corn substituted
for traditional starches
g. Common ingredients: peanuts, hot pepper sauces, corn-based dishes, pork fat (lard) for
cooking
h. Portability of foods resulted in many one-dish stews and corn cakes
i. Fried chicken and fried fish become popular
4. Foods after the Abolition of Slavery
a. After the Civil War, most foods that blacks were eating were similar to what whites of
the same region and socioeconomic class had—except that whites switched to beef while
blacks continued to eat pork variety cuts
5. African American Southern Staples
a. Key features of the diet
(1) Texture more important than flavor
(2) Many pork products and greens
(3) Pork variety cuts, pork skin fried for cracklings
b. Barbeque and barbeque sauces
c. Gumbos combine meats, poultry, and fish
d. Local indigenous vegetation was the basis of experimentation during the Civil War;
many types of greens are eaten today, often stewed with pork parts.
B. Table 8.1 Cultural Food Groups: African Americans (Southern United States) – Common foods
for each food group are included as well as comments on the regional adaptations in the U.S.
C. Meal Composition and Cycle
1. Daily Patterns
a. In West Africa, two meals a day were typical and snacking was common
b. People served in this order: men, boys, girls, women
c.
The traditional southern meal pattern was adopted by blacks in the U.S. as economic
conditions improved; typical: a large breakfast, lunch as the main meal of the day eaten
at mid-afternoon, and a lighter supper
d. The traditional southern style breakfast is now only eaten on weekends or holidays.
2. Special Occasions
a. Sunday dinner had become a large family meal during the slave period and continues to
be the main meal of the week in African American families. The family matriarch
prepares a traditional meal
b. Other holiday meals are similar to the Sunday dinner, but more foods are served
c. Buffets are common, parties often enjoyed for a variety of occasions
d. Kwanzaa
(1) Holiday created in 1966
(2) Celebrates the unity of all people of African heritage
(3) Emphasizes personal strengths and virtues
D. Role of Food in African American Society and Etiquette
1. In the American south, food has traditionally been a catalyst for social interaction
a. Sharing food helps to maintain the cohesiveness of African American society
b. In Africa today, sharing food is still an important social activity
c. In many urban areas, Western styles of dining are practiced. However, in rural regions
meals are often served communally and consumed with the hands. Only the right hand
may be used for eating, and the left hand should not touch anything on the table
E. Therapeutic Uses of Food
1. African Americans have both traditional and biomedical views of health and illness
a. Eating three hearty meals a day is important for health
b. “High blood” is caused by excess blood that migrates to one part of the body or by eating
too much rich food or red foods
c. “Low blood” is associated with anemia; thought to be caused by eating too many
astringent and acidic foods and not enough meat
d. “Thin blood” can’t nourish the body
e. “Bad blood” is due to hereditary, natural or supernatural contamination
f. “Unclean blood” is due to accumulated impurities
2. Pica is the practice of eating nonnutritive substances; examples: clay, chalk, laundry starch
a. Pica has been extensively studied
b. Various reasons for this behavior have been hypothesized
IV. Contemporary Food Habits in the U.S.
A. Adaptations of Food Habits – The major influences on food habits today are current
socioeconomic status, geographic location, and work schedule
1. Ingredients and Common Foods
a. Though food preferences do not vary greatly between blacks and whites, African
Americans choose pork chops, bacon, sausage, poultry, fresh fish, sugar, and non-
carbonated fruit drinks more often than whites and fast food is popular
b. “Soul food” is the term for traditional southern black cuisine and serves as an emblem of
identity
2. Meal Composition and Cycle
a. Work habits drive meal cycles, content, and size more than tradition does.
b. Foods associated with poverty, such as pigs feet and chitterlings, are not eaten as often
by many blacks
c. Frying is still a popular cooking method
B. Nutritional Status
1. Nutritional Intake
a. Nutrient deficiencies associated with poverty are prevalent in poor blacks
b. Dietary variety increases with increasing income for some food groups
c. Calories, iron, and calcium are the most frequent insufficiencies
(1) Anemia rates are high
d. The diets are low in fresh fruits and vegetables; therefore, also in fiber
e. Diets are high in percent of calories from animal protein
f. High rates of preterm and low birth-weight babies
g. High obesity rates—with more upper-body and deep-fat depositions than whites
h. High rates of type 2 diabetes related to obesity levels
i. Hypertension is a leading health problem for this group
j. Mortality rates among African Americans are significantly higher that the U.S. average
k. The study of diets in African immigrants shows that some vitamin and mineral
deficiencies are common. Vitamin A deficiency is related to occurrence of blindness
2. Counseling
a. Limited access to health care is an issue
b. Attitudes of fatalism, self-reliance, and distrust of the dominant medical community all
impact use of services
c. Both verbal and nonverbal communication styles are engaged and expressive
d. May not communicate needs or questions to a health care provider
e. Traditional health care practices, such as using diet to treat high or low blood, may
complicate nutrition counseling
Answer Key for Textbook Review Questions
1. Before West Africans were brought to the United States, their food habits had changed during the
15th and 16th centuries with the introduction of New World foods such as cassava, corn, chilies,
peanuts, pumpkins, and tomatoes. Slaves that were transported to America brought cuisine based on
these new foods as well as native West African foods, such as watermelon, black-eyed peas, okra,
sesame, and taro. Adaptations and substitutions were made based on what foods were available in
America. Black cooks added their West African preparation methods to British, French, Spanish, and
Native American techniques to produce American southern cuisine, emphasizing fried, boiled, and
roasted dishes using pork, pork fat, corn, sweet potatoes, and local green leafy vegetables. The
cuisines of other African regions have had little impact at this point on the typical American diet,
although recent immigrants may continue to prepare and consume traditional fare.
Traditional southern food, such as pan of gumbo, a pot of beans, or a side of barbecued ribs, are some
of the foods that may be served at Juneteenth celebrations held in many African American
communities to commemorate the emancipation of the slaves. Southern black cuisine is particularly
well suited to buffet meals and parties and can be stretched to feed many people on festive occasions,
or during informal parties to celebrate a birthday, or just the fact that it’s Saturday night.
2. The cuisines of East Africa are mainly vegetarian, influenced by Arab, Asian Indian, and British fare.
There are commonly breads at every meal, including chapatis, kitumbua, a rice fritter, and mandazi, a
slightly sweetened doughnut-like bread. Ugali, a very thick, doughy cornmeal porridge, is the
national dish in Kenya and is also found in Tanzania; however, mashed beans, lentils, corn, plantains,
and potatoes are also popular. Many dishes are flavored by coconut milk, chile peppers, and curry
spice blends. Because of its inland location, Uganda is less influenced by foreign cuisines and peanuts
are a staple food, used in everything from stews (such as beef, tomato, and onion stew with peanut
butter sauce) to desserts. The core food of Tanzania is plantains, which are used in soups (with or
without beef), stews, fritters, custards, and even wine. Coconut milk and curry powder are also
frequently used for flavoring. Throughout East Africa dishes are made with taro greens or other leafy
vegetables and side dishes are made of local grains and produce, such as eggplant and papaya.
Knowledge of West African food habits before the 19th century is incomplete and based mainly on
the records of North African, European, and American traders, many of whom considered the local
cuisine unhealthy. During the slave era, most West Africans lived in preliterate, horticultural tribal
groups with a heavy dependence on locally grown foods, although some items, such as salt and fish
(usually salt-cured), could be traded at the daily markets held throughout each region. West African
cooking methods in the U.S. were adapted to slave conditions (see answer to #1).
3. Nigerian child-naming ceremonies are important celebrations wherein a grandmother performs the
ritual, offering symbolic foods to the infant: water (purity), oil (power and health), alcohol (wealth
and prosperity), honey (happiness), kola nuts (good fortune), and salt (intelligence and wisdom).
4. Some of the therapeutic uses of food among African Americans are: tea made from the yellowroot
shrub (Xanthorhiza simplicissima) is believed to cure stomachache and fever, and is also used to treat
diabetes; peppermint candies are believed to be helpful with diabetes; sassafras tea or hot lemon-
flavored water with honey is considered to be good for colds; raw onion helps to break a fever;
turpentine sweetened with sugar reputedly cures intestinal worms when consumed orally; a mixture
of figs and honey will eliminate ringworm; and goat’s milk with cabbage juice is used to cure a
stomach infection.
Pica is the practice of eating nonnutritive substances, such as clay, chalk, and laundry starch. Found
to be most often practiced by black women during pregnancy and the postpartum period, this
perplexing food habit is practiced not only by African Americans, but also by whites and other ethnic
groups. In rural regions the substance ingested is usually clay; however, in urban areas, laundry
starch is often the first choice, though instances of women who ate large amounts of milk of
magnesia, coffee grounds, plaster, ice, and paraffin have also been reported. Although the true cause
for pica is not known, postulated causes include: nutritional need for minerals, hunger or nausea, a
desire for special treatment, cultural tradition, limited social support, obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD), flavor, anxiety relief, texture, and the belief that clay prevents birthmarks or that starch makes
the skin of the baby lighter and helps the baby to slip out during delivery.
5. Overweight is a common problem for African Americans in adulthood. Concurrent with obesity, the
incidences of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes mellitus are disproportionately high among
African Americans. Weight gain in African Americans substantially increases risk of type 2 diabetes
mellitus. While food preferences do not vary greatly between blacks and whites in similar
socioeconomic groups living in the same region of the United States, according to the Healthy Eating
Index, African Americans have diets high in fat, similar to that of the typical American diet associated
with high meat intake. Frying and fast food are also prevalent in African American consumption. A
high percentage of calories consumed are from animal proteins and a higher intake of fatty meats
such as bacon and sausage, resulting in higher intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol. In addition,
many African Americans’ diets are low in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products, resulting in
low intakes of dietary fiber. Low intakes of dairy products and vegetables as well as higher intakes of
sodium can also be contributing factors to hypertension. Decreasing sodium, saturated fat and
cholesterol, sugar, and non-carbonated fruit drinks intake as well as increasing intake of fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains will be helpful in treatment of hypertension and type 2 diabetes
mellitus.
Discussion Questions
1. How does the practice of indigenous religions interfere with medical treatments in Africa? What are
some of the attributions of illness that are found in the traditional religions? Have the class discuss
indigenous religious practices and compare these to the information in the chapter on religions in the
text (Chapter 4). Attributions of illness affect treatment strategies. How does this impact medical
treatment in Africa?
2. Writing a chapter about African Americans is difficult because it is hard to generalize about a group
that is so diverse in terms of geography, economics, and education. There are more variations than
similarities—except for the one really big similarity: the color of skin. A third-generation Minnesotan
black, or a black Puerto Rican, or one of the Gullah inhabitants of the South Carolina islands will have
distinctly different experiences and views of personal, cultural influences. Have class members
discuss whether we can accurately say, “African Americans eat…“—and if there are as many
exceptions to this as there are typical foods. What are culturally sensitive ways to discuss this issue?
Is prejudice on the part of non-blacks the unifying cultural feature for African Americans?
3. The text emphasizes the need for nutrition counseling to combat high blood pressure. What are some
good techniques to use in counseling when many blacks have a generalized lack of trust in the
biomedical community? What are good questions to ask? How should non-compliance be handled in
nutrition counseling?
Points to Consider
1. Africa is one of the largest continents and it has incredible natural resources. A variety of
environmental and political factors work against Africans and historically have contributed to the
poverty in Africa. Discuss with students what is meant by cash crops—crops raised for sale but that
cannot be eaten by the farmer. Many areas of Africa grow cocoa and coffee for the cash that they
bring in. When the world markets for cash products declines, the local farmer is the hardest hit
economically. Have the students look at the factors (listed in the first chapter) that create the
environment for a global food market and relate these to the switch from local, subsistence farming to
cash cropping in some African nations. In addition, how do the politics of a country relate to need
and starvation? A country needs an infrastructure—stable government, reliable water and electricity,
roads, and shipping—to support agriculture. In Mogadishu, at the time that the U.S. went in to help
with the human tragedy of mass starvation, there were fields full of grain. But due to politics and a
general lack of reliable roads and transportation, the available food could not reach the people who
were starving. Lead a discussion about the transition from a local to a global food production and
consumption system emphasizing the factors necessary for a successful transition.
2. Overweight is a common problem for adult Americans of African descent. Adolescents and children
are also at risk. Excess weight may be attributed to many factors, including differences in body-size
ideal, preference for body shape by members of the opposite gender, and a more permissive attitude
regarding obesity. In addition, lifestyle factors and genetics are known causes. Some researchers have
suggested that standard anthropometric measures may be inappropriate for African Americans.
Discrepancies have been found between blacks and whites of similar BMI in body composition
values. Discuss whether the standard anthropometric measures such as BMI should be adjusted to fit
different ethnic groups, and whether standard values that measure health status should be adjusted
based on the fact that overweight is viewed differently by a particular ethnic group such as African
Americans. How does or would this relate to overall health, risk for chronic disease, etc.?
Suggested Classroom Activities
1. Cooking activity. The goal is to have the students prepare a holiday meal for guests. If a cooking lab
is available, this could be done in a kitchen classroom. Otherwise, have the students prepare the
dishes at home and describe how the activity progressed. The students can work in groups or alone
depending on the class size. Students will choose one of the countries of Africa or choose a “Soul
Food” menu fit to be served on a holiday occasion (like Kwanzaa). Have the students choose a
specific holiday.
a. The students should research the holiday. Next, the students should prepare a meal of traditional
foods that might be served on this holiday occasion. Do substitutions need to be made for any of
the traditional ingredients? Students could serve the holiday meal to others in the class if size and
time permit. The meal could be prepared for someone at home otherwise. If so, a video log or
photos could be used to record the event and the project could be presented to the class.
b. Additional project activities. Have the students decorate the room for the occasion. Have the
students find out what the appropriate manners for serving a guest are and serve the other
students or guest using “correct” manners. Students could perform a nutrient analysis of the
foods. Students might create a recipe handout, decorated with the theme of the holiday. Other
ideas for the handouts might include a blessing used over the meal or “fun” food facts or food-
related folk tales typical of the region.
c. As different groups in the class present holiday meals for the different countries, eventually
everyone in the class will have a set of recipes and handouts of cultural facts.
2. Bring in a chef or someone who is an expert in cooking in the cuisine either of an African country or
southern food, or African American specialties. Discuss the following points: What are the foods
most typically prepared and how are they prepared? What are the typical seasonings used in baking,
boiling, sautéing, roasting? What are some traditional starches that would be prepared? How would
the restaurant cuisine compare to the cuisine eaten at home? What are some of the most exotic dishes
this cook makes? In this cook’s own viewpoint, what distinguishes the flavor profile and what would
be the most typical seasonings?
3. Flavor profiles are specific to a region as well as to a country. For this activity, various recipes,
cultural experts, and textbooks can be used. Have the students create a spice and seasoning chart for
one of the countries in Africa or specialty cuisines of the southern U.S. such as Creole or Cajun. List
the different seasonings and spices used in baking breads, baking desserts, cooking poultry, meat,
and fish, and in preparing cooked vegetables.
Self-Study Exercises
1. Perform a nutrient analysis that compares the “Sample Menus” for a West African meal, an Ethiopian
dinner, and a traditional Black southern supper that are given in the text. How do the nutrients vary?
Are levels of any nutrients particularly high or low in the analysis?
2. Go to a restaurant that serves the cuisine of one of the African countries or one of the southern U.S.
regional specialty cuisines. Order a traditional dish. Find a recipe for the dish from a cookbook or
from the Internet.
3. Interview someone who grew up in and lived in one of the African countries. Ask, “What was your
favorite meal as a child?” and “What foods were you given when you were sick?”
4. Find a movie based in one of these countries that includes family interactions around food. [“The
Gods Must Be Crazy” I and II or “Soul Food” the movie or TV series could be used.] What can you
find out about the value food has for them? Write a review of the movie that focuses on food as a
reflection of cultural values.
5. Find a market that specializes in the ingredients from one of the countries of Africa. What are some of
the foods that would not be found in the average American supermarket? How big is the store? Who
is shopping there? Are the labels in the language of the country?
Handout 8: Selected African Botanical Remedies

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Food and Culture 7th Edition by Sucher

Kittler Nelms ISBN 1305628055

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Instructor’s Manual for Food and Culture 7e

II. Cultural Perspective

III. Traditional Food Habits

A. Ingredients and Common Foods

IV. Contemporary Food Habits in the U.S.

Answer Key for Textbook Review Questions

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