Caribbean Food History with Dr. Candice Goucher

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Exploring Caribbean Culture through Foodways with Dr. Candice Goucher

In this episode Hema chats with guest Dr. Candice Goucher, author of "Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food," about the dynamic and fraught history of Caribbean food and culture.

From the reconstruction of Caribbean culture, the contributions of Indigenous, African, Indian, Chinese, and European peoples to Caribbean culture & cuisine, and the significant role of food in preserving history and culture, Hema and Dr. Goucher discuss the concept of creolization, the impact of European colonization, and the importance of everyday cooks in the Caribbean narrative.

The period of colonization had a lasting impact on the food and culture of the Caribbean, and in her book Dr. Goucher shares the impact that the Caribbean nations had on global culture & cuisine.

Listen to this episode for the survival and adaptation of food traditions amidst historical adversities, how these have contributed to the culinary landscape, and insights into how food history can reveal complex cultural exchanges that shaped the Caribbean.

Dr. Goucher provides insights into Caribbean foodways and history from her perspective as an African historian and archaeologist, Professor Emerita of History at Washington State University, and author of many books on Africa, the Caribbean, and world history. She is a recipient of the World History Association's Pioneers in World History Award for lifetime achievement. Her books on food have won Gourmand awards, including Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (2014) and Picnics and Porcupines: Eating in the Wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (2024). 

Resources

Candice Goucher, Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (Routledge, 2014). 

Sharika D. Crawford, The Last Turtlemen of the Caribbean: Waterscapes of Labor, Conservation, and Boundary Making, (University of North Carolina Press, 2020).

Alyssa Sperry, 'Just a Dash of Salt:' Salt and Identity Formation in Historical and Contemporary Jamaica," (M.A. Thesis, University of Oregon, 2021). 

Candice Goucher, "Recipes for Resistance: Gourmet Gods at African-Caribbean Tables," Eaten no. 1 (2017): 88-93.

Candice Goucher, "Caribbean Ice Queens," Eaten no.9  (2020): 6-17. 

Referenced Episodes

Exploring Caribbean Culinary History with Dr. Keja Valens

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