How Mary Randolph's 1824 Cookbook Created American Regional Cuisine by Blending Enslaved Cooks' Traditions with European and Indigenous Influences

Summary

This article explores how Mary Randolph's 1824 cookbook, "The Virginia House-Wife," fundamentally shaped American regional cuisine, particularly Southern cooking. It argues that Randolph didn't just document existing recipes but actively created and codified what we now consider Southern cuisine, drawing from enslaved cooks' African culinary traditions, European immigrant influences, and Indigenous foodways. The article highlights how Randolph, a well-connected Virginia woman related to Thomas Jefferson, compiled diverse recipes that blended these cultural influences into what became the foundation of American regional cooking.

Source

bskyHow Mary Randolph's 1824 Cookbook Created American Regional Cuisine by Blending Enslaved Cooks' Traditions with European and Indigenous Influencessmithsonianmag.com