Dr. Fred Opie on the “Fascinating” African Roots of Florida Foods

<p>We always love digging into food history, so we’re excited to welcome back friend of the pod <a href="http://www.fredopie.com/">Dr. Frederick Douglass Opie</a>. He’s an author and professor of history and foodways at <a href="https://www.babson.edu/about/our-leaders-and-scholars/faculty-and-academic-divisions/faculty-profiles/frederick-opie.php">Babson College</a> outside of Boston. Among the courses he teaches is African History and Foodways. We always learn something from Dr. Opie, and he has the best stories. </p><p>In this conversation, he explains the African roots of Southern staples like watermelon, beans and rice, and Coca-Cola. He also details how enslaved Africans brought their farming techniques and cooking methods to America, and how Reconstruction-era politics led to racist food stereotypes that persist today.</p><p><strong>Related episodes:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://thezestpodcast.com/james-weldon-johnsons-foodie-life/">James Weldon Johnson’s Foodie Life</a></li><li><a href="https://thezestpodcast.com/zora-neale-hurstons-foodie-life/">Zora Neale Hurston’s Foodie Life</a></li><li><a href="https://thezestpodcast.com/s2-episode-2/">Toni Tipton-Martin Celebrates African-American Chefs in ‘Jubilee’</a></li><li><a href="https://thezestpodcast.com/two-usf-professors-offer-a-crash-course-in-american-food-history/">Two USF Professors Offer a Crash Course in American Food History</a></li></ul><p> </p>