Rooted in a Sweet Legacy: Sweet Potatoes

The sweet potato has been something that holds a long tradition of being food on our plates in the African American household. But it holds a history far deeper than it may seem to appear. Long before it reached our tables, yams were a staple in West Africa that was, and is still deeply rooted in the culture and cuisine. During the transatlantic slave trade, yams were used to feed the enslaved on the ships, making it one of the few connections they had to home during one of the darkest journeys in our history. When enslaved Africans arrived in America, yams were no longer easily accessible, and sweet potatoes became the substitute. Although in the United States, we use yams and sweet potatoes interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Using the cooking techniques and traditions they already knew, they transformed the sweet potato into something entirely their own and today that tradition lives on in countless forms. 

In my family, I can't remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday, even Easter without sweet potatoes being on my dining table. I remember my dad always talking about how his mom used to make 3 or 4 different dishes with sweet potatoes, including candied yams (sweet potatoes), mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato soufflé, sweet potato pudding...basically she could do it all. This Thanksgiving, I decided to make the sweet potato souffé myself. My grandma passed away when I was 10 years old, but cooking is one of the ways I feel most connected to her. Making this was a way of keeping a family legacy and tradition that I hope will be passed down for generations to come. 

This recipe is one that I absolutely love, and I hope you all come to feel the warmth, love, and soul that this recipe will bring to your plates.