Regional & International
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Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island
The first major Gullah Geechee cookbook from "the matriarch of Edisto Island," who provides delicious recipes and the history of an overlooked American communityThe history of the Gullah and Geechee people stretches back centuries, when enslaved members of this community were historically isolated from the rest of the South because of their location on the Sea Islands of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. Today, this Lowcountry community represents the most direct living link to the traditional culture, language, and foodways of their West African ancestors.
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, written by Emily Meggett, the matriarch of Edisto Island, is the preeminent Gullah cookbook. At 89 years old, and with more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Meggett is a respected elder in the Gullah community of South Carolina. She has lived on the island all her life, and even at her age, still cooks for hundreds of people out of her hallowed home kitchen. Her house is a place of pilgrimage for anyone with an interest in Gullah Geechee food. Meggett's Gullah food is rich and flavorful, though it is also often lighter and more seasonal than other types of Southern cooking. Heirloom rice, fresh-caught seafood, local game, and vegetables are key to her recipes for regional delicacies like fried oysters, collard greens, and stone-ground grits. This cookbook includes not only delicious and accessible recipes, but also snippets of the Meggett family history on Edisto Island, which stretches back into the 19th century. Rich in both flavor and history, Meggett's Gullah Geechee Home Cooking is a testament to the syncretism of West African and American cultures that makes her home of Edisto Island so unique.
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, written by Emily Meggett, the matriarch of Edisto Island, is the preeminent Gullah cookbook. At 89 years old, and with more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Meggett is a respected elder in the Gullah community of South Carolina. She has lived on the island all her life, and even at her age, still cooks for hundreds of people out of her hallowed home kitchen. Her house is a place of pilgrimage for anyone with an interest in Gullah Geechee food. Meggett's Gullah food is rich and flavorful, though it is also often lighter and more seasonal than other types of Southern cooking. Heirloom rice, fresh-caught seafood, local game, and vegetables are key to her recipes for regional delicacies like fried oysters, collard greens, and stone-ground grits. This cookbook includes not only delicious and accessible recipes, but also snippets of the Meggett family history on Edisto Island, which stretches back into the 19th century. Rich in both flavor and history, Meggett's Gullah Geechee Home Cooking is a testament to the syncretism of West African and American cultures that makes her home of Edisto Island so unique.
Editorial Reviews
"The role Meggett plays in her community is one countless Black women share but are rarely celebrated for. Her story and recipes should easily be heralded alongside those of some of history's greatest culinarians, like Edna Lewis, Leah Chase, and Julia Child. Meggett's food isn't fussy-it invites home cooks from all backgrounds into the kitchen to learn how to cook fresh and flavorful dishes without the stress of perfection we often see presented on social media and television. Her love for food and her community is an essential ingredient that makes her cooking, and Gullah food as a whole, so special."―Saveur
Readers Top Reviews
TebbiJBSBCHRISTIA
Love this book!!! The stories and recipes show the reader how proud Mrs. Meggett is of her heritage and what a good cook she is because she cooks by taste and sight. Can't wait to try some of her recipes.
S. Kelley Chamber
There is NOTHING Gullah about this recipe book, except the title, the descriptive introduction that explains the derivative of the Gullah people, and the conclusion explaining our ancestors locations. My grandmother was Gee Chee and the recipes in this book are not of the original Gullah culture, they are influenced by; Southwestern (Texas) American, Greek, Italian, Jewish, Japanese and Latin. No Gee Chee ancestors cooked with Matcha, coucous, tofu, chutney, prosciutto and many of the recipes in this book. This is a very disappointing and and misleading cookbook. I regret that I purchased it.
S. MyersS. Kelley
I want to hug this woman. My husband has cancer, and food does not taste very good. I got this book today and suggested that he look it over, not long before dinner. We talked about it, and it really perked up his appetite. Dinner was not from the cookbook, but the book just made everything happier. Food, whether plain or fancy, is an important slice of love. When I look at her picture, there is a smile on my face.
K. LindaS. MyersS
I am so thankful for this collection of traditional low country plates. As a low country native who has recipes similar to these dating back centuries in my family, this collection is absolutely beautiful. I preordered this book on February 1st and it just arrived 2 days ago and I can't wait to try some of these recipes out this weekend. Thank you to the team, the publishers and the beautiful woman who made this project possible.
Gigi and Lovey Mo
This is more than just a cookbook. This book celebrates a time when people grew their fruit and vegetables and hunted or fished for their meats. Fed their large families and their neighbors from their backyard. This book respectfully travels back in time when black women cooked and worked for middle class and upperj middle class families. What’s shared is Gullah culture and great food.
