Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora

by Bryant Terry (Editor)

A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry.

In this stunning and deeply heartfelt tribute to Black culinary ingenuity, Bryant Terry captures the broad and divergent voices of the African Diaspora through the prism of food. With contributions from more than 100 Black cultural luminaires from around the globe, the book moves through chapters exploring parts of the Black experience, from Homeland to Migration, Spirituality to Black Future, offering delicious recipes, moving essays, and arresting artwork.

As much a joyful celebration of Black culture as a cookbook, Black Food explores the interweaving of food, experience, and community through original poetry and essays, including "Jollofing with Toni Morrison" by Sarah Ladipo Manyika, "Queer Intelligence" by Zoe Adjonyoh, "The Spiritual Ecology of Black Food" by Leah Penniman, and "Foodsteps in Motion" by Michael W. Twitty. The recipes are similarly expansive and generous, including sentimental favorites and fresh takes such as Crispy Cassava Skillet Cakes from Yewande Komolafe, Okra & Shrimp Purloo from BJ Dennis, Jerk Chicken Ramen from Suzanne Barr, Avocado and Mango Salad with Spicy Pickled Carrot and Rof Dressing from Pierre Thiam, and Sweet Potato Pie from Jenné Claiborne. Visually stunning artwork from such notables as Black Panther Party creative director Emory Douglas and artist Sarina Mantle are woven throughout, and the book includes a signature musical playlist curated by Bryant.

With arresting artwork and innovative design, Black Food is a visual and spiritual feast that will satisfy any soul.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Essays, History, Race

320 pages, Hardcover

Published October 19, 2021

About the author

bryant terry is a multidisciplinary artist, chef, publisher, and author. His studio practice bridges cooking, sculpture, sound, video, and social practice to explore resilience, cultural memory, and liberation. From 2015 to 2022, he served as the inaugural Chef-in-Residence at San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora, curating dynamic programming connecting food, health, farming, art, and activism.

His art and ideas have been featured at leading institutions including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, The Underground Museum, The Birmingham Museum of Art, Worth Ryder Art Gallery, and The Hammer Museum at UCLA.

As founder and editor-in-chief of 4 Color Books (an imprint of Ten Speed Press/Penguin Random House), he collaborates with visionary creatives of color to produce visually stunning nonfiction books. Notable 4 Color titles include The Scarr’s Pizza Cookbook by Scarr Pimentel, My Cambodia by Nite Yun with Tien Nguyen, The Black Yearbook by Adraint Khadafhi Bereal, and The Memory of Taste by Tu David Phu and Soleil Ho. Forthcoming works include cookbooks by Carla Hall, Nasim Lahbichi, Rashad Frazier, and Amethyst Ganaway.

terry’s achievements in the publishing world include authoring five highly acclaimed cookbooks, editing and curating an anthology, Black Food, and serving as the editor of The Best American Food and Travel Writing 2025. His work has earned him prestigious honors, including a James Beard Award, an NAACP Image Award, and an Art of Eating Prize. His book Black Food received widespread praise and was hailed as the most critically acclaimed American cookbook of 2021.

terry is the recipient of numerous grants and residencies, including those from the Headlands Center for the Arts (Graduate Fellowship), Open Society Foundations (Community Fellowship), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Food and Society Fellowship), UC Berkeley’s Black Studies Collaboratory (Artist Fellowship), and the East Bay Fund for Artists.

terry completed an MFA in Art Practice at UC Berkeley in 2025. He holds an MA in History from NYU and received his culinary training at the Natural Gourmet Institute. He presents frequently around the country as a keynote speaker at community events, conferences, and colleges.

Reviews

[Adina ( back from Vacay…slowly recovering) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Food is such an interesting book. It is a collection of essays, poems, stories and recipes written by a large variety of people and illustrates the black experience. The input is structured under different themes such as Motherhood, Queer, Spirituality, etc. I skim read a few of the essays and browsed the titles of the recipes. The photography was also beautiful but not all recipes had one. It is not a classic kind of cookbook, it is more of a complex cultural experience.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aesthetically pleasing volume of recipes, photographs and cultural essays relating to Black Food in America and in the wider African Diaspora. A good book to savor in bits and to open and dip into like a treasure chest.

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. This is an awesome cookbook with some great recipes. This is more than just a cookbook. The book has some wonderful stories, history, photographs, and artwork. Definitely will be buying another one as a Christmas gift!! I am giving one to my college age daughter who is really getting involved in cooking and trying different types of new dishes from different origins. She also loves art and I know she will enjoy the beautiful artwork, photographs and stories. Highly recommend.

[Karen Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really beautifully curated collection of gorgeous art and photography, essays, poetry, stories of family and community, and lots of delicious sounding recipes. It’s truly a joyful celebration of the black experience, showcasing so much talent and creativity.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

About seven years ago, I chanced upon my first Bryant Terry book at my public library. I'd just moved and was exploring my new community while also doing some nesting in my new home. So visiting the library and trying new recipes were both on my agenda. His The Inspired Vegan opened up a new world of cooking for me—and when Afro-Vegan was issued a few months later, I immediately bought a copy.

Bryant Terry writes his cookbooks like a generous host, inviting us into his home, telling us stories, offering us a blend of familiar and new flavors—all accompanied by music. Seriously, check out the play lists that he includes in his cookbooks. They're a great source of energy and inspiration, whether in the kitchen or elsewhere.

Black Food has all the characteristics of a Bryant Terry cookbook: good food, stories, playlists and Black history. In Black Food he's not just inviting us into his home; he's introducing us to Black activists and cooks at what I can only call the most culturally rich potluck I've ever attended. Since not all those he profiles are vegan, this book includes recipes for dishes with meat and dairy, along with the delicious vegan food Terry specializes in.

This is a go-buy-it-now-and-maybe-stop-at-the-grocery-on-the-way-home cookbook. You won't want to wait to get cooking and to start meeting the people Terry's going to introduce you to.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGally. I also have already published a paper copy of this book now that it's out. It's that good.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful collection that effortlessly celebrates the black experience. Black Food feeds the reader essays, stories, and recipes. It truly showcases the creativity of the black diaspora. I loved the mix of new and classic recipes. The photographs are breath taking and the words are just as powerful. The book is split into chapters covering subjects like Motherland, Spirituality, Migration and Black, Queer, Food. This is definitely a coffee table book that will be a valuable resource and lovely addition for any collector.

[Mary Keehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure where to start. This is so much more than a cookbook. Between the sets of recipes are essays, songs, prayers, and stories that capture so much of the culture and history that brought these recipes to the modern day. Every bit of food out of this book comes with an experience and a memory. The recipes tell the tales of the people who created them and their ancestors. I have never before wanted to read a cookbook cover to cover but this one I couldn’t put down. If you are looking to experience black culture this is, by far, the tastiest way to do it.

[Leticia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands-down the most fascinating cook book I've ever held in my hands. Every story is so important and eye-opening to understanding how food is so closely tied to history and society and the book progresses to include chapters from homeland meals to soul food and beyond. It's truly more of a black food history textbook with recipes dispersed throughout. A really important book to have on shelves and the whole time I'm thinking, I've never before thought a book was worth a hefty price tag, and even the $40 price tag on this one seems too low.

[Alvina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and I'm super excited about this book.

This (vegan) cookbook/book is so beautifully laid out and I cannot wait to truly dive into these recipes.

As a vegan, or plant based eater, I thrive on making recipes from all cultures into some form of a vegan meal and I know this will greatly add to my repertoire of recipes. What excites me most is that our children will have this book to look at for a long time to come.

Highly recommend.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really awesome blend of art, essays, and recipes. So five stars for the formatting alone.

Beyond this, there were a few nice recipes I might try to tackle in my own time. So that’s always fun.

Obviously the importance of this book lies within the essays themselves though. Some were straightforward, others pleaded for change, while some simply reaffirmed power and mindfulness. Really interesting stuff.

[Katie Bokan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how the author interspersed recipes with essays, poems, photographs and stories is this book. It made for a really enjoyable reading experience! Informative, engaging, and full of rich history.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous collection of meditations on the Black experience in the USA focused on food. Lots of fascinating essays. Not many recipes. Definitely not vegan.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

What a stunning and informative book!
It is not just a cookbook that shares recipes. We learn about history and the stories of POC and their communities as well as learning about the food they grew up with and love.

It's colourful and excellently designed and a great read. Reading about the food of another culture is always an excellent window into their hearts and souls.

[Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This love letter to Black Food (because calling it a cookbook would be an disservice to Bryant Terry and the other voices of this letter) is filled with the humming of grandma in the kitchen, the stories passed down from one generation to another during meal times, laced with the smells of food alchemy emanating early on Sunday morning and overnight during holidays. This letter to the Black/ African diaspora honors and celebrates history while painting vivid concepts through engaging art filled thought out the pages of Black Food. Black Food: Stories, Art, and Essays

From the publisher:

A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry.

In this stunning and deeply heartfelt tribute to Black culinary ingenuity, Bryant Terry captures the broad and divergent voices of the African Diaspora through the prism of food. With contributions from more than 100 Black cultural luminaires from around the globe, the book moves through chapters exploring parts of the Black experience, from Homeland to Migration, Spirituality to Black Future, offering delicious recipes, moving essays, and arresting artwork.

As much a joyful celebration of Black culture as a cookbook, Black Food explores the interweaving of food, experience, and community through original poetry and essays, including "Jollofing with Toni Morrison" by Sarah Ladipo Manyika, "Queer Intelligence" by Zoe Adjonyoh, "The Spiritual Ecology of Black Food" by Leah Penniman, and "Foodsteps in Motion" by Michael W. Twitty. The recipes are similarly expansive and generous, including sentimental favorites and fresh takes such as Crispy Cassava Skillet Cakes from Yewande Komolafe, Okra & Shrimp Purloo from BJ Dennis, Jerk Chicken Ramen from Suzanne Barr, Avocado and Mango Salad with Spicy Pickled Carrot and Rof Dressing from Pierre Thiam, and Sweet Potato Pie from Jenné Claiborne. Visually stunning artwork from such notables as Black Panther Party creative director Emory Douglas and artist Sarina Mantle are woven throughout, and the book includes a signature musical playlist curated by Bryant.

With arresting artwork and innovative design, Black Food is a visual and spiritual feast that will satisfy any soul.

[Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This love letter to Black Food (because calling it a cookbook would be an disservice to Bryant Terry and the other voices of this letter) is filled with the humming of grandma in the kitchen, the stories passed down from one generation to another during meal times, laced with the smells of food alchemy emanating early on Sunday morning and overnight during holidays. This letter to the Black/ African diaspora honors and celebrates history while painting vivid concepts through engaging art filled thought out the pages of Black Food. Black Food: Stories, Art, and Essays

From the publisher:

A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry.

In this stunning and deeply heartfelt tribute to Black culinary ingenuity, Bryant Terry captures the broad and divergent voices of the African Diaspora through the prism of food. With contributions from more than 100 Black cultural luminaires from around the globe, the book moves through chapters exploring parts of the Black experience, from Homeland to Migration, Spirituality to Black Future, offering delicious recipes, moving essays, and arresting artwork.

As much a joyful celebration of Black culture as a cookbook, Black Food explores the interweaving of food, experience, and community through original poetry and essays, including "Jollofing with Toni Morrison" by Sarah Ladipo Manyika, "Queer Intelligence" by Zoe Adjonyoh, "The Spiritual Ecology of Black Food" by Leah Penniman, and "Foodsteps in Motion" by Michael W. Twitty. The recipes are similarly expansive and generous, including sentimental favorites and fresh takes such as Crispy Cassava Skillet Cakes from Yewande Komolafe, Okra & Shrimp Purloo from BJ Dennis, Jerk Chicken Ramen from Suzanne Barr, Avocado and Mango Salad with Spicy Pickled Carrot and Rof Dressing from Pierre Thiam, and Sweet Potato Pie from Jenné Claiborne. Visually stunning artwork from such notables as Black Panther Party creative director Emory Douglas and artist Sarina Mantle are woven throughout, and the book includes a signature musical playlist curated by Bryant.

With arresting artwork and innovative design, Black Food is a visual and spiritual feast that will satisfy any soul.

[Karen Cohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a visually stunning book, containing both artwork and images of the foods being discussed and prepared. Separated into chapters based on cultural ideas, each chapter begins with personal narratives that related the writers' personal experiences, some related directly to food and others less directly. Each chapter then includes recipes related in some fashion to the theme of the chapter.

This is far more than a cookbook; the various authors discuss how food is intrinsic to life; not just how food is cooked, but how it is sourced. It is a fascinating look into a diverse group of people and how their personal and cultural histories have shaped their relationship with food. If all you want is a cookbook, and you skip the narratives, you will miss a great deal; if you read the narratives and skip the recipes, that's up to you - but I now have some great ideas for recipes to make in the near future, some that are familiar, and some that are not.

I am providing this review in return for being given a preview copy of the novel by NetGalley.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is really hard for me to put my finger on exactly how to categorize this book. I came to read it because it is the March cookbook featured in my Food 52 cookbook club, and while there are recipes in it, that is almost incidental to the rest of the book, which is about black food and the African diaspora.
The author, who is more of an editor, is the popular Black vegan chef Bryant Terry, who’s based in Oakland and highly involved in education, healing, and activism. The book contains a chorus of more than 100 Black voices in and about the food world. It is a detailed collection of essays, poetry, art, and recipes. All told, it is an ambitious account of Black food across continents and past and present. Terry has a master’s in history, and this book does border on the academic, digging into the culinary history of the African diaspora; but it’s also as varied as the profusion of voices it contains, from restaurant chefs to food writers to artists. It is an experience wrapped around food and what it means, as seen through a black lens.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a huge fan of the cover because it's hard to read at first, but the colors are very vibrant and beautiful. I really love the different chapters in this book and their titles, as well as the index of recipes at the beginning. I find it a little strange to put that in the front of the book, but it really helps when you just want to browse recipe titles instead of flip through every page. I especially love how unique it is to put a music playlist at the beginning of the book to get a feel as to how each chapter should make you feel. One thing I do wish was different - I wish the recipes were more recipe layout instead of novel layout. I enjoyed the pages of prose, but I felt it was lacking that recipe feel.

[Brandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Some powerful writing in this book. Thank you for this giveaway!

There were several moving stories in this collection, along with many thought-provoking pieces, eye-candy photos, and the recipes had me drooling! I sent a few recipes to my mom, who loves spicy food, not that all of the recipes were spicy, and wrote down some to try later, including Good Bones.

A few of my favorite stories:
The very first one by Rev. Marvin K. White From Scratch. You can’t read it without the strength and power shining through.

The Cookout by Adrian Miller tells the difference between cookout and barbecue as it pertains to black history.

Caring for the Whole Through This Black Body by Adrienne Maree Brown.

I had others marked but my bookmarks kept falling out. :(

Highly recommended for everyone!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art--5 stars! The art was a joy to look at.

The recipes--no rating. I didn't try to make any of them, but if you are vegan, you'll find a lot for you!

The essays and poetry: Uneven. I loved the essays on getting married and finding "your tribe" in Botswana; on the use of millet in Ghana; the poem on Jack Daniels whiskey. But some of the essays were just a word salad of empty buzz terms ("I nurture my Black body through nature, through the vibrations from our community and my inner Goddess" type phrases).

The whole collection widened my perspective on Black food. It's a nice coffee table book. Most of all, I appreciate how HAPPY the book is. So many books on Africana are (understandably) downers, due to all the horrific exploitation and violence that is the legacy of the slave trade. So this book's JOY is a refreshing (dare I attempt a pun?) palate cleanser.

[Reading Fool · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so much more than a book of recipes. It is a collection of writings and art from the Black community, curated and edited by Bryant Terry. I loved Terry's earlier book Vegetable Kingdom and am equally impressed with Black Food. Here Terry presents recipes as the thread through the book, as each chapter takes the reader/cook through Black history and into the future. I have only tried one recipe so far - The Best Potato Salad Ever - and it was delicious and aptly named. There is so much to learn and appreciate from this book, so much more than cooking from the recipes. Thank you, Bryant Terry, for opening up my world.

I've received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book curated by Bryant Terry with a collection of essays, stories, poems, art, and recipes about food by a diverse group of people from around the world regarding their black experience. I took my time to slowly read through this book covering many topics that includes the motherland, migrations, black women, black queer, lifestyle, etc. and the future. There were some familiar recipes and some not so familiar, with some that I want to try to cook. The best ever potato salad looks really good as well as the jerk chicken ramen. The coconut-curry harvest soup really looks good on this rainy day. This book really showcases many talents and their thoughts and memories. I've received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Terry Bryant’s *vegetarian cookbooks so when I saw this one on my library shelf, I snapped it up. This book is really more an exploration and celebration of Black food culture than merely just a cookbook. I read it from cover to cover. The essays, poems and artwork were what held my attention and the recipes were an added bonus.

The first recipe I’ll try is “Doubles,” a popular street food in Trinidad and Tobago. I’ll put the filling in corn tortillas instead of making the bara bread and top with the tamaride sauce and cucumber chutney as the recipe suggests. I’m also going to make the Jollof rice with beans a West African one-pot meal.

*Although this isn’t a strictly vegetarian cookbook there are several vegetarian recipes.

[Sequella Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memorizing … stories that read like chats around the family kitchens sharing the origins of the recipes and the celebrations around them. Apps, drinks, main dishes, desserts all somewhere within these pages. Vegetarian and vegan …gluten free seemingly adaptable for some.

Some are elaborate histories of numerous places, cultures and recipes. There are adaptations given as the cooking travels and the potential for spice available. Substitutions given.

Art work- photography- is fabulous as well.

Poetry, prose, paragraphs, essays and visuals … only the smells are missing… use your imagination.

Definitely not a “cookbook” … an adventure. May not be for some… but I would recommend you proceed with an open mind. You will learn something…

Enjoy

[Melodic_IAm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this recipe book. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy! I have been getting more involved with cooking with my mother getting her recipes. As I write her recipes down and work to get her foods down, this has been a great addition as I learn foods from my roots.

It's colorful. There are pictures for some of the recipes. It has poems and more. It isn't just a recipe book it is an experience for anyone who wants to be more transparent and choose to acknowledge, appreciate, and embrace black culture. It covers so many things and has a key for those who are looking for different food categories (vegan, non-vegan, etc). I did one recipe and am so excited to try more.

[Georgianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just started exploring this book. I bought this more for the essays and stories than the recipes. The recipes look very tempting. The stories and essays are so beautifully written. They have touched my soul and heart. I don't care for poetry, but the poem from Rev. Marvin K. White has changed my mind about modern poetry.

There are recipes for every taste, whether vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore.

There are no step-by-step photos demonstrating how to make a particular dish. I'd say, let yourself be guided by your heart. Dive in, experiment, imagine yourself in a different place.

I'm enjoying every aspect of this book. The photos are beautiful as is the art.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rich, diverse and savory collection. I loved the mix of essays and recipes from all over the spectrum of the African diaspora.

I was totally delighted and surprised by fusion I hadn’t known about before like tamales in the Black neighborhoods of Memphis. I appreciated the call back to traditional millet in west Africa realizing all the “ricecification” is reliant on imports or growing crops that require far more water than millet. Also the focus on vegan cuisine in the Black community and the impetus behind the movement. As well as chapters on power, women, queer community, healing, etc- I learned so much more about a worldwide community that I have already been learning from.

Far more than a cookbook- this is an amazing collage of experience, ideas, belonging, and art.

[Franchesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This big, beautiful book is filled with stories, essays, art, photographs and poems having to do with black food; where it came from, how it got here, and how black people are preserving the plants, recipes and traditions, and how things have changed and adapted across time and place. Many contributors offering a wide variety of insights and expressions, historical and inspirational tales, and recipes for all occasions. I look forward to experimenting with a number of these delicious sounding recipes!

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!

[Nicole The Anxious Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must have if you love to cook, want to pay respect to the traditions that created the food we love, and are truly interested in decolonizing the way you look at how our food traditions have come to be. Bryant Terry has amassed an enlighting group of BIPOC to create a book that is as much about food as it is about history, ancestry, and community. Like his other books, this one is interspersed with essays, poems, playlist recommendations, and stories. The recipes are accessible and usable. It is a wonderful resource and is a gorgeous addition to any book shelf.

[Aasinathena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider "Black Food" as an anthology of all things related to "Black Lives Matter" movement. It's a rare collection of essays (Freda Muyambo, Jessica B. Harris, Sithandiwe Yeni) and poems and experienced stories and 65 recipes written by a large variety of black people. The book is structured under various themes such as Motherhood, Queer, Spirituality, etc. The photography is stunning in food and recipes.

Much thanks go to Clarkson Potter and Ten-Speed Press for sending me the free book!