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Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew
The James Beard award-winning author of the acclaimed The Cooking Gene explores the cultural crossroads of Jewish and African diaspora cuisine and issues of memory, identity, and food.
In Koshersoul, Michael W. Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them.
The question that most intrigues him is not just who makes the food, but how the food makes the people. Jews of Color are not outliers, Twitty contends, but significant and meaningful cultural creators in both Black and Jewish civilizations. Koshersoul also explores how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty's own passage to and within Judaism.
As intimate, thought-provoking, and profound as The Cooking Gene, this remarkable book teases the senses as it offers sustenance for the soul.
Koshersoul includes 48-50 recipes.
In Koshersoul, Michael W. Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them.
The question that most intrigues him is not just who makes the food, but how the food makes the people. Jews of Color are not outliers, Twitty contends, but significant and meaningful cultural creators in both Black and Jewish civilizations. Koshersoul also explores how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty's own passage to and within Judaism.
As intimate, thought-provoking, and profound as The Cooking Gene, this remarkable book teases the senses as it offers sustenance for the soul.
Koshersoul includes 48-50 recipes.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2022
214 people are currently reading
4335 people want to read
About the author
Michael W. Twitty
11 books324 followersMichael W. Twitty is a food writer, independent scholar, culinary historian, and historical interpreter personally charged with preparing, preserving and promoting African American foodways and its parent traditions in Africa and her Diaspora and its legacy in the food culture of the American South. He is also a Judaic studies teacher from the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area and his interests include food culture, food history, Jewish cultural issues, African American history and cultural politics.
Michael created Afroculinaria, the first blog devoted to African American historic foodways and their legacy. He appeared on Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmerman, Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, and lectured to more than 200 groups including Yale, Oxford and Carnegie Mellon Universities, the Smithsonian Institution, Colonial Williamsburg, and spoken around the world from the MAD Symposium in Copenhagen to the Barbican Theatre in London to Jerusalem's Jewish Film Festival on culinary justice and the African American impact on Southern foodways and the complexities of his identity as a gay, African American, Jewish man. He was recently named one of 50 people changing the South by Southern Living and one of the Five Cheftavists to Watch, as well a TED Fellow.
Michael created Afroculinaria, the first blog devoted to African American historic foodways and their legacy. He appeared on Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmerman, Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, and lectured to more than 200 groups including Yale, Oxford and Carnegie Mellon Universities, the Smithsonian Institution, Colonial Williamsburg, and spoken around the world from the MAD Symposium in Copenhagen to the Barbican Theatre in London to Jerusalem's Jewish Film Festival on culinary justice and the African American impact on Southern foodways and the complexities of his identity as a gay, African American, Jewish man. He was recently named one of 50 people changing the South by Southern Living and one of the Five Cheftavists to Watch, as well a TED Fellow.
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February 8, 2023Update There are 143,000 Black Jews in the US. . This book is about the intersection of Blacks and Jews, all Jews not just the Ashkenazim, and Black Jews and peripherally gays in relation to both Blacks and Jews and Black Jews, all through the lens of food. The author is an observant, gay, Black Jew food historian and author, who writes deeply-researched and personally-involved books that are so dense, in a good way, I'm rereading passage after passage.
I think if you are Jewish you would enjoy it as much as me. If you are a Black Jew, I'd like to know what you think of the book. And if you are Black and think that the connection with White Jews is very tenuous, then you should read the book and see how deeply historically, philosophically and geographically we are all intertwined. And if you aren't any of the groups talked about, say a white Christian then you might enjoy it even more since you are unlikely to find things to be picky about.
__________
When I saw this book, I was so delighted. I read Michael Twitty's The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South which is in the top 100 books I have ever read -an amazing melange of brilliant writing, fabulously interesting content and an author who is really unusual - a gay, black food historian who is also an Orthodox Jew. So I'm going to have to break my resolution to review books read before I pass on because I just have to start this right now.
I think if you are Jewish you would enjoy it as much as me. If you are a Black Jew, I'd like to know what you think of the book. And if you are Black and think that the connection with White Jews is very tenuous, then you should read the book and see how deeply historically, philosophically and geographically we are all intertwined. And if you aren't any of the groups talked about, say a white Christian then you might enjoy it even more since you are unlikely to find things to be picky about.
__________
When I saw this book, I was so delighted. I read Michael Twitty's The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South which is in the top 100 books I have ever read -an amazing melange of brilliant writing, fabulously interesting content and an author who is really unusual - a gay, black food historian who is also an Orthodox Jew. So I'm going to have to break my resolution to review books read before I pass on because I just have to start this right now.
May 9, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was thrilled when I saw this book available, and even more excited when I got approved. And while I truly wanted to love this book, I just ... didn't.
What I did like is the effort the author makes towards normalizing Black people being Jewish. Not every Jew is white-passing, and Black Jews do exist. As he says:
"I want people to know that being Black and being Jewish is not an anomaly or a rare thing. I want people to know how these two identities have such a rich history that the lesson's we've learned across time and space complement each other and have so much to teach us about community, self-determination, diaspora, nomadism, and collective liberation."
He also discussed how powerful collaboration between these two marginalized groups can be.
The summary talks about exploring the way that food and traditions from two different diaspora communities can be combined to create something that honors both sides. And while I fully respect that, I didn't actually see much of that in the book itself.
Instead, I learned more about three hundred years of Baltimore's history, a ton of random comments from others, and musings on how Jewish the author is, with a hefty dose of Ashkenormativity, despite the author's express statement that he isn't Ashkenormative. In fact, he clearly states that he is "a Black American member of a Sephardi/Mizrahi congregation," but there is a ridiculous amount of Yiddish thrown into the text. Much of it isn't defined, and I only understood because I grew up in a Yiddish speaking home. And I get that Yiddish is especially hard to translate into English sometimes, not just the meaning, but because the alphabet isn't the same as the one that we use - it's written using the Hebrew alphabet. I noticed that some words were spelled wrong (leaving a letter out, such as using "kop" instead of "kopf" to mean head), and that the spelling used for other words (mayseh, for example, took me a quarter of the book and a discussion with my Yiddish-fluent mother to decipher as "meise" or story).
Although I was born and raised Jewish, and have a very accepting view on other Jews - whether they are matrilineal/patrilineal, or identify as converted or returned to Judaism - I do have an understanding that not everyone is as understanding or welcoming. The author identifies early on as a convert, and from what I know, not everyone in Jewish circles is as open towards converts. The author's experiences clearly show in his constant need to prove his "Jewishness" through the text in this book. It breaks my heart to know that people who have made a conscious decision to come to Judaism and undergo the conversion process aren't always accepted, and made to feel as "other." But when someone tells me they're Jewish, I just look at it like, "okay, welcome to the family." Instead, the author reverts to Yiddish words whenever and wherever he was able to cram them in, despite practicing as a Sephardic/Mizrahi Jew, which has their own cultural diasporic languages and practices. It came across as overdone and unnecessary. And the fact that these Yiddish terms weren't clearly defined made this a prime example of Ashkenormativity, or viewing Jewishness solely or primarily through an Ashkenazi lens.
I would have liked to learn more about how African American and Jewish foods can be combined. Instead, I was subjected to diatribes about Eastern European Jews being "white," despite all evidence, including genetic, showing that they aren't white people from Europe, but a distinct cultural group from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, who simply lived in Europe as part of their diaspora journey. Ashkenazi Jews are often white-passing, and can certainly benefit from that privilege at times, but ultimately aren't actually white.
And as the last thing I would have expected from a book that was supposedly centered around food and faith, seeing the topic of Israel/Palestine arise not once but multiple times, completely turned me off. It felt an awful lot like the author might have wanted to talk about food and faith, but got sidetracked immensely, venturing into topics that weren't related at all. Let me say this for the people in the back - NOT EVERY JEW WANTS TO DISCUSS ISRAEL/PALESTINE IN EVERY OR ANY CONVERSATION. And while this is a topic that is often close to the heart of many Jews, especially those with ties to Israel, it certainly didn't have a place in a "cookbook."
As for the cookbook part, I found myself distinctly underwhelmed by the vast majority of the 50 or so recipes that were included. A few of the recipes sounded vaguely interesting, but had such long ingredient lists of things that aren't typically in many cabinets, that I'm extremely unlikely to ever try them out. And while I was looking forward to seeing his mac and cheese kugel, which wound up including raisins? Is this an actual thing? Because it's something that definitely doesn't appeal. I don't know, maybe there are people out there that enjoy raisins in mac and cheese, but I've never come across any of them.
I think I could have liked this book more if it was more focused on food and merging the recipes from two different cultures, rather than throwing ingredients or styles from one group into the other, or just adding in a Jewish or Yiddish dish name (like kugel).
I was thrilled when I saw this book available, and even more excited when I got approved. And while I truly wanted to love this book, I just ... didn't.
What I did like is the effort the author makes towards normalizing Black people being Jewish. Not every Jew is white-passing, and Black Jews do exist. As he says:
"I want people to know that being Black and being Jewish is not an anomaly or a rare thing. I want people to know how these two identities have such a rich history that the lesson's we've learned across time and space complement each other and have so much to teach us about community, self-determination, diaspora, nomadism, and collective liberation."
He also discussed how powerful collaboration between these two marginalized groups can be.
The summary talks about exploring the way that food and traditions from two different diaspora communities can be combined to create something that honors both sides. And while I fully respect that, I didn't actually see much of that in the book itself.
Instead, I learned more about three hundred years of Baltimore's history, a ton of random comments from others, and musings on how Jewish the author is, with a hefty dose of Ashkenormativity, despite the author's express statement that he isn't Ashkenormative. In fact, he clearly states that he is "a Black American member of a Sephardi/Mizrahi congregation," but there is a ridiculous amount of Yiddish thrown into the text. Much of it isn't defined, and I only understood because I grew up in a Yiddish speaking home. And I get that Yiddish is especially hard to translate into English sometimes, not just the meaning, but because the alphabet isn't the same as the one that we use - it's written using the Hebrew alphabet. I noticed that some words were spelled wrong (leaving a letter out, such as using "kop" instead of "kopf" to mean head), and that the spelling used for other words (mayseh, for example, took me a quarter of the book and a discussion with my Yiddish-fluent mother to decipher as "meise" or story).
Although I was born and raised Jewish, and have a very accepting view on other Jews - whether they are matrilineal/patrilineal, or identify as converted or returned to Judaism - I do have an understanding that not everyone is as understanding or welcoming. The author identifies early on as a convert, and from what I know, not everyone in Jewish circles is as open towards converts. The author's experiences clearly show in his constant need to prove his "Jewishness" through the text in this book. It breaks my heart to know that people who have made a conscious decision to come to Judaism and undergo the conversion process aren't always accepted, and made to feel as "other." But when someone tells me they're Jewish, I just look at it like, "okay, welcome to the family." Instead, the author reverts to Yiddish words whenever and wherever he was able to cram them in, despite practicing as a Sephardic/Mizrahi Jew, which has their own cultural diasporic languages and practices. It came across as overdone and unnecessary. And the fact that these Yiddish terms weren't clearly defined made this a prime example of Ashkenormativity, or viewing Jewishness solely or primarily through an Ashkenazi lens.
I would have liked to learn more about how African American and Jewish foods can be combined. Instead, I was subjected to diatribes about Eastern European Jews being "white," despite all evidence, including genetic, showing that they aren't white people from Europe, but a distinct cultural group from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, who simply lived in Europe as part of their diaspora journey. Ashkenazi Jews are often white-passing, and can certainly benefit from that privilege at times, but ultimately aren't actually white.
And as the last thing I would have expected from a book that was supposedly centered around food and faith, seeing the topic of Israel/Palestine arise not once but multiple times, completely turned me off. It felt an awful lot like the author might have wanted to talk about food and faith, but got sidetracked immensely, venturing into topics that weren't related at all. Let me say this for the people in the back - NOT EVERY JEW WANTS TO DISCUSS ISRAEL/PALESTINE IN EVERY OR ANY CONVERSATION. And while this is a topic that is often close to the heart of many Jews, especially those with ties to Israel, it certainly didn't have a place in a "cookbook."
As for the cookbook part, I found myself distinctly underwhelmed by the vast majority of the 50 or so recipes that were included. A few of the recipes sounded vaguely interesting, but had such long ingredient lists of things that aren't typically in many cabinets, that I'm extremely unlikely to ever try them out. And while I was looking forward to seeing his mac and cheese kugel, which wound up including raisins? Is this an actual thing? Because it's something that definitely doesn't appeal. I don't know, maybe there are people out there that enjoy raisins in mac and cheese, but I've never come across any of them.
I think I could have liked this book more if it was more focused on food and merging the recipes from two different cultures, rather than throwing ingredients or styles from one group into the other, or just adding in a Jewish or Yiddish dish name (like kugel).
August 2, 2022
July did not go the way I thought it would. instead of moving out of a very stressful 6 weeks dealing with health issues, I got drop kicked into a very stressful month of needing to find a new place to live, packing and moving and managing a whole bunch of people’s emotions. I meant to get Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew reviewed a month ago, but it was beyond my ability. The review I would have written is very different and probably better than this review that I’m actually writing. There are a lot of details I’ve forgotten about the book, but what stayed with me is the spirit and feeling of the book. I kept in mind that through this period of intense emotion and upheaval, I could choose connection and caring instead if retreating into myself. I chose to keep connecting to people and caring for people – usually through food. In my last week with the people who have been like a family to me, I baked chocolate cakes, cookies, blondies, raspberry oat bars, biscuits and bread. I made soups and salads and sliced fruit for snacking. I didn’t do it to make sure I would be missed but to stay in the moment. To reinforce that though we are soon to be separated by thousands of miles, we are a part of each other.
Michael W. Twitty’s first book, The Cooking Gene, was one of my favorite books of 2019. After I read it, I wished so much that I could have discussed it with my great-grandmother, a very Southern cook. She slid into dementia before I was realized she was my connection to my familial roots. As a white Southerner, familial roots are thorny, but Twitty’s book made me want to dive more deeply into that thorny heritage. Koshersoul is a wonderful exploration of identity and the intersection of identities. One of the features of white supremacy is the flattening and ossification of identity. Identities that should be fluid become rigidly codified, making inclusion a scarcity. Koshersoul is an act of protest against that scarcity. Twitty’s style is meandering and thoughtful. But the point is always to prove the table should be bigger.
I received this as an advance reader copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
Michael W. Twitty’s first book, The Cooking Gene, was one of my favorite books of 2019. After I read it, I wished so much that I could have discussed it with my great-grandmother, a very Southern cook. She slid into dementia before I was realized she was my connection to my familial roots. As a white Southerner, familial roots are thorny, but Twitty’s book made me want to dive more deeply into that thorny heritage. Koshersoul is a wonderful exploration of identity and the intersection of identities. One of the features of white supremacy is the flattening and ossification of identity. Identities that should be fluid become rigidly codified, making inclusion a scarcity. Koshersoul is an act of protest against that scarcity. Twitty’s style is meandering and thoughtful. But the point is always to prove the table should be bigger.
I received this as an advance reader copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
October 10, 2022
As a reader, I tend to like books that are about personal identity. In selecting author Michael Twitty's memoir to read, I was interested to find out about what attracted him to Orthodox Judaism as an African American. I had heard a little about him - that he was a creative cook as well. So, I started to read...
As it turns out, Twitty lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He views himself as African American, Jewish and gay. On the cover of his book, there are three colorful loaves of braided challah. The colors of each one represent his three identities. I would add that his fourth identity is Culinary Historian. Twitty feels that he can best express himself through food and cooking. This is the major focus of his memoir. Towards the back is a large section of recipes. Most combine African American Southern cooking with Jewish foods.
Twitty seems to be saying, "Hineni" - Here I am. Accept me for myself, as unique as I am.
3.5 stars
As it turns out, Twitty lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He views himself as African American, Jewish and gay. On the cover of his book, there are three colorful loaves of braided challah. The colors of each one represent his three identities. I would add that his fourth identity is Culinary Historian. Twitty feels that he can best express himself through food and cooking. This is the major focus of his memoir. Towards the back is a large section of recipes. Most combine African American Southern cooking with Jewish foods.
Twitty seems to be saying, "Hineni" - Here I am. Accept me for myself, as unique as I am.
3.5 stars
May 11, 2022
Thank you to Amistad and NetGalley for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'll admit, I requested this ARC on a whim, as I was really interested in the premise of a book on the intersection of Blackness and Jewishness, particularly through the lens of food. And while I do think we kind of got that, I did feel like the concept here was a little all over the place. The food aspect often felt like an afterthought, and while I did find the normalization of Black Jews and the centering of that particular intersection to be really interesting, I just didn't feel like the entire book was particularly cohesive--I wanted a tighter narrative focus, and this almost felt like I was reading an early draft/collection of possible topics, not a finished work.
I'm also neither Black, nor Jewish, and while it's never explicitly stated anywhere, it felt very clear that I'm not meant to be this book's audience. There's a lot of Yiddish in the text, oftentimes without definition. On the one hand, I can appreciate the centering of the Jewish experience, but as somebody with a decent familiarity with Jewish customs due to learning/friendships, but without the deep knowledge that comes from lived experience, it felt like I was missing a lot of context while reading.
Finally, there was the recipe section at the end, which is what I was most looking forward to, but I found a little underwhelming. Essentially none of the recipes have photos, which for me is a pretty basic requirement, and nothing quite spoke to me. I think this is partially just because I'm not the right audience.
I did enjoy the book overall, but I think I didn't quite understand *what* this book was supposed to be. I can appreciate the sort of fusion attempts here, but ultimately I think it tried to do a bit too much.
I'll admit, I requested this ARC on a whim, as I was really interested in the premise of a book on the intersection of Blackness and Jewishness, particularly through the lens of food. And while I do think we kind of got that, I did feel like the concept here was a little all over the place. The food aspect often felt like an afterthought, and while I did find the normalization of Black Jews and the centering of that particular intersection to be really interesting, I just didn't feel like the entire book was particularly cohesive--I wanted a tighter narrative focus, and this almost felt like I was reading an early draft/collection of possible topics, not a finished work.
I'm also neither Black, nor Jewish, and while it's never explicitly stated anywhere, it felt very clear that I'm not meant to be this book's audience. There's a lot of Yiddish in the text, oftentimes without definition. On the one hand, I can appreciate the centering of the Jewish experience, but as somebody with a decent familiarity with Jewish customs due to learning/friendships, but without the deep knowledge that comes from lived experience, it felt like I was missing a lot of context while reading.
Finally, there was the recipe section at the end, which is what I was most looking forward to, but I found a little underwhelming. Essentially none of the recipes have photos, which for me is a pretty basic requirement, and nothing quite spoke to me. I think this is partially just because I'm not the right audience.
I did enjoy the book overall, but I think I didn't quite understand *what* this book was supposed to be. I can appreciate the sort of fusion attempts here, but ultimately I think it tried to do a bit too much.
August 1, 2022
I enjoyed the history part of it, the descriptions, and the passionate way you describes things. However, I found the book dry in a few places and it would have been nice to include some recipes to some of the meals he describes.
October 7, 2022
I love everything Twitty has to say, and I especially loved his deep dive into what it means to be a Jew of Color, in its richness and varied history. I continue to love his teachings that what you eat is also a story of where you come from. I encourage anyone, of whatever faith or race, to read this book.
January 2, 2025
First: Choose the print version, not the audiobook.
Second: This book is in small bites, some smaller than others. For those with attention issues, it's easy to read, but just as easy to put down. (That's not why it took me two years to finish, though.)
Third: The perspective here is one I've never read before (outside of the author's Twitter), and that alone is worth the price of admission. Black, gay, and Jewish are marginalizations you don't often see in one person, and navigating conversion with those layers will always make for interesting reading.
The recipes: Lots of meat, which isn't for me, but lots of interesting cultural combinations and flavor profiles.
This is not a cookbook. It is a collection of thoughts, and I found all of them fascinating.
Second: This book is in small bites, some smaller than others. For those with attention issues, it's easy to read, but just as easy to put down. (That's not why it took me two years to finish, though.)
Third: The perspective here is one I've never read before (outside of the author's Twitter), and that alone is worth the price of admission. Black, gay, and Jewish are marginalizations you don't often see in one person, and navigating conversion with those layers will always make for interesting reading.
The recipes: Lots of meat, which isn't for me, but lots of interesting cultural combinations and flavor profiles.
This is not a cookbook. It is a collection of thoughts, and I found all of them fascinating.
May 18, 2022
It’s not hugely often that I’m in time to spot Jewish books on NetGalley (I’m deeply realistic about what I have time for, so I tend to not browse the NetGalley shelves too often!), but I was thrilled when I happened to be clicking through and stumbled upon Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty (Amistad Press, 2022). I have Mr. Twitty’s first book, The Cooking Gene, on my TBR, but haven’t gotten to it yet, mostly due to the pandemic (it’s available at a nearby library, but I’ve been staying out of other libraries for the most part, in the attempts to keep their foot traffic lower). I was so excited when I received notice that my request had been approved. Into the world of Black Jewish cooking I dove!
Michael Twitty is a chef and a writer, living at the intersection of Black and Jewish in a country (and a world) that doesn’t have an excess amount of kindness for either group. That said, despite people’s confusion, despite people not understanding and deliberately not bothering to learn, being Black and Jewish co-exists beautifully together and is expressed lovingly in many ways, chiefly in the food that Mr. Twitty cooks. From the traditional dishes of various African countries, to the meals cooked up in the slave cabins of his ancestors, to the Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions that are now his traditions, Michael Twitty finds deep meaning in the art and flavors of cooking and how his many beautiful identities affect his culinary creations.
Part-memoir, part academic history, part exploration of the culture of food and how our identity contributes to what we cook (and how Black identity in particular brings not just baggage, but joy and beauty), Koshersoul defies genre – maybe making the point that those of us with multiple intersecting identities defy traditional classification as well.
Michael Twitty is a talented, eloquent writer. His writing is scholarly enough to challenge my exhausted, pandemic-addled brain, but friendly and comfortable enough that reading this is joyful. He writes of his life, his ancestors, with a deep reverence, and the same reverence is afforded to the food he creates and serves. To him, cooking is an art and deserves the same respect afforded to works of art, and his veneration of tradition has made me consider cooking in a different way: less of a chore, more of an act of worship, a respect for those who came before us, a celebration of who we are and our survival over the centuries. They tried to kill us; they failed; let’s eat.
Koshersoul wanders from subject to subject; it doesn’t follow any linear structure, but that’s part of what keeps it so interesting. His interviews with other Black Jews and chefs (many of whom I already follow on Twitter, so it was great seeing their words in long form!) intrigued me, but I also deeply appreciated reading Mr. Twitty’s experiences, difficult as some of them must have been to recount (racism is, unfortunately, alive and well in the Jewish community). The book is also heavy on Judaism and his life within it, so that absolutely called to me and made my soul happy.
Koshersoul is available from retailers on August 9th (and it contains recipes!).
Michael Twitty is a chef and a writer, living at the intersection of Black and Jewish in a country (and a world) that doesn’t have an excess amount of kindness for either group. That said, despite people’s confusion, despite people not understanding and deliberately not bothering to learn, being Black and Jewish co-exists beautifully together and is expressed lovingly in many ways, chiefly in the food that Mr. Twitty cooks. From the traditional dishes of various African countries, to the meals cooked up in the slave cabins of his ancestors, to the Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions that are now his traditions, Michael Twitty finds deep meaning in the art and flavors of cooking and how his many beautiful identities affect his culinary creations.
Part-memoir, part academic history, part exploration of the culture of food and how our identity contributes to what we cook (and how Black identity in particular brings not just baggage, but joy and beauty), Koshersoul defies genre – maybe making the point that those of us with multiple intersecting identities defy traditional classification as well.
Michael Twitty is a talented, eloquent writer. His writing is scholarly enough to challenge my exhausted, pandemic-addled brain, but friendly and comfortable enough that reading this is joyful. He writes of his life, his ancestors, with a deep reverence, and the same reverence is afforded to the food he creates and serves. To him, cooking is an art and deserves the same respect afforded to works of art, and his veneration of tradition has made me consider cooking in a different way: less of a chore, more of an act of worship, a respect for those who came before us, a celebration of who we are and our survival over the centuries. They tried to kill us; they failed; let’s eat.
Koshersoul wanders from subject to subject; it doesn’t follow any linear structure, but that’s part of what keeps it so interesting. His interviews with other Black Jews and chefs (many of whom I already follow on Twitter, so it was great seeing their words in long form!) intrigued me, but I also deeply appreciated reading Mr. Twitty’s experiences, difficult as some of them must have been to recount (racism is, unfortunately, alive and well in the Jewish community). The book is also heavy on Judaism and his life within it, so that absolutely called to me and made my soul happy.
Koshersoul is available from retailers on August 9th (and it contains recipes!).
May 9, 2022
As someone who read--and absolutely devoured--The Cooking Gene, I am familiar with Twitty's style of writing (I also follow him on Twitter). Like The Cooking Gene, this does cover quite a bit of territory/stories (and tends to meander a bit, but it's fine), is deeply personal, and is wholly unique.
I am neither Jewish nor Black, so I know very little about the history of Black Jews. I am from New Orleans and am familiar with the history of general Southern cooking and its deep roots in African and Black American food/cooking. I found this a very enticing and eye-opening read.
Many thanks to Amistad and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am neither Jewish nor Black, so I know very little about the history of Black Jews. I am from New Orleans and am familiar with the history of general Southern cooking and its deep roots in African and Black American food/cooking. I found this a very enticing and eye-opening read.
Many thanks to Amistad and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2023
I loved this book. Twitty's delicious food writing is mingled with a deep knowledge of Judaism, which intersect as he embraces the complexity of Jewish identity and also of being alive in a world where all of human history has happened. I love his description of "sacred" kitchens: the ones containing old cookbooks and family photos, fridges full of magnets and macaroni art. I love the way he talks about race inside and outside of Judaism, sharing not only his own experiences but interviewing everyone from southern Jews to Black Jewish converts in Baltimore to a Black Orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn.
For those who don't know much about Judaism, Twitty's book can teach important basics: Why someone might choose to convert to and practice a religion filled with laws, how Judaism is very unlike Christianity, and that "kosher" does not mean "food blessed by a rabbi."
Twitty's clear and impassioned way of talking about the joys of Judaism highlighted for me part of why antisemitism is so widespread. Judaism embraces book learning, questioning, debate, and curiosity. It is the consistent practice of critical thought. For anyone who's ever considered converting, you know the first thing you'll be told: Study, study, study.
For bookish Twitty, Judaism felt like a natural embrace of his truest self. For those with more authoritarian views, I now see the ways Jewish cultural values can represent threats to societal hierarchies, to anyone who just wants people to "shut up and listen," to those who don't welcome questions.
If you're participating in the #readJewishJoy challenge on Instagram or Storygraph, this is a great memoir to add to your TBR.
For those who don't know much about Judaism, Twitty's book can teach important basics: Why someone might choose to convert to and practice a religion filled with laws, how Judaism is very unlike Christianity, and that "kosher" does not mean "food blessed by a rabbi."
Twitty's clear and impassioned way of talking about the joys of Judaism highlighted for me part of why antisemitism is so widespread. Judaism embraces book learning, questioning, debate, and curiosity. It is the consistent practice of critical thought. For anyone who's ever considered converting, you know the first thing you'll be told: Study, study, study.
For bookish Twitty, Judaism felt like a natural embrace of his truest self. For those with more authoritarian views, I now see the ways Jewish cultural values can represent threats to societal hierarchies, to anyone who just wants people to "shut up and listen," to those who don't welcome questions.
If you're participating in the #readJewishJoy challenge on Instagram or Storygraph, this is a great memoir to add to your TBR.
August 14, 2022
4 solid stars.
I crave cookbooks like this. I’ve mentioned in other reviews that Jewish cuisine is one I’m not very familiar with so when you combine that with soul food, I want more of these types of cookbooks. It’s also a memoir and a fascinating one at that.
The only reason it’s not 5 stars is the lack of pictures of the recipes and the fact that some ingredients might be hard to source.
Despite those minor oversights, this is a fascinating addition to anyone’s bookshelf.
I crave cookbooks like this. I’ve mentioned in other reviews that Jewish cuisine is one I’m not very familiar with so when you combine that with soul food, I want more of these types of cookbooks. It’s also a memoir and a fascinating one at that.
The only reason it’s not 5 stars is the lack of pictures of the recipes and the fact that some ingredients might be hard to source.
Despite those minor oversights, this is a fascinating addition to anyone’s bookshelf.
August 25, 2022
A book to savor, all pun intended. I forced myself to read a chapter at a time so I could relish each and every word. (Again, a food pun?). A joy-filled read able to meld the intersectionality of the author’s experience with the much needed intersectionality of our world at large. I can only tell you to take your time and enjoy every single word.
August 27, 2022
Michael W. Twitty is a treasure! His storytelling is poignant and powerful, his connection with food, faith and community are clear and beautifully told in this book.
My only hope in the second edition is to add reference pages for spice recipes noted within other recipes at the end of the book.
Will keep recommending this as one of my new favorite books.
My only hope in the second edition is to add reference pages for spice recipes noted within other recipes at the end of the book.
Will keep recommending this as one of my new favorite books.
April 13, 2023
interesting personal anecdotes mingled with some more general reflections on minority identity and intersectionality, lots of recipes which actually really help drive home Twitty's overall goals, but I just didn't love his actual writing voice so found it interesting and provocative but just ok
November 11, 2025
We became friends in an Ancient to Medieval Jewish History class in college. He wasn’t Jewish then, but he knew more about scripture than any of the Jewish kids in the class, and he had the chutzpah to remind them.
October 9, 2022
I am so grateful that I have learned about Michael Twitty which led me to The Cooking Gene and, now, Koshersoul. What a beautiful testament to identity, community, and food.
May 14, 2023
The intentionality and determination Twitty places on the interactions of his identities is fascinating, however, I think the medium that would enable me to best hear his story is a live speech or conversation
October 23, 2025
so amazing! love this book!
September 23, 2022
Absorbing -- a little pedantic, but so varied. Insight into the experiences of a Jew of Color, southern foodways and Jewish foodways, the diversity of Judaism, and the struggle for acceptance within the Jewish Community. The author's intelligence and insight shines on every page.
August 11, 2022
I really liked hearing Michael's thoughts on who he is and his journey on how he got there. He opened a fascinating door to look at food through a historical lens and I'm going to trace my family's food recipes.
July 12, 2022
One of my faves of 2022 for sure. My ARC is full of underlining, starring, commentary - such a wonderful, insightful book and the recipes in the back even make ME want to cook. I have ideas for our next Shabbat dinner and I literally LOL’d when I saw the words “I miss Cheerwine” in the book. (IYKYK). A thoughtful book about culture, food, identity, life….I can’t even properly think through everything right now bc I need to let the book sit for a bit in my head. I can’t wait to reread this. This is a must-read for everyone, IMO.
January 30, 2023
Interesting thoughts but difficult to read writing style.
December 19, 2023
This was a surprising book that came to me at the perfect time (I was gifted a pre-pub uncorrected proof after entering a Goodreads drawing). I have recently been struggling -- along with many others, I'm quite sure -- with feelings of alienation that have been brought to the surface by various forces. Not only has the pandemic disrupted our sense of community in many ways (gathering can be a complicated and sometimes dangerous thing), but the politicization of just about everything (how is wearing a mask as a sign that you want your fellow beings to be well and feel safe become a political act?) has created an environment where I've learned things about some friends and loved ones that I really didn't want to know (they perhaps deserve a heaping helping of cheeto pie). That sense of isolation has me looking for ways to reconnect with my true mishpocheh.
I approached the book already a fan of Michael Twitty's work, as a former small-time food writer (I was lucky enough to do recipe testing for one of Bryant Terry's cookbooks), as a current Southerner who was raised by socially progressive parents who come from a long line of low-born working class white folks (mom was raised in the Jim Crow South; dad in the small Rust Belt town where I grew up), and as someone born into into a Presby-Catholic family that grew into pantheism. I do faith, religion, and spirituality a la carte, tend to explore experientially, and obviously food is one of the best places to get started.
I expected to learn more about the cuisines of the Jewish and Black diasporas, and that was definitely conveyed, with so much richness, depth and historical context. But the great gift here for me was the open and honest discussion of the different communities Twitty occupies, how to find a place in those (and potentially other) communities, and how one can find a welcoming seat at the various tables where we might find ourselves. Twitty shows us how we might all allow ourselves the grace to feel welcome at unfamiliar tables, and to make sure that others feel welcome at our own table. This is not just about the food (although that is very important, because that is often the very thing over which we so often meet), but also about the rich history that brought us to the table in the first place. In a time when it feels like the loudest people have nothing to offer but divisiveness, Twitty quietly and profoundly delivers concurrence, harmony, and a delicious sense of satiety.
I approached the book already a fan of Michael Twitty's work, as a former small-time food writer (I was lucky enough to do recipe testing for one of Bryant Terry's cookbooks), as a current Southerner who was raised by socially progressive parents who come from a long line of low-born working class white folks (mom was raised in the Jim Crow South; dad in the small Rust Belt town where I grew up), and as someone born into into a Presby-Catholic family that grew into pantheism. I do faith, religion, and spirituality a la carte, tend to explore experientially, and obviously food is one of the best places to get started.
I expected to learn more about the cuisines of the Jewish and Black diasporas, and that was definitely conveyed, with so much richness, depth and historical context. But the great gift here for me was the open and honest discussion of the different communities Twitty occupies, how to find a place in those (and potentially other) communities, and how one can find a welcoming seat at the various tables where we might find ourselves. Twitty shows us how we might all allow ourselves the grace to feel welcome at unfamiliar tables, and to make sure that others feel welcome at our own table. This is not just about the food (although that is very important, because that is often the very thing over which we so often meet), but also about the rich history that brought us to the table in the first place. In a time when it feels like the loudest people have nothing to offer but divisiveness, Twitty quietly and profoundly delivers concurrence, harmony, and a delicious sense of satiety.
May 10, 2022
Book Review: Koshersoul - The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew
Author: Michael W. Twitty
Publisher: Ammistad
Publication Date: August 9, 2022
Review Date: May 9, 2022
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the blurb:”The James Beard award-winning author of the acclaimed The Cooking Gene explores the cultural crossroads of Jewish and African diaspora cuisine and issues of memory, identity, and food.
In Koshersoul, Michael W. Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them.
The question that most intrigues him is not just who makes the food, but how the food makes the people. Jews of Color are not outliers, Twitty contends, but significant and meaningful cultural creators in both Black and Jewish civilizations. Koshersoul also explores how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty’s own passage to and within Judaism.
As intimate, thought-provoking, and profound as The Cooking Gene, this remarkable book teases the senses as it offers sustenance for the soul.
Koshersoul includes 48-50 recipes.”
———
I should just not have started reading this book. I thought it was going to be interesting, but I got very tired of Michael Twitty’s self-righteous tone. I’m not sure why, but his writing just rubbed me the wrong way. Too much self-absorbed talk. I never got to the part with recipes because I had to abandon the book about halfway through. I would not recommend this book, unless you have a lot of patience to put up with a lot of navel-gazing.
Thank you to Amistad for giving me access to this book, and best of luck to Mr. Twitty with his career.
This review will be posted on NetGalley and Goodreads.
#netgalley #koshersoul #amistad #michaeltwitty
Author: Michael W. Twitty
Publisher: Ammistad
Publication Date: August 9, 2022
Review Date: May 9, 2022
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the blurb:”The James Beard award-winning author of the acclaimed The Cooking Gene explores the cultural crossroads of Jewish and African diaspora cuisine and issues of memory, identity, and food.
In Koshersoul, Michael W. Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them.
The question that most intrigues him is not just who makes the food, but how the food makes the people. Jews of Color are not outliers, Twitty contends, but significant and meaningful cultural creators in both Black and Jewish civilizations. Koshersoul also explores how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty’s own passage to and within Judaism.
As intimate, thought-provoking, and profound as The Cooking Gene, this remarkable book teases the senses as it offers sustenance for the soul.
Koshersoul includes 48-50 recipes.”
———
I should just not have started reading this book. I thought it was going to be interesting, but I got very tired of Michael Twitty’s self-righteous tone. I’m not sure why, but his writing just rubbed me the wrong way. Too much self-absorbed talk. I never got to the part with recipes because I had to abandon the book about halfway through. I would not recommend this book, unless you have a lot of patience to put up with a lot of navel-gazing.
Thank you to Amistad for giving me access to this book, and best of luck to Mr. Twitty with his career.
This review will be posted on NetGalley and Goodreads.
#netgalley #koshersoul #amistad #michaeltwitty
July 25, 2023
Ah - THIS is the book I was looking for when I read Michael W. Twitty's first book, The Cooking Gene. While I found that book to be fascinating and an important culinary book about slavery, African American culinary history, and Twitty's experiences, it only touched briefly on one elements of Twitty's life that first made me aware of him - his experience as a gay, black, Jewish convert.
In his second book, Kosher Soul, Twitty dives deeply into all of these things. As the title suggests, the book deals with the intersection of kosher food and traditional african/african american cuisine, in something Twitty named kosher soul food. The book acts as a memoir of Twitty's experiences as a convert and as a black man in the Jewish world, as well as his thoughts and ideas about the similarities and intersections in the history, culture, and food of Jews and African Americans. It is also a thorough repository of sources for the topic, and contains some really interesting ideas for holiday meals and the like, incorporating kosher soul food.
This was just the kind of content I was looking for going in, and I was not disappointed by the content or Twitty's writing and conveyance of it. I really enjoyed the audiobook and Twitty's reading of the book, and will probably need to seek out a copy so I can revisit Twitty's recipes and various books and sources that he mentioned.
In his second book, Kosher Soul, Twitty dives deeply into all of these things. As the title suggests, the book deals with the intersection of kosher food and traditional african/african american cuisine, in something Twitty named kosher soul food. The book acts as a memoir of Twitty's experiences as a convert and as a black man in the Jewish world, as well as his thoughts and ideas about the similarities and intersections in the history, culture, and food of Jews and African Americans. It is also a thorough repository of sources for the topic, and contains some really interesting ideas for holiday meals and the like, incorporating kosher soul food.
This was just the kind of content I was looking for going in, and I was not disappointed by the content or Twitty's writing and conveyance of it. I really enjoyed the audiobook and Twitty's reading of the book, and will probably need to seek out a copy so I can revisit Twitty's recipes and various books and sources that he mentioned.
October 8, 2022
This book was a baffling disappointment to me. I was so excited for it but the topic is just all over the place, with essays put together in parts that I struggled to find consistency in. There's all sorts of impactful stories and interviews here and I was finding it interesting and assumed this was a buildup to the main topic of the book.
So I really lost patience when I started part 3, which beautifully dove into all aspects of the meal. Things like the substitution of the chicken bone for the lamb shank and what that represents. I was loving it! This was exactly what I thought this book would be and I was fascinated. And then I turned the page after the end of this first essay in part three and found that part three was done. It was 10 pages long. All the others seem to be at least 50 pages. I was so disappointed.
There are a lot of important stories, statements and ideas here, but it just doesn't come together for me. I found myself confused or having serious trouble following what was going on or feeling like I'm missing the impact of something for the majority of the book. It also seems like the vast majority of the essays weren't really related to food at all.
I have marked a few of the recipes to try but don't feel like I came out of this book with any increased understanding of most of them. They do have short introductory paragraphs that provide a bit of context and history which I appreciated.
So I really lost patience when I started part 3, which beautifully dove into all aspects of the meal. Things like the substitution of the chicken bone for the lamb shank and what that represents. I was loving it! This was exactly what I thought this book would be and I was fascinated. And then I turned the page after the end of this first essay in part three and found that part three was done. It was 10 pages long. All the others seem to be at least 50 pages. I was so disappointed.
There are a lot of important stories, statements and ideas here, but it just doesn't come together for me. I found myself confused or having serious trouble following what was going on or feeling like I'm missing the impact of something for the majority of the book. It also seems like the vast majority of the essays weren't really related to food at all.
I have marked a few of the recipes to try but don't feel like I came out of this book with any increased understanding of most of them. They do have short introductory paragraphs that provide a bit of context and history which I appreciated.
August 25, 2022
Michael Twitty knows how to get you in the gut. But his is a one-two punch of culinary and history. His words will knock the wind out of you while his recipes fill you back up with inviting comfort. (And it can be a spicy hug.)
Incidents of discrimination are somehow always a surprise and at the same time always expected. Oppression is simply a baseline fear that is carried around by those in the vulnerable minority and many of those who live within a majority are unaware of the constant hurts experienced by those seen as different.
Michael follows his soul through the pages, describing what it feels like to show up with everything you are and be denied the experience of community.
Sharing in his journey has helped me to understand more about my own world and how I can be more compassionate, both to myself and to those around me.
Incidents of discrimination are somehow always a surprise and at the same time always expected. Oppression is simply a baseline fear that is carried around by those in the vulnerable minority and many of those who live within a majority are unaware of the constant hurts experienced by those seen as different.
Michael follows his soul through the pages, describing what it feels like to show up with everything you are and be denied the experience of community.
Sharing in his journey has helped me to understand more about my own world and how I can be more compassionate, both to myself and to those around me.
October 31, 2022
The idea of this book is super interesting and I was really excited to read it. Unfortunately, I don’t think it lived up to its premise. The author had some good stories and neat insight, but every chapter felt like a repeat of the one before it. During interviews the dialogue was very confusing to follow, and I sometimes couldn’t tell who was speaking. They would be contextualized as a casual conversation at a cafe, and then be page long monologues full of quotes and references that you would need quite a bit of background information on Judaism to understand. I guess I am confused with who the target audience of this book would be, as it is set up like it’s for people who don’t necessarily have a Jewish education, but without that background knowledge I think most readers get lost. I don’t usually give up on books, but with 30 or so pages left I had to call it.
Read
November 21, 2022This book made me so hungry! I learned a lot—about food, and about faith (including my own). After having encountered several of Michael W. Twitty's video/podcast appearances, it was particularly meaningful to read this book.
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