The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South

How does the preservation of food history contribute to cultural understanding and awareness? How does Twitty demonstrate that contribution? Identify three ways in which the memoir advances cultural understanding, citing examples from the text.

Twitty alludes to the connection between the cuisines of Indigenous nations and African Americans. How are these cuisines similar or different? How can historians make sense of culinary ownership and/or determine the origins of historical dishes?

How does Twitty’s journey of self-discovery manifest through food? Why is food so important to a person’s identity?

Trace the origin of a quintessential American dish. How does the dish represent one or more cultures? How does it reflect changes in history?

In what ways does Twitty’s historical and culinary journey reflect the theme Beauty and Ugliness? How are both a part of history, and how should individuals think about these two sides of their ancestry?

Twitty suggests that there is debate about who owns certain cuisines and who has a right to cook them. Develop an argument that explores culinary authority and ownership.

How does Twitty grapple with his mother’s death? How does seeking his ancestry contribute to his understanding of her passing and of death in general?

How did cotton contribute to the institution of slavery? Explore how cotton functions uniquely in at least two of the memoir’s key themes.