by Stephanie Eyocko
The seeds for the food section were sown over a phone call I had with my mother, Sabine Eyocko, in March. I had an appetite for Ndole, an aromatic Cameroonian stew made of bitter leaves (Vernonia amygdalina) and a rich paste of groundnut, onions, garlic. As it cooks, crayfish is added and when it’s done, Ndole is topped with sizzling grilled shrimp. Comfort food at its best. As the official dish of my home country, Cameroon, it is always present at communal gatherings. The world was at a standstill and I found my mother’s cooking directions. She told me to write everything down and to be sure to not eat alone.
The creativity and motivations that drive the food section are simple: the passion I have for my beloved Cameroon, curiosity for the culinary traditions of Black and Brown Folx, and the joy I find with sharing food with others–whether physically or electronically. As we celebrate another year of Black resistance, I want to ensure we preserve the complexity, the joy and stories found in Black foodways. As we know, food is a never-ending source of nourishment and creativity that compels us to communicate with people everywhere and record their inspiring stories.