Recently, an article shared on social media caught my attention. Whole Foods, an American health food supermarket chain received backlash over a Collard Greens (leafy green vegetable) and peanut recipe published on its website. As indicated in the article, many who saw the recipe took to Twitter to verbalize their utter disapproval in a fashion that was only reminiscent of the time Jamie Oliver shared his Jollof Rice recipe and West Africa protested. Much like Jollofgate (as Chef Jamie’s recipe came to be known), many felt the collards and peanut recipe was “unacceptable” and an “abomination.”
As someone who grew up on a continent where peanuts are an extremely important source of nutrients and consequently added to almost everything, I failed to understand the fuss. I was raised on peanuts and continue to enjoy them in a wide variety of dishes. From rice and porridge to veggies and chicken, peanuts and peanut butter are a key ingredient in many African kitchens. Why then would their addition to collard greens be such a terrible thing?
In African cuisine, peanuts are an essential source of protein and nutrients. Nhopi (pictured) is a Zimbabwean dish of mashed pumpkin with peanut butter.
I was convinced that the people voicing their dismay had never been exposed to much African cuisine. I searched for soul food dishes that contained peanuts and asked a few colleagues if they knew of any. Besides peanut chicken stew and peanut brittle, my quick search came up empty. The omission left me perplexed. It was only after I read African American- Jewish culinary historian Michael Twitty’s blog post that all it all made sense. In the post, Mr Twitty (whose long awaited book comes out soon) indicated that during slavery, collards were often seasoned with “sesame and peanuts.” However, with acculturation, people moved away from traditional preparation of food. Consequently, the use of peanuts diminished in African American cuisine.
Greens in peanut butter are a favorite combination in many parts of Africa.
Back on the African continent, globalization, the infiltration of multinational fast food companies and the increase of women in the workforce have led to a decrease in the preparation and consumption of heritage foods. If current trends continue, future generations will come to view traditional food combinations as strange and unacceptable. Meanwhile, diseases of lifestyle such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension will run rampart.
Fortunately, although dwindling in popularity, cultural foods such as greens in peanuts, continue to be served and there is a growing number of African cuisine experts documenting traditional food preparation methods and sharing their experiences, mostly through blogs. Hopefully, these resources and dishes will remain widely available for generations to come.
Want to prepare Collard Greens (or other greens) in Peanuts Butter? Here are a few recipes to inspire you . Let me know if you try any….and let me know if you know of any Soul food dishes that have peanuts.
The African Pot Nutrition- Peanut Butter Smothered Pumpkin Leaves (yes, they’re edible)
Congo Cookbook – Greens in Peanut Sauce
Princess Tafadzwa- Muriwo unedovi – (Greens in peanut butter)
My Burnt Orange- Nutty Greens (video)
Here’s to your health!
