[ED25437]

While grocery shopping today, I ran into a white co-worker. She asked what I was doing, and I replied I was picking out some collard greens. She said her (white) husband liked greens and also sweet potato pie, but she implied she had never tasted either, and wouldn't like to. She is not the first white person I've noticed with this reaction to traditional African-American foods. Is there a stigma attached to eating these foods among some white folks?

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Name : ED25437, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 45, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, 

[K26953]

It sounds like your white friend is snooty. I can't think of any other reason she wouldn't at least try collard greens, especially if her husband likes them. I'm white and like to try foods from all cultures; Ethiopian food is my favorite in the world...

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Name : K26953, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 32, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, 

[Todd24653]

I've always thought of collard greens as a Southern or country food, but never as an ethnic food. I'm white, and my family frequently had greens of all varieties when I was growing up. Never had sweet potato pie? Where is your co-worker from? Here, that's as common as pumpkin pie during the holiday season.

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Name : Todd24653, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Gastonia, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Network Administrator, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Craig31893]

It's not a snooty thing. It's just that when you don't know much about soul food, and what you do know is eating crawdad soup, pig's feet and chitlins, you tend to get scared away pretty easily, because it is like eating scavenger food -leftover parts, which is its origin - eating what the white people discarded - and some people still think of all soul food that way. As far as sweet potato pie, white people's sweet potatoes are eaten once a year, at Thanksgiving, with brown sugar and marshmallows. I've never been able to stomach it. But when I reluctantly ate sweet potato pie over a lot of protest, I was amazed how good it was, much better than pumpkin. Concerning greens: again, most greens, like cabbage, dandelion greens, etc., are either not that good, due to overcooking, lack of spices or bitterness. But when someone made them for me Cajun style, they were great. White people just grow up with parents overcooking brussel sprouts, cabbage and other greens, or making black-eyed peas with no spices, and it makes a world of difference. My friend and I always laugh at Thanksgiving when we go into the market: Black people have greens, white people have broccoli.

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Name : Craig31893, Gender : M, Age : 38, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, 

[Rick29813]

Many people are suspicious of foods they're not used to. Your co-worker seems to be among them.

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Name : Rick29813, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Springfield, State : OH Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Charlotte32290]

The vast majority of Southern people of all colors eat greens, corn bread, beans and the like. It is not leftover scavenger food, as some misinformed people assume. What most Americans (who aren't Southern) don't seem to realize is that a Southern 'black' person and a Southern 'white' person share more cultural commonalities than would a Northern 'white' person and a Southern 'white' person.

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Name : Charlotte32290, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Presbyterian, Age : 35, City : Charlotte, State : NC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Melissa]

I am a 22 yr. old 'white' female. I don't think liking or dis-liking certain foods has anything to do with the color of our skin or ethnicity. I think it has a lot to do with how you were raised and what your parents made you eat or try. I grew up lower class (but AM NOT white trash) and I love what I call Southern food. Ex: brown beans, fried potatoes, greens, cornbread, biscuits, fried bologna, etc. A lot of people call this 'soul food'. I guess it is soul food also, cause it's great for the soul- whether you're white, black, green, or purple. :) I think you're friend is just afraid to try new things. You should invite her and her husband over and have dinner together. Ask her to try your favorite foods. It could start a great friendship.

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Name : Melissa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Human, Religion : Christian, Age : 22, City : Lexington, State : KY Country : United States, Occupation : Customer Service, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[l-m]

while grocery shopping today, i bought a few bags of greens, and yes, also sweet potato. Now, i'm from alaska, so you can't chalk this up as a 'southern thing', its more that it's cheap and good for you. What i have noticed, though, is that traditional foods in any culture take a certain ammount of preparation, both time and knowledge. So someone who says that they don't like a given food may not have had it cooked right, or even taken the time to try it in the first place. if there is a stigma, it might also be that greens are by various turns considered either 'poor ' food or 'healthy' food, both reasons that i've heard for not wanting to eat them.

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Name : l-m, City : anchorage, State : AK Country : United States, 

[Jennifer]

There's no stigma in eating African-American foods that I know of and no one I know has ever mentioned any to me; in fact, I don't really know what these traditional foods are... I just eat what I like. I would love to try greens but don't know how to cook them, however I don't like sweet potatoes at all. Your co-worker sounds like a picky eater as are many other people.

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[holly]

I have a hard time understanding the mentality of 'soul-food' being thought of as black food. I think it is more traditionally southern food. I never even knew that greens, fried pork chops and chicken, fried okra, etc. were considered 'black' until just recently. These were all foods I and everyone else I knew ate on an everyday basis. It could have something to do with originally the majority of blacks being in the south and everyone (black and white) cooking that kind of food because it is grown here. Maybe that too is why much southern dialect and black dialect sound very familiar with each other.

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Name : holly, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 19, City : birmingham, State : AL Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Matt]

Greens aren't really a food I saw much of growing up, and the few times I have tried them I didn't find them very appetizing. Perhaps they're an acquired taste and I just never acquired it because they're not a food I grew up with. On the other hand, I do like cornbread and sweet potato pie, as well as several other Southern dishes. I don't think most people who don't like greens have any racial motive for not doing so.

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Name : Matt, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 25, City : Oxford, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Sarah]

Being from the south, sweet potatoes and collard greens where ALWAYS on the table and my grandparent's house, and everyone ate them...but me...maybe your friend is in the same boat as I am- I just don't like foods that look, or look like they'd feel icky *L*...all of my friends (black & white) gawk at me when I say I can't stand gravy, and grits...but...ewwwwww....none of those foods settle with me...of course, I love mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, fried chicken (before I became a vegetarian), cucumbers....sliced tomatoes with a little salt..*drools*..anything southern...as long as it isn't slimey. :)

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