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

Colorism is a type of prejudice against those with dark skin tone. Contemporary discussions of colorism typically feature prejudice among people of the same racial or ethnic group; Michael Twitty provides an example of an aunt who, though she had both African and European heritage, looked down on her darker-skinned relatives. However, colorism in the United States traces to the era of slavery, during which white enslavers initiated the prejudice by often having lighter-skinned enslaved people working within the house, while those with darker-skin were forced to stay outdoors with more physically strenuous labor. Because assignment to domestic work was considered preferential treatment, the enslavers’ discrimination created a social hierarchy within enslaved communities, where those with lighter skin were seen as more desirable or respectable.

Challah is a braided Jewish bread that is typically eaten for religious occasions such as Passover. In the Hebrew Bible, challah referred to a kind of loaf, and in Jewish traditions, this loaf is a portion of dough that is set aside for a religious tithe. Twitty describes eating challah as a boy with butter and blackberry jam. As a Jewish food with religious significance, challah is an especially direct example of how food can both form and reflect a person’s identity.