Soul Food History

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Based in Brooklyn, NY, Fusion East is known for offering a groundbreaking blend of Caribbean and soul food. In addition to stimulating the tastebuds, their menu kindles a flavorful experience for the mind by way of its rich and multifaceted heritage.

Developed by African Americans in the southern United States, soul food is a direct product of its dynamic inventors. Born out of the terrors of American slavery, soul food was originally a necessary solution to limited ingredients and food stores. Left to make do with unwanted scraps of meat and forced to hunt, fish, and farm for themselves, American slaves began to cultivate a vibrant cuisine that would live on long after slavery was abolished.

During the Reconstruction era in the latter half of the 19th century, black church gatherings strengthened culinary traditions with weekly feasts of watermelon, chicken fried steak, catfish, and sweet potatoes, creating a celebratory contrast to the frugal habits of the weekdays. Once the “Great Migration” of the 20th century began, millions of Southern blacks moved upward throughout the country, …show more content…

Today, soul food restaurants modify traditional dishes by adding upscale ingredients or cutting down on high-calorie ones.

Aptly located in the hip borough of Brooklyn, the Fusion East soul food restaurant pays homage to the history of the cuisine with their wide range of classic dishes like cornbread, black-eyed peas, oxtail, and yams. With such proximity to the Big Apple, impressions of other global cuisines are evident in creative choices like creamy curry parmesan penne pasta, or the Caribbean-influenced modern favorite, chicken with coconut waffles.

Call the Fusion East soul food restaurant at (718) 975-5065 to request carry out or make a Sunday brunch reservation, or visit the website to browse their culturally rich