Black Chef Stereotypes

When someone asks the names of well-known chefs the names that follow might be: Gordon Ramsay, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, or possibly Jamie Oliver. What do they all have in common? All of these men are established culinary ‘masterminds’ in the cooking world and they all happen to be—white. What most people do not realize, is that there are hundreds—if not thousands of black chefs worldwide that do not get as much exposure as their white counterparts. Names like Angela Medearis, Tiffany Derry, Marcus Samuelsson, Edna Lewis, and G. Garvin might not sound familiar, but they have starred on shows like Top Chef, written famous cookbooks, and have even cooked for people like Oprah and Michelle Obama. Only recently have black chefs been featured

in the public and media eye. Even though the amount of African Americans in the culinary field seem to be non-existent, the lack thereof is because of negative misconceptions, apparent racism and prejudice, and lack of media exposure.
The stereotypical image that some non-minorities have of black chefs (and people) stem from deep-rooted racism and prejudices.

Chef Angela Shelf Medearis, accounts her view over the topic, “The other part is because of the basic stereotypical prejudice there is about African and African American cuisine-- most restaurant chefs don't consider African and African foods that should be recognized” (Medearis). This erasure of black cuisine further displays the modern-day covert prejudice that is so often seen in the kitchen. However, historically, black chefs were well-versed in cooking techniques and made multiple contributions to the culinary industry. “Early black chefs were trained in traditional English and classic French cuisine, and they remained open to other cultural influences with which they came into contact, including Native American, Sephardic-Jewish, German, Dutch, and Scots-Irish foodways” (Twitty). The fusion of dishes and cultures are most of what people see (and eat) today. For example, gumbo, a roux based stew, is fusion between the French and creole cultures. Additionally, the decline of black chefs in the past is largely part of old stereotypes and misconceptions. In the late 90’s, most people saw the culinary industry as degrading or not as prestigious as other professions. Being in the kitchen only reinforced the negative connotation of being a servant among other things. “African-American parents -- our parents -- were Pullman porters and waiters and waitresses," said Mr. Raiford, an Atlanta chef who has returned to the institute to earn his bachelor's degree. "Once they had the ability for their children not to do that, they didn't want to choose that" (Ruhlman). It seems that being in the culinary industry is a sort of ‘double edged sword’ nowadays for black people, "They seemed disappointed in me. The perception then, around 1980, was that those kind of jobs were beneath us, that better opportunities were available. So why would want anyone

want to still work in a kitchen?" Other reasons stem from misinformation, ignorance, and straight racism based on the African American culture and how it came about in the first place. “But while cultural stigmas have held back many aspiring chefs, others blame racism. Joe Brown, the chef at Mélange Cafe, which he owns with his wife in Cherry Hill, N.J., remembers, at his first job, being choked and called a racial epithet by the chef. He didn't stay long, but he continued to cook at numerous other restaurants” (Ruhlman). Furthermore, a well-known chef, Paula Deen has been in the spotlight recently because of her racist remarks and actions that have resurfaced on the internet. “First, her deposition in a discrimination lawsuit showed she had admitted using racist language and tolerating racist jokes and pornography in the kitchen of one of her restaurants. Then she fumbled through a series of videotaped apologies that were widely criticized as vague and self-serving” (Moskin). Deen is a self-proclaimed “southern celebrity cook” (Moskin), that claims the Southern style of cooking. “She did not invent the hush puppy,” said Therese Nelson, a New York chef and caterer who has worked in the South and writes a blog at blackculinaryhistory.com. “By being Southern, of course she has a right to represent. But there comes a point where reverence or respect for the heritage has to show” (Crank). This appropriation of culture and food happens very often—not only in the culinary industry. “…it is helpful to go to the source of her empire and focus on the cuisine she labels as “southern” in order to understand the phenomenon of her meteoric rise as well as how she appropriates traditions and practices in order that they may be subsumed into a global marketplace.” The privilege that Deen exudes over “southern cuisine” (Crank) contributes and adds fuel to the racism in the culinary industry. Whereas the swift action of the Food Network could be argumentatively commended, there is still an abundance of racism in the culinary field that has gone unaddressed.
While ‘soul food’ was a huge part of African American’s culture it was not the only thing they were good at. “Soul food was seen as both a symbol of black culture and a detriment to the black condition. This ambivalence and the need for black chefs to prove themselves anew in an age of international curiosity, power lunches, and minimalist cuisine pushed the black chef further out beyond expected boundaries” (Twitty). Chefs like Marcus Samuelsson have brought a different approach to eating traditional African foods. Samuelsson is very well aware of his position as one of the well-respected chefs and he uses his position to educate those on the history of African food, while adding his own flair. “His emphasis to “guard the history of black cooks in America” speaks to the imperative preserve the past while at the same time “starting new conversations in food,” which points, again, to nostalgia’s creative possibilities. Further, by acknowledging Golden’s influence on the way he approaches food (as art) and history, Samuelsson understands his work as part of a larger cultural and racial aesthetic” (Ahad 20). Samuelsson shows African cuisine in a new light and breaks down the misconceptions that some people may have. Additionally, Samuelsson plays a big role in how African foods are perceived and introduced into the American industry. In his book, Yes Chef, Samuelsson, “narrativizes” the tumultuous path he took on the road to becoming a global celebrity chef, it is equally concerned with the myriad of ethnic, cultural, and racial quandaries with which he was faced. Informed by the reconstituted memories of his African birthplace, his childhood experiences as a “black” Swede, and later the historical landscape of his new adopted home, Harlem, Samuelsson creates a complex articulation of blackness that emerges as a fundamental aspect of his identification as a post-black subject and his new African/American cuisine” Most non-minorities do not understand struggles of being black in America and using his food as a way to bridge the gap between ignorance and understanding what others might have experienced, Samuelsson introduces something completely groundbreaking. Samuelsson uses his food to display a culinary modern-day diaspora in his food. Getting exposure and paving the way for black chefs is what the main goal is for Samuelsson and other chefs.