What Were Several Staple Crops in the Carolinas

What were several staple crops in the Carolinas, braggart(a) by the slaves? How did this crop affect their cuisine? When the slaves were being transported to the new world they brought with them native African forages to expel along the journey. They also brought with them many customs and cooking techniques that were not yet used in the Americas. The doorway of these crops proved to be a major influence in what we now called Southern cuisine or soul food. rice is the major staple of slave cuisine. It is said that the rice originally came from seeds directly import from Madagascar in 1685.Africans were familiar with the growing and cultivating of rice and taught their owners how to grow it as well. The rice fields were cultivated on tidal swamp lands along coastal rivers. Slaves cleared these low-lying land and build canals, dikes and small floodgates that allowed the make full and drainage of the fields. Peanuts were originally from South America, but do their way to Africa vi a trade then eventually do their way to America on the slave ships. Slaves used undistinguisheds in several different ways including make peanut pie and peanut soup.They also used to boil the peanuts in salt and spices and eaten soggy, this was a great get-go of nutrition. This dish is still widely consumed today. The use of the peanut was not limited to just the slaves in point George Washington Carver researched this product in depth. He discovered over 300 possible uses for the peanut including Jersey Milk, instant coffee, flour, synthetic rubber and linoleum. It was also discovered that rubbing peanut oil on aching muscles will help them rejuvenate more quickly.Okra was an other staple crop grown and consumed loosely by slaves at first but then do its way, as many other foods, into the white mans diet. Okra or gumbo as its called in Africa made its way to America via the transatlantic slave trade in the 1600s. The most popular dish that is made from Okra is Gumbo, a stew in which okra is the main ingredient and is thickened with powder from sassafras tree leaves. The seeds were also used to make a coffee substitute and for some medicinal purposes including softening ointments.African food traditions contributed greatly to the culinary cuisine of America. Southern cooking and soul food became a cultural and culinary experience in which both black and white Americans contributed to. Works Cited Opala, Joseph. South Carolina Rice Plantations. South Carolina Rice Plantations. N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Oct. 2012. <http//www. yale. edu/glc/gullah/02. htm>. - SlaveRebellion. org. SlaveRebellion. org. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http//slaverebellion. org/index. php? page=african-contribution-to-american-culture>.