News photos: Food & culture history time

Published 12:02 am Sunday, October 1, 2017

NATCHEZ — Jarita Frazier-King with Natchez Heritage School of Cooking greets the crowd before talking about the dishes she, her mother and grandmother prepared Saturday during the Narrative of a Natchez Slave presentation Saturday at Choctaw Hall.

The Natchez Heritage School of Cooking and the Miss Lou Heritage Group and Tours collaborated to create the program.

“Diabetes and high blood pressure wasn’t always part of the plan,” Jarita Frazier-King said. “I have a background in nutrition, and I see a lot of people who say this is how I’ve always eaten and they eat that way because this is all we know. I was trying to get people to understand that this is not always the way it was. It can change if you are willing to learn another way. I talk about the African Heritage diet and the original culture and heritage was a lot healthier.”

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One of the foods she talked about was barbecue chicken and the technique to the food and how the name evolved. Black eyed peas and collard greens were also served, as well as shrimp and grits.