Soul Food vs. Southern Cuisine in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, the distinction between soul food and Southern cuisine reflects broader African-American culinary history. Soul food, rooted in ‘cabin cooking’ from meager ingredients, is often seen as a subset of Southern cuisine, which includes more diverse dishes from various social classes. This distinction is explored by food historian Toni Tipton-Martin, a Los Angeles native, who argues that soul food should not represent the entirety of African-American cooking ^[1].