Beer and Crabs part 2

The question of Who is the Chef for the Island Crabs Event?
TOG responded: No Professional Chef  follower replied: All these great chefs in Charleston and you did not get one.
TOG respond: with All those greats chefs in Charleston and NONE cook food from the Lowcountry, so we don't want any.
The search for authenticity in the restaurant downtown is a waste of time. There is no authenticity for Gullah foods, forgot it on the peninsula. So there will be no professional chef at the crab stations. what? why? We pride ourselves on our ability to produce authentic foods and historical traditional meals so we will not allow for non traditional professional chefs to cook because no professional chefs in the downtown Charleston make traditional Gullah dishes. In order to provide the skill of authenticity, we had to search out community cooks in the regional area. That is a real challenge. This is no way an attack but a recognition of reality. Cooking Lowcountry styled Gullah Geechee authentic meal is a serious skill. Authentic recipes can be tweeked but most recipes that started out as authentic have been recreated and now renamed "lowcountry dishes". That in itself is another story.
Community cooks are long-term traditionalist or train in the culture of authenticity, they operate major Gullah events like funerals or church dinners. They also cook for large amounts like family reunion and parties. Spicy Hot birn ya mout up station ran by Taylor Ladson descendant of the historical Ladson House. Da Candyman will run the fried crabs station.  Garlic Crabs will be handled by Ramon the horticulturist.
A Taste of Gullah  have an obligation to provide authentic meals. We had opportunity to review the different cooks and those preparations methods. This is one of the many events highlighting the Gullah /Geechee way of life authentic traditionalist.
www.tasteofgullah.com
Island Beer And Crabs

Beer and Crabs: a combination unlike any other

As the men come out the creek with white buckets and make a motion to the woman, who respond by getting up from their place overlooking the children at play. A long whistle comes from down the way and the children stop. At the same time without warning, the children scatter gathering small wood branches and any type of paper that can be found. Some one cries out for the Big Crab Pot. Laughter and fun and then the fire is lit and collectively the ingredients are placed in the new home; onion, seasonings, BEER and a little bit of water, a lid and now set your space. Stories are told mainly ghost stories as the children  wait for the boil of the pot. This is one of many experiences of a gullah crab crack.
Crab cracks are not rigid and stiff just like its ever-growing culture it evolves. Crab cracks literally translates as the eating of crabs, so it can take place in homes, back yards or at parties.
The Island Beer and Crabs is an onsode look at a gullah crab crack with a taste of different flavors crabs in the gullah region. Crabs flavors vary depending on mood and availability of ingredients. The four flavors presented at the Island Beer and Crabs event on August 1, 2015 are steam, garlic, spicy-hot and fried with a flour or traditional cornmeal batter. Basic Steamed crabs are seasoned with Backmans Crab Seasonings and prepared by A Backman Associate. Garlic crabs is a local favorite prepared with a oral recipes and prepared by local oral historian. Spicy-Hot and fried is another local favorite way of "crackin crabs".
Come out to experience a taste of gullah crab crack.
We thank everyone for their participation portion of the proceeds raised will be dedicated to the Friends Of Backmans fund for the Island Seafood Bash celebrating 65Year anniversary of Backman Seafood Company. Reminder all tickets purchased for the Original August 16date will be honored on the 8-1event . Cum crack wit we.
Www.tasteofgullah.com

Cultural Tours of the Gullah-Geechee

We talk about culture, we say we embrace it but if being different creates issues how is accepting the unknown even possible. The world was introduced to the exploring Africans prior to slavery or even the Mayflower. In fact, in the early 1460's, Sir Henry of  France acquired African ship building techniques designs and sailing instruction before  he constructed larger cargo and faster moving ship, with the intentions of transportation of the Slave cargo during the Middle passage. These ships were the ships that were used to spread the Gullah around the world. Some people question the truth of the Gullah people of the American Sea Island.

       When we learn about the Gullah of the Sea Island, most of what we learn is limited due to the fact that the information is limited to the public. Does this means that the people involve are incapable of retaining their own history or do the people who want to know more don't know who to get the information. The cultural is a oral cultural so the Oral Historians have most of the culture. In the past the Europeans called them "silly story", but the Africans knew these were "Jelle", "Griot,  Storyteller" tales told like the ancestors homeland of Sierra Leone. These stories were tall tales mainly morally based that required much acting out and pantomime for entertainment.  http://thegullahstoryteller.com/Welcome.html

      As we explore the travels of the middle passage slave trade, we understand the travels take us from the mother continent, Africa, to the sister continent, South America, Cuba, West Indies, Haiti, Barbados, Bahamas, Louisiana, Alabama and of course the Gullah concentrated States; Fla, GA, NC, SC. These areas have a common linguistic connection with the West African regions. In the world of the Gullah Elders, we call this Medu Neter, translated as Mother Nature. However in the African culture, nothing is not one levels because the culture is based on levels. As we learn the depths of the Gullah Geechee culture, we will understand that if the language has geographic connection so does everything else; food, music, celebrations, spirituality, historical and family.  

      Before the adjustment to the harsh conditions of living in the America, the Gullah-Geechee people thrived well with an abundance of skills in various backgrounds as seen in the inventions
and contributions from the Gullah to the Lowcountry. As we explore the travels of the Gullah people, we can see similar contributions in various areas.   We can document back to 10,000 BCE to find out the African skills and knowledge brought to America and Europeans world were many.  Here in the Lowcountry, we see an a lot of culinary contributions from the Gullah- Geechee people. The lowcountry is a common word used to describe the uniqueness of the culture in this area, but it is really referring to the Gullah-Geechee culture. The most popular finds are shrimp and grits, Frogmore stew(original recipe has actual frogs), Barbeque all these lovely dishes have been altered to be called lowcountry, but originally developed by the hands of the Gullah-Geechee.