Soul food isn’t just one thing, it’s many.

It doesn’t have pesticides, comes from the ground and it’s passed down from generation to generation. 

So said Brinda Willis, who delivered a talk Thursday night called “Why We Call it Soul Food” to an audience at the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum in Meridian. The talk was part of the museum’s Water/Ways exhibit in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institute. 

“When we have a teacake, it brings back all the memories,” said Willis, a Jackson-based writer and expert on blues and African-American food-ways.

Willis talked about how the Mississippi River played a role in soul food’s rich history.  Wills said fishing for catfish allowed African Americans to be entrepreneurs because they didn’t need a business license to sell fish.  

She also described soul food as a form of medicine. When she was growing up, for example, a lot of places in Mississippi didn’t have doctors, so places such as  barbershops became places were people could be treated.

Willis said soul food is more than just food, it plays a role in how we think and how we feel. She recalled leaving home for college, and craving her mother’s coconut cake, sweet potato pie, chicken noodle soup and pot liquor.

“No matter where I went, all the travels that I done, I always had that good warm feeling when it came time for Christmas,” said Willis.

Willis’ message resonated with the audience. Peg Wahrendorff of Meridian said that when she thinks of soul food, it makes her soul feel good. She added that for her, soul food is cooked with love. 

Pearl Smith, also of Meridian, enjoyed the presentation. 

“Soul food to me is when you cook it, you cook it with love,” said Smith.