The Kwanzaa Menu on Food Network celebrates the seven principles of the holiday

Over the holiday season, Food Network has showcased the flavors and the stories of the season. When food and culture blend for a meaningful and flavorful conversation, the table is overflowing with a bounty of deliciousness. In The Kwanzaa Menu, Tonya Hopkins and guests have a meaningful and tasty conversation about the seven principles of the holiday.

On The Kwanzaa Menu, Hopkins and her guests showcase a special dish that aligns with the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The principles are Umoja (Unity),
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

Hopkins shared, “Celebrating Kwanzaa through good food and drink not only allows us to reconnect to the vibrance of our culinary history that greatly informs who we are as Black people, our very identities — but also to take pride in that which has so profoundly shaped American foodways at large, for centuries. I intentionally chose fresh, naturally delicious, nutritious ingredients for each of the recipes to remind us of the culinary brilliance our ancestors brought to this New World and served up in ways that have long contributed to vitality and longevity.”

Looking at the various food choices, the dishes are both familiar yet creative. The Good Deeds Greens may not be exactly the same as some people’s traditional recipes but it has a taste that is familiar.

Other dishes, like the Black Sable Rice Calas and Cassava with Peanut Stew, are rich with history. Even if they might not be part of many cooks’ repertoires, the holiday is a time to expand not just that knowledge but also their willingness to cook some modern takes on a traditional dish.

Lastly, not all dishes have to be part of the traditional Kwanzaa meal. For example, the Amazing Hibiscus Mulled Wine Kwanzaa Mimosa is a cocktail that anyone would be happy to sip on a winter evening.

The Kwanzaa Menu premieres on Monday, December 26 on FoodNewtork.com.