In this episode of Food for Thought, we discuss episode six, “Miami, Florida” from the Netflix docuseries Street Food: USA. While the episode explores souse (a vinegary broth with meat and potatoes), fritas (Cuban style Hamburgers), pikliz (a spicy traditional Haitian condiment of cabbage, carrots, and peppers), and Cuban sandwiches, the hosts discuss the multiple ways food connects people to not only culture but each other.

 

As African American, Haitian, and Cuban cuisine has shaped the street food scene in Miami, food also functions as a love language which roots people in identity, history, religion, culture, diaspora, and home. Through these stories, we discuss how food functions as a link through time, nations, and generations which can not only reinvent home in new places but also heal family trauma. As you listen to this episode, ask yourself, what does the food on your plate say about you, your family, your community and your connection to others?

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We’d like to thank the National Humanities Center and their Summer Institute in Public Digital Humanities at San Diego State University.