Inspired by the stories of our “Community Cornerstones: African American Communities in Montgomery County” video project (see below), Heritage Montgomery has produced the African American Heritage Cookbook.

The cookbook is a unique way to discover Maryland heritage foodways – the intersection food in culture, traditions, and history – and bring attention to the rich cultural heritage of these local historic communities. It contains authentic Maryland recipes dating from the 1700-1800s as well as those collected from local church communities highlighting foods served at family and community gatherings like Homecoming and Juneteenth.

Introductions to each chapter give an in-depth look at daily life in turn-of-the-century Montgomery County through firsthand accounts and narratives collected by historian Dr. George McDaniel in the 1970s.

Read Cookbook Introduction here…

The African American Heritage Cookbook is available to purchase on the Gift Shop page. Profits from sales are being donated to the participating church communities to help support this important part of Montgomery County history.