Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 near Montgomery, Alabama. But her name is practically synonymous with Eatonville, the African-American enclave in Central Florida that she considered home. Hurston wrote extensively about Southern Black life, both as an anthropologist and in her short stories, plays and novels like “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” One subject that appears in Hurston’s work again and again... is food—so much so, that my guest wrote a whole book about that.

Dr. Fred Opie is a professor of history and foodways at Babson College outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He also hosts a podcast, “The Fred Opie Show,” and he’s written a bunch of books—including Zora Neale Hurston on Florida Food: Recipes, Remedies & Simple Pleasures. It details the role food played in Hurston’s life and work. And it’s a lens into Southern African-American foodways of the first half of the 20th century, complete with archival photos and recipes. Dr. Opie chatted with me about food customs during Hurston’s time, and lessons for today.

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