Dining with the Ancestors: From Caribbean Slavery to Creole Cuisine with Dr Peggy Brunache

Academic and food historian Dr Peggy Brunache leads a dining event that traces the origins of ‘slave cuisine’ to Creole cuisines and recognisable Caribbean dishes today. Through her research, Peggy, a historical archaeologist at the University of Glasgow, has investigated the meals that enslaved African people created in the British and French Caribbean. She terms this food as ‘slave cuisine’ and explores and uncovers the ingredients and types of food enslaved people cooked for themselves. Providing a window into the day-to-day experiences of people who lived in slavery, Dining with the Ancestors will chart the origins of dishes cooked by enslaved people in the Caribbean through an interactive event that will honour the legacies of enslaved people, revealing the untold stories of how they found ways to create new forms of Black creativity, resistance, and community.

Dr Peggy Brunache is a lecturer in the Public History and Archaeology at the University of Glasgow and the founding Director of the Beniba Centre for Slavery Studies. As a historical archaeologist, she has excavated sites in West Africa, Caribbean, and the United States. Many of her public-facing projects include designing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), and working with theatres, science and culture festivals. Her international media appearances include the Discovery Science Channel, BBCTV, ITV, and documentaries in the US and Germany.