Book excerpt: Essay from the year 2012 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: A, University of Brighton, language: English, abstract: Food cultures evolve over time and it is important to analyse cultural and sociological influences, when analysing the development. The roots of the African-American food culture were formed during the slavery in the United States of America. This paper analyses the history of the African-American food culture, as well as the roots of the traditional soul food. Furthermore it aims to analyse whether there is a relationship between historical facts and the obesity, which many African-Americans face today.