On a recentCincinnati Edition, we explored the history and traditions of Juneteenth through food with three Cincinnati chefs. Here are their recipes you can make with your family and friends for the holiday.
This one comes from Mona Bronson Fuqua, CEO and chef of Je Nais Se Fuqua LLC.
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Watermelon radish salad with lime berebe dressing
Reclaiming our relationship with stereotypical foods is part of the Juneteenth celebration. It seems bizarre since watermelon is a sweet treat that seems to have a diverse fan base. William R. Black unravels a complicated history in his 2014 article “How Watermelon Became a Racist Trope.” A worthwhile read summarized in this paragraph
"... the stereotype that African Americans are excessively fond of watermelon emerged for a specific historical reason and served a specific political purpose. The trope came in full force when slaves won their emancipation during the Civil War. Free black people grew, ate, and sold watermelons, and in doing so made the fruit a symbol of their freedom. Southern whites, threatened by blacks' newfound freedom, responded by making the fruit a symbol of black people's perceived uncleanliness, laziness, childishness, and unwanted public presence. This racist trope then exploded in American popular culture, becoming so pervasive that its historical origin became obscure. Few Americans in 1900 would've guessed the stereotype was less than half a century old."
RELATED: Aunt Flora's quick, no-mess key lime pie
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Fukake (1 tablespoon fish sauce for non vegetarians)
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or other chile sauce
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- One 5-pound watermelon — rind and seeds removed, flesh cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (8 cups)
- 12 radishes, very thinly sliced
- 8 scallions, shallots or red onion thinly sliced
- 2 fresh hot red chiles, such as Holland or cayenne, thinly sliced crosswise
- 3/4 cup lightly packed coriander leaves and or mint , coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup lightly packed basil leaves, torn
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, sambal oelek and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Add the watermelon, radishes, scallions and red chiles and toss. Fold in the mint and basil, season with salt and pepper and serve chilled.