Story by Mechiya Jamison, Summer 2020
Both my mother and father’s sides of the family have deep roots in GulfPort, Mississippi. My father and my mother’s mother, both raised on farms, look back fondly on every living being they encountered and cultivated throughout their childhood. My father recounts standing under towering mulberry trees, waiting for the plump mulberries that would fall from the branches every so often. I can almost see the 10 year old version of my father chasing the lively chickens that clucked and scurried across fields of green. I can vividly imagine my grandmother tilling the rich Mississippi soil with her parents in the sweltering heat, preparing the lands for the large harvest of cabbage they would acquire later that summer. They would use this cabbage to sustain themselves for months to come.
Their experiences have gifted me a fond and symbolic relationship with cabbage. This relationship began during my childhood. Both my grandmother and my father have their own similar and delicious cabbage dishes. When my grandmother would visit us, she would prepare her cabbage in a large, spotted soup pot with beef broth, onions, neckbones, heaps of cayenne pepper and ham hocks. Throughout the winter season, my father would prepare his cabbage in a silver pot with garlic, onions, turmeric, and chicken broth. Both dishes would be topped with hot sauce. These were my favorite dishes as a child as the warmth and hardy flavors made me feel relaxed, safe, and supported. I would go back for seconds and thirds without shame. I recently felt this same rush of emotions after visiting my grandmother during the winter.
When I visited my grandmother this past winter, she made me cabbage with onions, vegetable broth, and okra to accomodate my vegan diet. Eating her cabbage for the first time in years reminded me of how much I love the dish and the history it holds in my family. After my visit, I decided to redevelop my personal relationship with cabbage. I discovered that they are very affordable with their price ranging from 80 cents to a dollar. Additionally, the leaves stay fresh for months which is very pleasing to my wallet. I’ve developed my own cabbage recipes such as cabbage stir fry, coconut curry cabbage, and a raw cabbage salad. I’ve learned that cabbage has detoxifying properties;it is a great source of Vitamin C and K, and antioxidants. Navigating adulthood in the midst of a global pandemic, a revolution, and climate crisis can be strange, and often feels aimless. Returning to plants that have nourished my development and those before me has helped me ground myself and establish a clearer perspective on who I am, who I was, and where i’m going.