Gullah Food and History Take Center Stage With Charleston Native Delicious Miss Brown
By Krysta Chapman
Even in a food-centric town such as Charleston, South Carolina, it’s not every day that a famous Food Network star is a stone’s throw away shooting her very own show for a famed chef-driven network.
And yet, Kardea Brown—better known as Delicious Miss Brown—who was born and raised in Charleston is now back on Edisto Island, cooking, baking, and introducing viewers to authentic Southern Cooking one meal at a time. Having grown up celebrating her Gullah Geechee roots, Brown now has the rare opportunity to highlight a culture far too many still don’t know about—but unknowingly appreciate the flavors and cooking techniques that were built on the foundation of West African cooking.
In the Beginning...
Born in 1987, Brown spent summers, reunions, and holidays visiting with family on Wadmalaw Island, just 35 minutes from Charleston. It was there that she would play with cousins, enjoy cookouts, and most notably for her future stardom, learn the in’s and out’s of Gullah cuisine. “I learned the old school Southern and Gullah recipes from my Grandmother and my mom taught me contemporary comfort food classics. As early as 5 years old I can remember spending time in the kitchen with my grandmother as she prepared meals,” says Brown.
And while Miss Delicious Brown enjoyed the many meals she grew up with—such as okra stew, crab rice, and sweet potato pone—cooking professionally wasn’t always on her radar.
In fact, it wasn’t until after her then-boyfriend sent in an audition tape in 2014 that a new dream started to take place. Working in New Jersey at the time in social services, Brown impressed Food Network executives, but not enough to immediately sign on the dotted line. Instead, they told Brown to take some time sharpening her culinary skills—and so she got to work.
But instead of simply turning to her own kitchen, Brown packed up her life in New Jersey and moved to where she knew she would find the most inspiration—back home in Edisto with family and longtime friends.
Stepping Stones: The New Gullah Supper Club
In 2015, Kardea Brown started The New Gullah Supper Club to bring Gullah cooking on the road, in the form of traveling pop-up style dinner parties. Brown described the events as ways to “unite people from different walks of life with one common interest, to enjoy good food with great people.” With fresh, local ingredients, each dinner featured Gullah inspired Southern dishes with a contemporary twist. Frequently, Gullah storytellers and singers would join the events, helping the diners to learn more about the West African culture behind the night they were enjoying. And as you can imagine, it was a hit.
As the years went by, Brown was invited to join Food Network cooking shows as host, judge, and participant on shows such as Chopped, Cupcake Challenge, and Beat Bobby Flay. In 2018 she got THE call; it was time to film her pilot.
Hey Cousins: Say Hello to Delicious Miss Brown
In July of 2019 Delicious Miss Brown finally debuted. Filmed on her family’s estate on Edisto Island, Brown used the first season to introduce herself to the world, and the world to her style of cooking. Now, 5 seasons in, Delicious Miss Brown is known for keeping it real with conversations on the history of the Gullah Geechee people, keeping those traditions and stories alive, and highlighting the simple, yet intensely flavorful foods the Sea Islands are known for.
The future is bright for Delicious Miss Brown. The supper club is currently on hold as Kardea continues production of her film and the writing of her new cookbook. No matter how you catch Kardea Brown, one thing is for sure: she brings a big personality, a passion for her culture, and a plateful of flavor wherever she goes.
Chef’s Tasting’s Mini Edition: Get to Know Kardea Brown a Little More
KC: What’s your first memory in the kitchen?
KB: I remember sitting at my Grandmother's two seater table in her kitchen and just watching her cook. When I was very young my grandmother had a routine where she would prepare her decaf coffee and breakfast. When I came to visit her, she’d give me just a tiny bit of coffee in a cup. We’d share breakfast and chat about her plans for the day.
KC: What are traditional Gullah and Geechee foods you grew up with?
KB: I grew up eating okra stew, red rice, crab rice, sweet potato pone and stewed fish aka “fish”.
KC: Why was it so important to bring Gullah and Geechee to the Food Network?
KB: In my opinion, Gullah Geechee food is the fabric of Southern American Cuisine. I think it’s important for viewers to know the history of it and it’s a great way to keep the culture alive.
KC: Was there anyone at Food Network that you looked up to or wanted to cook with?
KB: I loved the greats: Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, The Neely’s, Chef G Garvin, anyone that participated on Iron Chef America. I loved them all!
KC: What are the staple components/ ingredients of Gullah Geechee cooking?
KB: You have to have rice, tomatoes, leafy greens, and a LOT of seafood.
KC: What are some of your favorite traditions of your culture?
KB: I love how my culture is still very deep rooted in our West African ancestry. We’ve managed to hang on to our food, folklores, and songs. We still have many Gullah storytellers who speak in the original Gullah dialect.
KC: What’s your favorite thing to cook for yourself and with family?
KB: That’s a tough one. I’d say it has to be shrimp and grits for myself and loved ones. (Editor’s Note: Lucky for us, Kardea shares her recipe below!)
KC: What are your memories growing up on the Sea Islands? How has it changed?
KB: I remember playing barefoot in the sand on Wadmalaw Island with my cousins during the summer. I distinctly remember cookouts and family reunions on Katy Hill. The island itself hasn’t changed much but busy lives and adulthood has altered the time we spend together as a family.
Kardea's Gullah Style Shrimp and Grits
Recipe Courtesy of Kardea Brown
Ingredients:
4 strips bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound medium uncooked wild shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups quick-cooking grits, prepared according to package instructions
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, plus more if needed
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup green onions sliced on a bias
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat.
Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove and set aside, reserving the drippings.
Add the onions to the skillet and cook on medium-low, stirring, until slightly tender and the skillet has browned bits, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, sprinkle the uncooked shrimp with a few pinches of salt and pepper in a large bowl, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup flour and the garlic powder and toss. Set aside.
Turn the skillet up to medium-high heat and add the canola oil.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, browning the flour and onions, adding more oil if too dry, until slightly dark brown.
Add the shrimp and bacon, breaking the bacon into small pieces, and stirring with a wooden spoon.
Slowly whisk in the hot water and bring to a slight boil, then stir and reduce the heat to a simmer until the gravy thickens and browns, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste the gravy and add more salt, pepper or garlic powder if needed.
Serve the shrimp over the prepared grits topped with green onions.
Five Fast Facts About the Gullah Geechee Culture
The Gullah Geechee people are the descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved and brought to the lower Atlantic states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia to work on the coastal rice, Sea Island cotton and indigo plantations.
The sea and barrier islands helped them to retain many of their indigenous African traditions.
Gullah is their creole language, created specifically by them and spoken nowhere else in the world.
The Gullah Geechee Corridor was established by the U.S. Congress to recognize the unique culture of the Gullah Geechee people who have traditionally resided in the coastal areas and the sea islands of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Darius Rucker, Michelle Obama, and Michael Jordan are among those with ancestry in the Gullah Geechee Corridor.