Sweet potato waffles were on the menu this week! We visited the sunny Bayview neighborhood, which has one of the largest African-American populations in San Francisco, and where our school bus starts and ends its daily journey.
Sweet potatoes were adopted by enslaved Africans on the American continent (perhaps because they were reminiscent for some of the yams eaten in West Africa). The modern waffle originated in Western Europe and was brought by immigrants to America in the 17th century. Our sweet potato waffles represent the mixing of food cultures in colonial America. We discussed how the recipe is without a doubt delicious, but it also contains a dark story from our collective history.
Students mashed the sweet potatoes, beat egg whites until fluffy, and got a turn pouring the batter into the waffle iron. They cut up persimmons, oranges, and pomegranate (that was later used for face paint), to create a beautiful autumn fruit salad. With the smell of pumpkin pie wafting through the school, we sat down to a cozy breakfast paired with fresh sage and mint tea.
