Kwanzaa Culinarians

Recipes and Food Stories from the African Diaspora

Marinated Tempeh Spicy Apricot Sauce 1 - The Duo Dishes

Marinated Tempeh with Spicy Apricot Pineapple Sauce

Ujima. Collective work and responsibility. It’s one of the main tenants of Kwanzaa that resonates with me the most. Kwanzaa was never part of my family’s holiday traditions, and even … Continue reading →

December 8, 2014
Christa Shelton of Veggin' Out with Christa

My Reflections on Ujima by Christa Shelton

Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility: Helping others within the community. As I was reflecting on the principles of Kwanzaa, the one that stands out to me the most is Ujima. While I … Continue reading →

December 18, 2011 · 2 Comments

Imani: Roasted Corn, Goat Cheese, Vegan Chorizo Empanadas

Imani: “Faith,” Believing that a better world can be created for communities now and in the future. I don’t believe in T.M.I. (too much information). Not when it comes to … Continue reading →

January 1, 2011 · 1 Comment

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Learn more about Kwanzaa

The word "Kwanzaa" comes from the phrase, "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first-fruits." Kwanzaa's extra "a" evolved as a result of a particular history of the Organization Us. It was clone as an expression of African values in order to inspire the creativity of our children. In the early days of Us, there were seven children who each wanted to represent a letter of Kwanzaa. Since kwanza (first) has only six letters, we added an extra "a" to make it seven, thus creating "Kwanzaa." To learn more about Kwanzaa, visit the Official Kwanzaa Website.