The Sporkful A Hip Hop Track Inspired Bryant Terry To Go Vegan (Reheat)
Dec 26, 2025
Bryant Terry, a James Beard Award-winning chef and author, shares his journey to veganism, sparked by a hip-hop song and his rich heritage. He highlights the vegetable-centric nature of Black food traditions and the growing interest in veganism among Black Americans. Terry discusses his struggles to publish impactful cookbooks and the creation of Black Food, which he views as a farewell to his writing career to focus on mentoring new authors. He also critiques the reliance on meat substitutes and advocates for more creative plant-based cooking.
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Raised In Gardens And Self-Reliance
- Bryant grew up visiting relatives with orchards and a backyard full of vegetables, preserves, and even animals.
- His grandfather taught him the ethic of self-reliance: rely on your own food or risk starvation.
Hip-Hop Sparked A Vegan Conversion
- Bryant Terry traced his turn to veganism to hearing Boogie Down Productions' song "Beef" repeatedly in high school.
- He ran to his dad, read Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, and sought out librarians and books to learn more about veganism.
Black Roots Of Veganism
- Bryant highlights that veganism has deep roots in Black communities and traditions, not just in white or gentrifying circles.
- He points out Black Americans are among the fastest-growing groups adopting veganism.