Milwaukee chefs Honor Black History Month with African American Heritage Dinner

A culinary event celebrating African food traditions will take place in Milwaukee this February. The African American Heritage Tasting Dinner will showcase dishes from various African regions on February 23. Marquette Law School’s Lubar Center and Ubuntu MKE organized the event at The Ivy House. Lubar Center Director Derek Mosley will lead the evening alongside Ubuntu MKE representatives.

The dinner highlights cooking methods that traveled from West Africa to America’s Southern states. West African one-pot cooking techniques led to the development of dishes like gumbo and jambalaya.Several core ingredients from West Africa became fundamental to Southern cooking traditions. Okra served as a natural thickener in stews, while black-eyed peas provided essential nutrition.

Ethiopian cuisine will also be featured in the evening’s cultural exploration. Ethiopian cooking demonstrates sophisticated spice blending through berbere, which contains over twenty ingredients.The tasting will include dishes that showcase South African culinary innovations. South African cooking methods merged African, European, and Asian influences over many generations.

Ubuntu MKE brings significant experience to the event’s organization. The nonprofit group hosted Wisconsin’s first Flavors of Africa competition in November 2024.The event represents Ubuntu MKE’s mission to create an inclusive food community. The organization operates as Wisconsin’s first cross-cultural culinary incubator laboratory.

Local chefs will prepare traditional dishes from multiple African regions. Attendees can expect to taste jollof rice, doro wat, and chakalaka during the evening.

The dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5:00 p.m. Tickets cost $30 for the event at 906 South Barclay Street. This Black History Month celebration connects Milwaukee residents to African cultural heritage. The event explores how cooking traditions maintain cultural identity across generations.