Disney World. Source: BRYAN R. SMITH / Getty
When you think of Walt Disney World, so many things come to mind. I envision Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and Disney characters strolling through the park and posing with children smiling from ear-to-ear. Well, now I can add something else to my vision: soul food.
During Disney’s Cooking With Soul, I got to try some of the most flavorful, tender, juicy and savory foods that are spread throughout Disney World. I had never been so I didn’t know what to expect. While I was there, a merchandise line of kitchenware and apparel featuring Princess Tiana was released during the 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, bringing Blackness more to the forefront.
Carla Hall Spoke About Diversity At Disney And The Lack Of Black Chefs
I was surprised to find that Disney World is just as soulful as it is magical during this food tour. Celebrity chef Carla Hall even came along for the ride. During our chat, she said she’s been amazed at how the diversity at Disney has grown within the past decade.
“To actually see people who look like me and to celebrate a character who looks like me and to celebrate the thing that helps us pass on our culture, which is through food…I mean, the only answer was yes,” she said about joining the food tour.
We also spoke about the fact that Black chefs are scarce in the U.S. Hall, who is one the most visible Black chefs, said when it comes to Black chefs, you have to look beyond that title. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 13.9% of food service workers and 14.8% of chefs were Black.
“Is a Black chef somebody who owns a restaurant? Are you counting all the people who are in hotels and banquets?,” she said. “That’s where a lot of Black cooks are. So they’re called Black cooks. Maybe they’re not Black chefs. Maybe they’re not leading the kitchens, but they are there. So I think when you look at the Black cook, you have to broaden your perspective of how you’re counting.”
The lack of Black women in the culinary world is striking as well. Catina Smith founded her non-profit Just Call Me Chef in 2019 after seeing how scarce Black women were in the culinary world.
“In my last kitchen job it was all white men, and nothing felt like it was truly for us,” she told the New York Times. “We’re not crying because we can’t get into these spaces, we’re just saying what it’s like for us,” she said. “We don’t want special treatment. We just want the opportunity.”
Take a look at some of the rich dishes I was able to savor during my tour to some of the best restaurants at Disney World.
Jiko Restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
First, I got to experience the culinary creations of chef Edward Mendoza at Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House’s Jiko restaurant. This eatery offers a blend of traditional African, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine. Throughout the night, I enjoyed South African-inspired dishes and cocktails that left my taste buds buzzing.
Before the food was served, I was given a warm, white towel to cleanse my hands. This is a South-African tradition and I appreciated it being included in the experience. Hot, soft Egyptian bread and Giraffe bread was then served with Jiko’s special butter which consists goat milk and goat cheese. I was then delighted to a savory duck confit with papa (it’s like grits) since I couldn’t eat the wild boar tenderloin. This was followed by red snapper sourced from South Africa with succotash, radish, green papaya and tomato butter. The red snapper was the highlight for me. It was firm but not tough. Fresh but not fishy. It had a mild flavor but far from dull.
Since I stay away from dairy, For the final course, chef Eddie treated me to a vegan dessert called African Drum Beets. It’s a chocolate cake crumble served with a lava-like cake filled with a coconut strawberry beet mousse, strawberries and passion fruit.
Take a look at the menu items below.
Giraffe bread, Egyptian crisps Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Duck confit Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Jiko salad Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Vegan chocolate cake crumble Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Scat Cat Club Lounge
Mickey Mouse beignets and gumbo were next on the menu at Scat Cat’s Club Lounge in Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. Here, you can unwind in a southern-style jazz lounge that’s decorated with music memorabilia, serves specialty cocktails, wine, draft beer and a delicious list of appetizers.
The beignets were served hot and fresh and covered with powdered sugar. We were then served gumbo, which I couldn’t partake in because it had pork. Once everyone got a taste of the gumbo, which had rice, chicken and andouille sausage, all I heard was “oohs and ahhs.”
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
The Polite Pig
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
When we headed over to The Polite Pig in Disney Springs, I was a bit bummed because I don’t eat pork. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to indulge while I watched everyone munch on the pork slider served with deep friend cauliflower and brussels sprouts. That was until I ordered the chicken slider to replace the pork slider. The coleslaw, sweet and spicy barbeque sauce and Duke’s Mayo sitting on top of the hot fried chicken made me forget I was at a spot that specialized in swine. Not only was it aromatic but crispy with a kick to it thanks to its toppings. The deep fried brussels sprouts topped with whiskey and caramel and cauliflower covered in paprika sour cream and pepitas were delightful. The fatty taste, light crisp and sauces made these veggies feel like a guilty pleasure.
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Disney Springs is also home to Homecomin’:Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine, where the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in my Black-ass life is created. With farm-to-fork cuisine, Homecomin’ features Southern favorites like homemade pimento cheese, Church Lady deviled eggs kale salad with Sweet Grass Dairy cheese and spiced pecans and a grilled Blackstrap pork chop with sawmill gravy.
Being raised by my down-home grandmother, I know good soul food. I barely bite into any dish that can compete with hers. That was until I tried some of chef Art Smith’s cooking.
I became acquainted with the creamiest, cheesiest macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had outside of my grandmother’s kitchen. His pan-seared shrimp and creamy grits topped with ham (which I had removed) in tomato gravy was a highlight as well. It was his famous fried chicken that blew me away. It’s brined for 24 hours, seasoned and then dipped in buttermilk before it’s fried to perfection. It has a crunch, tenderness and mouthwatering juiciness that puts it in a class of its own. What else could you expect from Oprah’s former chef?
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
Tiffins
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
As a coffee lover, I don’t do tea unless I’m sick or need a detox. So when I stepped foot in the Animal Kingdom’s Tiffins, I didn’t expect to fall in love. But when they served me the Organic Vanilla Rooibos tea from the press pot, I was pleasantly surprised. I added a brown sugar cube and a teaspoon of honey to enhance the sweetness and rich nature that was already there. Rooibos tea made me forget any other beverage I tried while on Disney grounds.
They also have vegan options. Alongside the braised rib we were served was a North African-spiced tofu served with tomato chutney, kale and vegetables.
Source: Tanay Hudson / Tanay Hudson
