Fungi, (pronounced foon-ji) is a traditional Virgin Islands dish that dates to the 18th century. It’s a creamy combination of cooked yellow cornmeal, okra slices. It is said that slaves grew vegetables to supplement their meals, hidden from slave owners. Okra, a key ingredient in West African cooking brought to the Caribbean by the trans-Atlantic slave trade, was likely added to the cornmeal to increase the dish’s nutritional value, adding an earthy flavor and stretching it into a meal that could feed many.
Photo credit: Miriam Hahn
Source: The New York Times