Ice Cream Can Tell Centuries of Black Stories—Just Ask Chef Lokelani Alabanza

Hearing the words, “Your ice cream reminds me of when we ate ice cream at my mother’s funeral” would wipe the smile from most cooks’ faces. But for Nashville ice cream maker Lokelani Alabanza, this reaction from a customer was the ultimate compliment. …

Hearing the words, “Your ice cream reminds me of when we ate ice cream at my mother’s funeral” would wipe the smile from most cooks’ faces. But for Nashville ice cream maker Lokelani Alabanza, this reaction from a customer was the ultimate compliment. Alabanza is a storyteller who mines Black history and cooking for inspiration, translating her discoveries into the language of sugar and ice, and triggering such profound emotions is the whole point.

View this post on Instagram

Hello everyone ! ?? Thank you for the outpouring of support. It’s taken a few days to process. I’m Lokelani Alabanza. ( Lokelani is the flower of Maui, Alabanza is praise in Spanish) It’s been a mouthful since childhood. They call me Loke for short. The past four years have been dedicated to the world of ice cream. It’s been an amazing and challenging experience. It’s truly unbelievable how much humans love ice cream. Love it! Throughout the past four years, I’ve managed to created over 300 flavors. The inspiration can come from anywhere, a color, history, a thought, smell, book, person , drive in the car. I have a deep fondness for nostalgia, it’s been the most potent ingredient that I use. Nostalgia and ice cream are a stunning combination. Food connects all of us. Don’t ever underestimate it’s power. Through ice cream I started a journey into its history. Stepping into a world that I didn’t even realize existed. Names that have been forgotten, legacies that created the path that I would one day walk down. Was it coincidence or perfectly timed, that I would learn the name of Sarah Estell. A black female entrepreneur who owned and operated an ice cream saloon in downtown Nashville in 1840. With this new knowledge gained, it’s brought me so much confidence. Recent changes in the past few months have led me to venture out on my own. I have a new project I’ve been working on @saturatedicecream. You’re always welcome whenever you’re in Nashville. Be well. Be safe. Let us always be good to one another. p.s. What’s your favorite flavor?

Read More >>

68 Recipes From Black Creators to Celebrate Juneteenth

This Juneteenth probably won’t look the same as it has in the past. Expect to see fewer cookouts, outdoor music concerts, parades, and festivals. This year we have to improvise and find ways to honor our innate spirit of perseverance and celebrate the …

This Juneteenth probably won’t look the same as it has in the past. Expect to see fewer cookouts, outdoor music concerts, parades, and festivals. This year we have to improvise and find ways to honor our innate spirit of perseverance and celebrate the resilience our ancestors demonstrated in their plight to freedom.

And for that reason, almost 70 Black food creatives have to come together to share recipes in a digital cookout, inspired by this holiday and the African diaspora, all to continue our legacy of communion, albeit virtually, and share our history with the world.

Read More >>

25 Reads, Podcasts & Learning Resources That Teach Us About Antiracism

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, and hope that this coverage will serve as a …

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, and hope that this coverage will serve as a helpful and important resource to further antiracism work in our community.


“I have this pet theory about book recommendations,” author and professor Lauren Michele Jackson writes in a recent piece for Vulture, “What Is an Anti-Racist Reading List For?"

Read More >>

We Support & Stand With the Black Community

Creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive company has been a goal of ours. And yet, we recognize our efforts have not been anywhere near enough, and we need to do more. To follow up on our promise from Sunday, we wanted to share our plans.

We …

Creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive company has been a goal of ours. And yet, we recognize our efforts have not been anywhere near enough, and we need to do more. To follow up on our promise from Sunday, we wanted to share our plans.

We will make changes to our recruitment and hiring efforts in order to welcome and actively seek out a more diverse range of candidates for all positions. We will work to amplify the voices of our Black and POC teammates without putting the burden of education on them. We will increase Black representation across all of our channels. We will actively seek out more Black makers and content creators to build meaningful connections and partnerships.

Read More >>

21 Black-Authored Cookbooks to Add to Your Shelf

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, and we hope that this coverage will serve as…

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, and we hope that this coverage will serve as a helpful and important resource to further antiracism work in our community.


Like the rest of the food industry, food media has a long way to go when it comes to equal representation. We're here to self-examine—to learn and to unlearn how our company and coverage are part of this problem. Today, we're celebrating Black-authored cookbooks (keep an eye out for future articles on black-authored food books and black-created blogs). We understand this is a small start. And we're committed to continuing this conversation, both on the website and internally as a team, and finding ways to use our platform to further amplify Black voices and stories.

Read More >>

Black-Owned Businesses to Support—Now & Always

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, and hope that this coverage will serve as a …

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, and hope that this coverage will serve as a helpful and important resource to further antiracism work in our community.


As we commit to finding more and better ways to combat systemic racism, we also pledge to devote more of our time, platform, and resources to uplifting the Black community.

Read More >>

Black Lives Matter. These Organizations Need Our Support.

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. This coverage stands in solidarity with the Black community. We hope that it will serve as a …

Black Lives Matter. We at Food52 are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dreasjon Reed, and so many others. This coverage stands in solidarity with the Black community. We hope that it will serve as a helpful and important resource to further antiracism work in our community.


In the wake of the horrific injustices we've seen towards the Black community—particularly, in the last few weeks—we stand united in the fight against anti-Blackness and systemic racism in our country. Silence is complicity.

Read More >>

29 Vegetarian Recipes That Celebrate the Diversity of Black Cuisine

One remarkable byproduct of the African diaspora is the unmatched diversity of Black cuisine. It touches nearly every continent and comprises just about every kind of flavor profile you can imagine. In the Caribbean, South America, and Central America,…

One remarkable byproduct of the African diaspora is the unmatched diversity of Black cuisine. It touches nearly every continent and comprises just about every kind of flavor profile you can imagine. In the Caribbean, South America, and Central America, African foodways have been incorporated into largely Latin and indigenous traditions. In the United States, a unique food culture and several signature dishes emerged from the innovations of a resilient people who had to work with scraps.

But the most important common thread through the world of Black cuisine is love. It’s that nonreplicable secret ingredient in your grandma’s Sour Cream Pound Cake or your aunty’s ofada or your uncle’s gumbo. It’s why the first thing you’re asked upon entering a Black household is: “Have you eaten?” And it’s why a group of Black food bloggers have come together to celebrate and promote Black culture through food—with a focus this year on plant-based recipes.

Read More >>