{"id":892101,"date":"2026-06-25T16:09:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/892101\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T16:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:09:22","slug":"3-philadelphia-chefs-reimagine-pepper-pot-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/892101\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Philadelphia chefs reimagine Pepper pot soup"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story is from The Pulse<\/a>, a weekly health and science podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0or\u00a0wherever you get your<\/a> podcasts<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Find our full episode on America\u2019s 250th anniversary here<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Philadelphia pepper pot soup was one of the first American street foods. It has an amazing origin story, but for a long time part of that story has been skimmed over. We\u2019ve heard about pepper pot soup feeding George Washington and his American troops over the harsh winter of 1777 in Valley Forge, an apocryphal tale, during the Revolutionary War. We\u2019ve seen the pepper pot soup label on Campbell\u2019s soup cans, and even in Andy Warhol\u2019s art<\/a>. But the African and Caribbean roots of the dish have been frequently overlooked.\n <\/p>\n

Reporter Justin Kramon tells us that story, and takes us to a special culinary event, a \u201cpepper pot soup slam\u201d where the iconic American dish gets reimagined by three of Philadelphia\u2019s premier chefs: Omar Tate<\/a>, Angie Brown<\/a>, and Shola Olunloyo<\/a>.
\n\"\"Chef Shola Olunloyo, owner of Studio Kitchen, prepares his pepper pot soup for tasting. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)
\n\"\"Pepper pot Soup made by Philadelphia chef Shola Olunloyo. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)\n<\/p>\n

In this story, Michael W. Twitty, author of The Cooking Gene<\/a>, which won the James Beard Foundation Book Award, shares the history of pepper pot soup and how it was brought to America through the Caribbean and South America during the trans-Atlantic slave trade and how it has transformed along the way.\u00a0
\n\"\"Chef Omar Tate, co-owner at Honeysuckle, compiles his pepper pot soup for tasting in the home of chef Sola Olunloyo. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)
\n\"\"Chef Omar Tate\u2019s pepper pot soup. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)\n<\/p>\n

Then, it\u2019s time to eat. Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig Laban<\/a>, food historian William Woys Weaver, whose forthcoming book Pepperpot City<\/a> explores the food history of Philadelphia, and Host of The Pulse Maiken Scott sit down with the chefs to taste their creations.\u00a0
\n\"\"Chef Angie Brown (left) and The Pulse Host and Executive Producer Maiken Scott (right) taste the pepper pot soup recipe by Deux Chemin\u00e9es owner and chef Fritz Blank. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)
\n\"\"Chef Omar Tate and guests share their reactions to different versions of pepper pot soup. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)\n<\/p>\n

Thanks also to Tonya Hopkins<\/a> and Jessica Harris<\/a> for background information, and to Tonya Hopkins\u2019 earlier story about pepper pot soup<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n