Juneteenth Menu Ideas That Preserve the Holiday’s Culinary Traditions

Black folks collectively rolled their eyes the moment Walmart blanketed its freezers with Juneteenth ice cream in 2022. Did a multinational corporation with no ties to the community really have the audacity to market a red velvet confection for Juneteenth menu ideas?

Especially with pints plastered in African imagery to honor Freedom Day for the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, conveniently delayed two years after the Emancipation Proclamation?

This megastore had the nerve… but quickly recalled this product and others following complaints of racial insensitivity and “corporate pandering.”

A Time Not to Forget

The holiday traces its origins back to the 1865 collapse of the Confederacy, marking the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to finally fully enforce the United States’ law freeing enslaved Black Americans.

Honoring this turning point requires nurturing and intentionality. The diaspora preserves the deep emotional significance of Juneteenth through lavish spreads rooted in reflection and movement building.

RECIPE: Watermelon Salad With Cilantro Honey Lime Dressing

However, to keep it real, the U.S. still lacks awareness due to centuries of refusing to recognize the day’s significance. The continued intentional erasure—as seen in the lack of education about Juneteenth in schools, communities, and legislation—has led to widespread ignorance.

And now that the country gets the day off, it needs to acknowledge and reflect on the past while grappling with present-day injustices. Through this, Black people must remain at the forefront, setting boundaries that protect the essence of the day.

A Cookout with Meat on the Bones

With the mainstreaming of Juneteenth, home gatherings offer a route to reclaim it. “It’s not just a cookout; it’s a cookout that’s got some meat on the bones,” explains Derrick Worthey, co-founder of the food blog This Worthey Life . “They can commercialize [the day], but it’ll never mean to them what it means to us when we bring it into our spaces.”

Brainstorming Juneteenth menu ideas for celebrations opens up an opportunity for reflection, intentionality, and flavors anchored in Black legacy and liberation. This is your ultimate Jubilee guide.

RECIPE: Mango Habanero Wings

Drawing on the wisdom of Black leaders in food, we’ll explain the significance of specific ingredients and how to curate immaculate vibes and make room for Black joy and community care.

That way, future generations don’t have to waste time ranting on social media about problematic ice cream. Instead, they can find solace in the day’s sacredness (and deliciousness).

Lean on Red Foods and Drinks for Juneteenth Menu Ideas

Traditions preserve legacies, and West and Central African foodways show up in the red hues popular on Juneteenth, explains Marta Rivera, founder of the Sense and Edibility blog and board member of Eat The Culture , which supports Black culinary creators. “We always incorporate something red in honor of the fight and the bloodshed that was made for our freedom,” she says.

RECIPE: Juneteenth Red Sherbert Punch

For Black people experiencing ethnocide during enslavement, archiving recipes offered a form of resistance so future generations could understand the power of communal dishes. So today, Juneteenth menu ideas might look like leaning on your great-grandma’s recipe for Haitian “Diri ak Pwa,” where the kidney beans outshine the rice, brewing sorrel out of hibiscus leaves or stewing hot links into a rich gumbo.

Seasonality also plays a role in the specific hues, as many red fruits ripen as the weather warms. Rivera often tops buttery tarts with creamy mascarpone, sweet strawberries and raspberries to honor Juneteenth. To refresh her guests, she’ll juice an entire watermelon to infuse white wine for sangria.

RECIPE: Watermelon Sangria

Chef/owner Tareka Lofton doesn’t shy away from mixing strawberry soda into her pastry batters at Loft22 Cakes in Fort Worth, Texas. She has done so in the past for Opal Lee, an activist who helped make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.

“It adds moisture and airiness to the cake along with lots of flavor,” she explains.

Light the Grill and Curate Moments of Black Joy

The essence of a Black cookout has survived generations. While the dishes might not always taste like your great uncle’s, barbecues offer delicious fare cooked on a flame and a safe space to gather and kiki.

For Juneteenth menu ideas, you can’t go wrong with lighting up the grill and slathering meats in crimson BBQ sauces—especially with the holiday’s roots in Texas.

RECIPE: Smoked Rib Tips

Obvious festivities may not be new for people who grew up in the South like Lofton. The Texarkana local says, “Juneteenth was something that our community celebrated under the table.” She continues, “We would have food, games and barbecue, but it was just kind of celebrated on the low.”

While this holiday is now federally recognized, the erasure of Black culture still manifests in various forms today. Think political leaders introducing legislation prohibiting critical race theory in school curriculums.

Because of this history and current climate, the Worthey family creates its own tables (figuratively and literally) as a form of liberation from white-centered systems.

RECIPE: Hibiscus BBQ Sauce

On Juneteenth, this looks like smoking watermelon steaks for a refreshing bite or layering juicy ribs with a sticky strawberry sauce. Not to mention a well-curated playlist stacked with Frankie Beverly or DJ Casper.

While savoring these dishes and jamming, the blog founders honor the work ahead in creating spaces for Black people—including their children—to experience agency.

Seek Wisdom From Black Archives

With white supremacist systems at play, participating in liberatory work can be difficult. But celebrants don’t walk alone and can rely on the wisdom of culinary leaders who have blazed trails.

Rivera doesn’t let a Juneteenth celebration pass without dusting off a cookbook by Edna Lewis (1916-2006), the first Black Southern food writer who didn’t hide her name, gender or race.

“When you look at the recipes she uses, they’re filled with such simple, basic ingredients, but once you read it, it is almost like reading a diary,” she shares. These lessons do not have to serve as a rigid guide but can offer a foundation for home cooks’ innovations and delicious Juneteenth menu ideas.

RECIPE: Southern Baked Beans

Lofton’s culinary wisdom stems from her personal history, which she often shares with her family members. “My grandmother was a master baker in her own right,” she says. “She never went to culinary school but knew how to make custards, breads, pies, ice cream and cakes from scratch without recipes.”

Juneteenth provides a unique opportunity to connect with your heritage and preserve valuable lessons for future generations. The holiday also offers time to reflect on our history.

For Rivera, this often means revisiting the basics. “The Emancipation Proclamation is something that I feel every Black American needs to read, not necessarily memorize, but you need to have a familiarity with what is being said,” she explains. This historic document announced freedom to enslaved people in states that had seceded. It catalyzes meaningful conversations about the persistence of modern-day slavery and injustices.

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Don’t Forget to Weave in Moments for Community Care

Real talk. Food insecurity persists, and while creating decadent spreads offers beautiful moments for joy within close-knit communities, plenty of folks still lack this privilege.

Twenty-one percent of Black households in the U.S. don’t have access to wholesome meals, according to a 2021 report from the United States Department of Agriculture . “It’s important for me to remind my friends and my family that we have a blessed life, and our opportunities are different from other people who look like us,” Rivera says.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake

“Have fun and joy,” she shares. “But also make that space and time to connect with the [community] organizing right at your door.” For example, celebrants can visit a nearby Black-owned farm or garden and inquire about how to get involved or research mutual aid organizations and fill up one of their community fridges.

Given the holiday’s commercialization, it’s more important than ever to stay grounded in its meaning, including when thinking of Juneteenth menu ideas. “The whole purpose of us as a Black community is to lift each other up,” Rivera says.

Take moments to celebrate—whether at a house, block party, or Black-owned restaurant—centering the traditions that evoke the genuine spirit of Juneteenth.

This story originally appeared in Cuisine Noir Magazine