Gullah family celebration on St. Helena Island; credit SCPRT
Gullah Sea Islands
Feel the ancestral connection in blended cuisine, intricate sweetgrass baskets, heartfelt songs and church services that mix Christian tradition with African spice in an 18th century Praise House. It’s a semi-tropical place were locals describe addresses by saying “It’s just down the road a little ways.” See folks that look like old relatives and greet you with the smile of kin. More at home than you realize, even the ground says welcome. The region consisting of broad islands and flat coastal plains extending miles inland called “Lowcountry” was originally inhabited by Native Americans and became home to African slaves and their descendents. You won’t find Gullah Sea Islands on a map, but like veiled treasure, it’s almost beneath your nose.
History
The majority of documented African slaves brought to this country were brought through the ports of South Carolina – the state with the most Gullah descendents. The Sea Islands could only be reached by boat, and with temperatures reaching 100 degrees … More
Lowcountry Cuisine
West African influences on cooking have not only survived the slave trade, they’ve influenced American cooking as a whole. That’s especially true with the regional cuisine within the flat coastal South Carolina and Georgia called Lowcountry … More
Three times a year, Gullah Islanders heed the hypnotic call home to celebrate their heritage festivals. In these festivals, aromatic scents whet your appetite to indulge their award-winning Lowcountry cuisine. The food is often so delicious, it will give you bragging rights back at the office.
Don’t envy the tales of others who quickened their spirits by touching the sweet pain and joy of our heritage. Discover Gullah Islands treasure for yourself. Sojourn to the towns of Beaufort, St. Helena Island, Bluffton, Hampton, Hilton Head Island, Daufauskie Island and Georgetown, which are south and north of Charleston. Each has its own idiosyncrasies, each its own flavor, yet splendidly woven into the same Gullah cloth. Click on each town below:
