Cornbread dressing. Baked mac and cheese. Jamaican fried dumplings.

Soul food is absolutely delicious, and National Soul Food Month – the soul food celebration that takes place every June – was founded by Chicagoan Charla Draper, the former food editor at Ebony Magazine. WBEZ producer Cianna Greaves recently broke bread with Draper. So, we had to talk with Greaves about the importance of soul food, the history of National Soul Food Month, our favorite soul foods and recipes, and why it’s so important to preserve them.

“There’s something about a good plate of soul food that kind of takes you out of yourself,” Greaves said, “and if it’s made just right it does catapult you to the past.”