There is a lot of history happening at the moment. With the virus (which I'm directly involved in due to counting numbers for the NHS) I know what to say (stay local, stay safe) and what to do. With the other thing, the race thing, it's not as clear.
Whether it's the place of a white, Anglo-Irish snack food critic to advise about the problems facing Black communities isn't really up for debate - it's not my area of expertise or experience at all. But as my wrestler friends have shown - if you have a platform (no matter how small) then use it for good.
Black Lives Matter
Snacks are an odd place when it comes to nationality and stereotypes. We've reviewed lots of food with 'Jamaica' or 'Caribbean' in the name that have very little to do with those places. There are lots of local stores which have all kinds of import goods from Black backgrounds - I do love some of the drinks and we've eaten in Summit on the Dudley Road (Birmingham is great for multiculturalism) although its always very welcoming I've never been brave enough to try the Sexy Juice (pineapple) or Irish Moss (seaweed?). I need to remedy this.
Shamefully I've not really found many African snacks (does Guinness Malt count?), but I've eaten in a lot of the local restaurants. I need to make a special effort to go more often.
There is a definite Middle Eastern tilt to the food shops nearest me (especially Persian/Egyptian) and I've not really been in as much as I should. I know the Iranian lemon kebabs are great but what about all the other scary stuff?
I think the point I'm trying to make is that we can all do better. We can all talk to new people from different cultures and say "what's good" or even "I'm new, What should I try first?".
Business have been hit hard by the Covid (and will continue to be so - this isn't over - not by a long shot) and a little local friendliness can go a long way towards not only showing that you are interested in other people and their cultures, but that you value all colours of your community.
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