Pasadena Library Explores African Culinary Diaspora

Chef Denà Brummer to lead cooking workshop on how slavery shaped Black food traditions

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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The Pasadena Public Library is hosting a cooking workshop led by Chef Denà Brummer that will explore how the transatlantic slave trade shaped African cooking techniques, traditions, and flavors that have traveled around the world. The free event, 'Eat the Culture: African Foodways & Traditions,' is part of the library's Black History Month programming.

Why it matters

This program highlights how the brutal history of slavery led to the evolution and spread of African culinary culture, which has had a profound impact on global cuisines. By exploring these roots, the workshop aims to nourish both the body and soul through the cultural significance of traditional African dishes.

The details

During the workshop, Chef Brummer will share recipes, stories, and insights into how African people separated from their homelands during the slave trade were forced to retain and reinvent traditional dishes, find substitute ingredients, and pass down the cultural importance of certain foods to future generations.

  • The event will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 11 a.m.

The players

Chef Denà Brummer

The chef leading the cooking workshop at the Pasadena Library to explore African culinary traditions.

Pasadena Public Library

The library system hosting the 'Eat the Culture: African Foodways & Traditions' event as part of its Black History Month programming.

Friends of the Pasadena Public Library

The organization partnering with the Pasadena Public Library to present the cooking workshop.

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What’s next

The Pasadena Public Library plans to continue its annual series of events exploring African culinary traditions during Black History Month.

The takeaway

This program shines a light on how the painful history of the transatlantic slave trade led to the evolution and global spread of African cooking techniques, flavors, and traditions that have profoundly shaped world cuisines and continue to nourish both the body and soul.