Foods for heart disease
What APEX holds on the table for heart disease: the foods it leads with, each with where it comes from and why it is ours. Not a treatment plan — the food, and the reason it is on the list.
Compiled by APEX Legacy from published research and documented food
history, under the editorial direction of
Jonathan Jackson, Founder .
How we write and review these pages →
Rice, Grains & Starch
Benne Bread Benne bread — a Lowcountry loaf or roll enriched with toasted benne (sesame) seeds, the… African Red Rice African red rice — the 3,500-year-old indigenous West African rice domesticated by the… Buttermilk Cornbread True mountain cornbread — stone-ground cornmeal, buttermilk, egg, and almost no sugar…
Dishes & One-Pots
Black-Eyed Pea Soup Black-eyed peas simmered into a savory soup with smoked seasoning, tomato, and greens… Hoppin' John Black-eyed peas and rice cooked together on New Year's Day. Not a side dish — the dish. Red Rice (Gullah) This is not 'tomato rice.' Gullah red rice is the direct American descendant of West… Calulu de São Tomé The national dish of São Tomé and Príncipe: smoked or fresh fish layered with okra, many… Catfish Stew (Delta Style) A thin, tomato-and-onion catfish stew built from river fish, the cheapest protein the… Crawfish Bisque A laborious Creole soup of crawfish in a dark-roux gravy, served with the cleaned… Florida Fish and Grits The Florida coastal take on the Black Southern fish-and-grits breakfast — whatever the… Gulf Shrimp Gumbo Gulf shrimp simmered in a dark roux or okra-thickened stew over the holy trinity — the… Maryland Crab Soup A tomato-based vegetable soup loaded with blue crab, Old Bay, corn, lima beans, and… Pinto Beans and Cornbread Pinto beans slow-cooked with fatback, served in the pot with cornbread, raw onion, and… Shrimp Creole Gulf shrimp simmered in a tomato gravy built on the holy trinity — onion, celery, bell… Shrimp Perloo Fresh creek shrimp folded into rice that has steamed in shrimp stock and bacon drippings…
Fruit
Bradford Watermelon A long, dark-green Southern heirloom watermelon with intensely sweet, tender red flesh…
Pantry & Condiments
Watermelon Seed Oil The whole watermelon has been with Black Americans since before America was America.
Seafood
Blackened Redfish Red drum fillets coated in cayenne-paprika-thyme spice and seared in a screaming-hot… Blue Catfish The largest American catfish, exploding in number across the Chesapeake. Blue Crab (Picking Crabs) Steamed blue crabs picked at newspaper-covered tables with Old Bay and wooden mallets. Crawfish Étouffée Crawfish tails simmered in a dark roux and the holy trinity until thick enough to mound… Jack Salmon Whiting fried golden and stacked on white bread with hot sauce — known as 'jack salmon'…
Desserts & Sweets
Texas Pecan Pralines Texas pecans folded into a caramel of sugar, butter, and cream, dropped and set into the…
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APEX Legacy is an AI intelligence layer for Black Americans — the food,
the history, and what the research says, in one place.
Wellness and educational information only. It is not medical advice, and
it does not diagnose or treat any condition. Talk to your own clinician
about your care.