June’s got a lot goin on… It’s :

Black Music Month 🎵 (Initiated by President Jimmy Carter in 1979…)

African American Appreciation Month ❤️🖤💚 …( I can think of a whole LOT more reasons to appreciate Black people in America beyond those scant few paragraphs outlined in the link that started this paragraph 😆… )

Caribbean Heritage Month! 🇯🇲 🇭🇹 🇵🇦🇹🇹 🇻🇨 🇩🇴 🇬🇾…

+ And of course there’s JUNETEENTH (I know it ain’t all month long but still…)

Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈…

National Adopt “A”Cat Month 🐈 🐈‍⬛…

Mango Month 🥭…

National Frozen Yogurt Month 🍦: see also the June 2nd Post for Frozen Yogurt Day…

Pollinator Week takes place June 17 -23rd this year)- …🌻 🐝

Cucumber Month …none of the mainstream ‘holiday’ websites including the one hyperlinked here ever bother to tell you that cucumbers are genetically related to watermelons and that both originate from Africa including the areas where African-Americans also originate from. I discovered /learned this information on my own via my independent study, research and readings years ago and to my knowledge am one of if not ‘the’ only ‘food media’ person I’m aware of who freely and regularly shares that interesting info. You’re welcome 😊 … ~ Tonya

National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month: In general compared to other segments of the population, Black Americans were way ahead of contemporary trends like consuming primarily “plant-based” ,“farm to table” seasonal diets with fresh vegetables and fruits at the forefront. A food tradition that began to ‘phase out’ after the Great Migration that dramatically shifted demographics and “less healthy” consumption patterns became the norm from the 1970’s onward. With increased awareness of food’s connections to health, the rise in veganism and resurgent interest in food sovereignty (incl. growing, gardening, cooperative farming etc.) broader, collective consumption patterns may again be changing for the better… ~ TH/ TFG

National Iced Tea Month: iced tea is/was one of the main beverages of hospitality made (traditionally freshly brewed) and oft served as “sweat tea” in Black American households at holiday meals, Sunday suppers, other special occasions — or made for and offered to visiting guests from the late 19th century throughout the 20th. Today iced tea is primarily ordered and consumed at dining establishments ( from fast food to fine dining) and/or purchased in single serve plastic or glass bottles from store shelves or the refrigerated sections of grocery and convenience stores. See also “National Iced Tea Day (June 10th)” ~TH/TFG

National Lemon Month : lemons are the main ingredient of the OTHER primary beverage symbolizing old-school hospitality (Southern or Northern)— LEMONADE — that was made (traditionally from hand-squeezed lemons and lots of sugar) in Black American households at holiday meal, Sunday suppers, other special occasions — or made for and offered to visiting guests from the late 19th century into the late 20th. From the 1980’s onward almost nobody was making lemonade from actual juiced lemons anymore but instead from powdered mix. Today a wide variety of fruit flavored lemonades in bottles of varied sizes (from single serve to family size) line the shelves and refrigerator sections of any American store that sells foodstuffs and beverages.

*As you can see from the clues in the collage above 😆, both Charla (founder of* ***SOUL FOOD MONTH****) and I (@TheFoodGriot) are featured on MOFAD’s seminal “Legacy Quilt” honoring* *“notable African Americans who have shaped our country’s culinary identity”….There are 400 panels total representing Black Culinary influencers from 1619 to 2021/ Present Day.*

National Soul Food Month! 🧑🏾‍🍳 🥬🍠🥘...…. My new friend and culinary colleague Charla Draper founded National Soul Food Month in 2001 to celebrate the rich history of soul food. The link to the left doesn’t even bother to tell you that. Not only do I tell you that on this here TFG culinary & cultural calendar that i curate on the regular, BUT ALSO TOO — i share with you an exclusive convo i had with the illustrious Ms. Draper on this very topic. Click the collage pic which will take you to where you can access that conversation after June 1st but before Juneteenth (circa June 19th) b/c I’ll have a ton of other videos and content to share on that food-filled holiday topic by then…

JUNE 1st is also: World Milk Day 🥛… National Hazelnut Cake Day 🥮 …