Black History Month came to life Monday with the third-annual Soul Food Tasting.

The College of Family and Consumer Sciences has celebrated Black History Month for three years by planning activities, one of which is Soul Food Tasting, said Lee Ann Davis, director of minority programs for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

“The foods mainly come out of slavery,” Davis said. “A lot of the foods slaves had to eat were left over and thrown away by the slave owners. Slaves had to take leftovers and make meals from that.”

Red beans, rice, collard greens, black-eyed peas, chitlins, turnip greens and sweet potatoes were some of the foods that could be stretched to feed many people, while still being a hearty meal, Davis said.

“The men had to go to the field to do hard labor, that’s why the food is very heavy — it had to stick,” she said.

The soul food Monday afternoon was regular fare for some. For others it was a new experience.

Preparing the beans and rice brought back the taste of home, said Kevin Triggs, who grew up in New Orleans. Moving to Iowa from the South wasn’t too much of a culture shock, said Triggs, a graduate student in community and regional planning. “I’ve done colder weather with the military.”

“It’s always wonderful to eat even though I do a lot of my own cooking, so I normally eat a lot of Louisiana cooking,” he said of the wide variety of food.

Many students experienced soul food for the first time.

“It’s a good idea to have it in rural Iowa,” said Jana Brinkman, junior in child and family services. “The idea of being aware of different cultures and histories is important. I grew up on a farm in northwest Iowa, which was small and not diverse at all.”

The food was prepared by Davis, her family members, friends and graduate students, Davis said. It was made in Des Moines and warmed up in the food science labs once it arrived in Ames. “This year was a really big success; we ran out of food very quickly,” Davis said.

Students said they thought the food was unique and appetizing.

“I had fried catfish, corn bread, jambalaya, gumbo, peach cobbler and sweet tea,” said Lisa Ward, junior in liberal arts and sciences.