The story of mambo (or mumbo) sauce, the condiment that likely fueled the civil rights movement

[marmar]

The story of mambo (or mumbo) sauce, the condiment that likely fueled the civil rights movement
In this edition of "Saucy," we dive into the sticky red sauce that launched a multi-state trademark dispute

By ASHLIE D. STEVENS
JANUARY 17, 2021 10:31PM


(Salon) What is mumbo (or mambo) sauce?

It's a sweet and sticky red-orange sauce that's just a touch tangier and spicier than your typical Kansas-style barbecue sauce. This sauce is typically a mixture of tomato paste, pineapple juice, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce (or cayenne pepper) and a squeeze of citrus.

What's in a name?

In 2018, a decades long debate about the origin of mumbo sauce — and who had the right to actually use the word "mumbo" — finally escalated to the courtroom. On one side, there was Select Brands, LLC., a company representing the interests of the late Chicago barbecue restaurant owner Argia B. Collins Sr. On the other, was the Washington-based company Capital City Mumbo.

Both claimed their respective cities as the birthplace of mumbo, and underlying the trademark dispute were parallel stories of Black entrepreneurship and the ways in which it impacted a city's culture.

Argia B. Collins was born in Indianola, Miss., in 1926. He was the twelfth child of his parents Elizabeth and Harvey. They were a farming family and one of the few Black families in their community who actually owned the land they worked (and one of the few families — Black or white — who actually owned an automobile in Indianola).

....(snip)....

Mumbo sauce also literally fueled the civil rights movement of the '60s. As the Chicago Tribune reported, Collins often served a young Rev. Jesse Jackson and other organizers of Operation Breadbasket — a predecessor of Operation Push — for free at Argia B's Bar-B-Q. Collins eventually expanded his mumbo empire, while simultaneously spurring the Black business movement. He opened two more restaurants and began supplying area grocery chains, such as Jewel and Dominick's and A&P. ............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/01/17/the-story-of-mambo-or-mumbo-sauce-the-condiment-that-likely-fueled-the-civil-rights-movement/

[intrepidity]

1. Recipe for Mambo Sauce

Recipe: Homemade Mambo Sauce
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces of tomato paste
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1/4 cup of water
3 tablespoons of freshly-grated ginger
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally with a whisk for about 20 minutes. The sauce will thicken and should be very smooth. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool slightly.

[Paladin]

2. Looks delicious. Will have to give it a try.

Thanks.