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"I'm closer with my family because of the water. I'm closer with my community because of the water. I'm closer with the food that I eat every day because of the water. It's all because of the water." (Tia Clark)
"I don't ever remember buying fish out of a grocery store. I just don't remember those things. It was an integral part of our everyday lives that you (you or your neighbors catch your own) shrimp, your crabs, certain fish that you ate" (Zenobia Harper)
"The waterways here in Charleston are a very important part of the Gullah Geechee culture. It was nothing, you know, we didn't have to go to a grocery store or a fish monger because we could just go out to the nearest Creek or dock and get crabs and shrimp and fish and feed the family. So water's always been important." (Sean Mendes)
"As far as the food, of course, you know, people eat shrimp everywhere, but there is nothing like local shrimp. It has a different taste, a different texture, and it is just delicious." (Emma Cromedy)
"One thing that separates Gullah culture from Lowcountry culture, I mean we all love seafood, but in our culture we really love seafood. I mean that was what separates our dishes from a lot of our contemporaries or folks in the mainland or inland is, uh, the amount of seafood that we consume." (BJ Dennis)
"Before they built the bridge, the only way off and on the island was by boat, because again, we were surrounded by water. And so that was a way of living for the islanders. And we were so happy and satisfied because we didn't know how others live. All we knew is how we live and how we were caring and sharing community of what our parents and ancestors did on the island with the farm and with with the seafood." (Gullah Geechee Community Member)
"I found out one of the primary ways of communicating years ago is years before they had telephones and things like that was they can send a message from one individual out to the next in song, and primarily how they did it was using the waterways, they would communicate that somebody had passed. And they would say in song, and it would echo on waterways. And then we're traveling and somebody will pick it up and keep it going all the way down the waterway. So that was one of the ways they used to communicate. And, of course, that came from the continent of Africa as well. I think we communicate using the waterways. That's a technology that is very little unknown." (Gullah Geechee Community Member)
"We like the Combahee (River), for the reason where we feel connected to Harriet Tubman and the work she did to free enslaved people from the rice plantations along the Combahee. You paddle those waters and you can still see evidence of that history." (Herb Frazier)
"I always say that Bradley Seafood, on St. Helena Island is probably one of the last black owned seafood houses we have in the state. I mean, I don't know what's up there in near Georgetown in Horry County, but, you know, on this side, Bradley Seafood is one of the last black owned Gullah Seafood houses that I know about." (BJ Dennis)
"The story is the bait, and the recipe is the catch" (Marvin Neal)
"Gullah is one pot, slow cooking" (Marilyn Hemingway)
"When my father was a kid, he learned how to crab and he taught me how to crab as a kid. The way of crabbing is not the traditional way of crabbing. They call it Poor Man's crabbing, is what they call it. Once the tide is extremely low, this is only time to do it. We then both would get into the pluffmud and walk towards each other along the bank. Walking towards each other, we'd pick up all the crabs molting in the pluff mud, waiting for the tide to come up. Within about 10 minutes of him walking towards me and me walking towards him, we can gather about 50 Blue Crab. That was a way of survival. It had nothing to do with commercializing it at all." (Corey Alston)
"To be Gullah Geechee means to be steeped in west African knowledge, technology, spirituality, mysticism, culture, and heritage. To be Geechee means to be privileged to have been exposed to a language that's the combination of so many languages and dialects. To be Gullah Geechee means to be part of a foundational culture of what we now call America, you know?" (Zenobia Harper)
"I come from a culture that tried to hold on to as much as possible of the history and roots, their ancestral lineage dating back to Africa. A culture that held on to these things because of survival. It's a beautiful thing to be part of a culture that held on to more Africanisms than any other African American community in the country." (BJ Dennis)
"We have our heritage and we must continue to be keepers of the culture" (Anita Prather)
"One thing that separates Gullah culture from Lowcountry culture, I mean we all love seafood, but in our culture we really love seafood. I mean that was what separates our dishes from a lot of our contemporaries or folks in the mainland or inland is, uh, the amount of seafood that we consume." (BJ Dennis)
"Before they built the bridge, the only way off and on the island was by boat, because again, we were surrounded by water. And so that was a way of living for the islanders. And we were so happy and satisfied because we didn't know how others live. All we knew is how we live and how we were caring and sharing community of what our parents and ancestors did on the island with the farm and with with the seafood." (Gullah Geechee Community Member)
"I found out one of the primary ways of communicating years ago is years before they had telephones and things like that was they can send a message from one individual out to the next in song, and primarily how they did it was using the waterways, they would communicate that somebody had passed. And they would say in song, and it would echo on waterways. And then we're traveling and somebody will pick it up and keep it going all the way down the waterway. So that was one of the ways they used to communicate. And, of course, that came from the continent of Africa as well. I think we communicate using the waterways. That's a technology that is very little unknown." (Gullah Geechee Community Member)
"We like the Combahee (River), for the reason where we feel connected to Harriet Tubman and the work she did to free enslaved people from the rice plantations along the Combahee. You paddle those waters and you can still see evidence of that history." (Herb Frazier)
"I always say that Bradley Seafood, on St. Helena Island is probably one of the last black owned seafood houses we have in the state. I mean, I don't know what's up there in near Georgetown in Horry County, but, you know, on this side, Bradley Seafood is one of the last black owned Gullah Seafood houses that I know about." (BJ Dennis)
"The story is the bait, and the recipe is the catch" (Marvin Neal)
"Gullah is one pot, slow cooking" (Marilyn Hemingway)
"When my father was a kid, he learned how to crab and he taught me how to crab as a kid. The way of crabbing is not the traditional way of crabbing. They call it Poor Man's crabbing, is what they call it. Once the tide is extremely low, this is only time to do it. We then both would get into the pluffmud and walk towards each other along the bank. Walking towards each other, we'd pick up all the crabs molting in the pluff mud, waiting for the tide to come up. Within about 10 minutes of him walking towards me and me walking towards him, we can gather about 50 Blue Crab. That was a way of survival. It had nothing to do with commercializing it at all." (Corey Alston)
"To be Gullah Geechee means to be steeped in west African knowledge, technology, spirituality, mysticism, culture, and heritage. To be Geechee means to be privileged to have been exposed to a language that's the combination of so many languages and dialects. To be Gullah Geechee means to be part of a foundational culture of what we now call America, you know?" (Zenobia Harper)
About Us

WE BE DE GULLAH GEECHEE SEAFOOD TRAIL

Come and celebrate our Culture. Culinary Dishes. and Experiences!

This website was made possible through a grant provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program.

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Taste the Culture

Tas’e de Culcha

Gullah Geechee restaurants, food trucks, and caterers showcase our traditional, coastal foodway are key entry points in the cultural fabric of our community. Enjoy these essential culture-keepers and take the opportunity to learn more about traditional, Gullah Geechee foodways!

MORE TO EAT
Person cooking rice and meat
Picture of Crab bowl
Picture of a plate with fish, chicken, shrimp, and collar greens from Gullah Grab Restaurant St. Helena Island, SC
Picture of Shrimp Gumbo from Gullah Grab Restaurant St. Helena Island, SC
Picture of Gullah Collard Greens
Plate of Shrimp and Rice
Plate of chicken wings
Picture of plates of food at Hannbal's Restaurants Charleston, SC
Picture of Gullah Geechee girl smiling
Picture of Hutchinson House info document
Lady holding crap traps on dock
Gullah Geechee lady holding a sweetgrass basket smiling
Praise House at Mitchelville Historic Park
Picture of Gullah Geechee man smiling
Woman fishing on the bank
Bucket of Fish
Sweetgrass basket art
Blue Crab on dock
Statue of Gullah Geechee lady with sweetgrass basket on her head
Picture of historic store at Mitchvile Historic Park
Picture of smiling girl reading a book
Picture of Gullah Geechee man
Picture of Gullah Geechee lady
Replica ship in Mitchelville Park
The Salt Marsh sign showing description of what lives in the marsh
Picture of Gullah Geechee people
Gullah Geechee riding house
Picture of Gullah Geechee people celebrating
Picture of Gullah women
Seagrass basket art
Seagrass basket art
Blue Crab
Experience the Culture

‘speriunce de Culcha

Experience our rich, cultural heritage gifted to us by our Ancestors through food, art, music and traditional arts and crafts created from the necessity of daily living and evolving into handcrafted, treasured art, such as, sweetgrass baskets, shrimp nets, pottery, textile arts, clothing, quilting and more!

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See The Culture

See de Culcha

Spend the day in Gullah Geechee communities through people, places & t’ings!

MORE DESTINATIONS
Picture of Sunset about beach
"Welcome To Historic Beaufort" sign in Beaufort, SC
Red flowers with Salt Marsh in the background
Picture of boats docked at marina at waterfront Beaufort, SC
Sign of Mitchelville, SC
View of Salt Marsh to Atlantic Ocean in Mitchelville Historic Park
View of "Historic Georgetown" in Georgetown, SC
Oak tree with Spanish Moss
Oak tree with Spanish Moss
View of "Welcome to St. Helena Island" sign in St. Helena Island, SC
Picture of Salt Marsh
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UPCOMING EVENTS

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MORE TO SEE

Click on the icon to learn more about the locations, operating hours, social media and websites of our local restaurants, landmarks, experiences, lodging and creators!
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Picture of Gullah Geechee Crabber smiling

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