Asad El Malik

Bismillah & Bean Pies Asad El Malik

Bean pies have become synonymous with African American Islamic communities. The custard pie was introduced to the black palate by the Nation of Islam, an Islamic organization with black nationalist teachings, as an alternative to the sweet potato pie. The sweet potato was not in accord with the dietary recommendations of Elijah Muhammad's book "How to Eat to Live." The bean pie has become as much emblematic of Muhammad's organization as the bow tie. Although its genesis is in the Nation of Islam, the bean pie has grown to be a part of every African American Islamic expression. It, more than any other item, symbolizes the unique Muslim culture developed by blacks in America. The bean pie in many ways mirrors Islam in black America. Both find their roots in black nationalism and are a deviation from the overarching black culture in the United States.