From an anthropological standpoint, the stringy yam arguably comes from the Senegalese area, the location of Alex Haley's Roots. Kola nuts, a main ingredient in Coca Cola and other cola beverages, were first cultivated in West Africa. My research also revealed that watermelon, cotton, and okra were first cultivated in West Africa. The African Bantu word for okra is gumbo. This word has survived because of African American and Louisiana Creole usage.
Gumbo is a very popular fish and shellfish southern stew which contains okra.
Dr. Turner's intent was also to prove that Black American idiomatic expressions had little to do with our White American southern drawls or dialects. Righteous down-home barbeque has been developed all over America with considerable improvisation. Perfection can only come from trial and error over many years. Thousands of culinary experts, particularly in the South, guard and hoard their secret recipes and methods. Mexico, Canada, Australia, England, Hong Kong, and Ireland.