by Michelle Boudin

The two women behind Red Rice Books admit they come at their business from very different perspectives. One is known as a foodie, the other learned to cook because she had to.

Red Rice Books is a new Black-owned hybrid bookstore with both an online storefront and popups showcasing Black food writing in everything from cookbooks to fiction and nonfiction where food, farms, and gardens are a theme. 

Co-Owner Kaneisha Gaston says she came up with the idea for the business after being a caretaker for a family member facing a health challenge. 

“I had to start cooking,” Gaston says. “I cooked out of necessity; I cooked because I had to. But my friend and co-owner Vanessa Williams is the one who is always the host of the group, trying a new spice or recipe. She was the curious cook; the one who likes to experiment and try new things with food. But both of us came from families who cooked with family members who served as cooks in people’s homes or in different establishments so we knew food would be our focus.”

The duo does regular popups with books and goods from Black-owned businesses. “Right now when we pop up, you’ll see books alongside spices, sauces, syrups for coffees and teas, and our events allow us to explore meals and dishes,” Gaston explains. Red Rice will take part in several upcoming holiday pop-ups, including the Dupp & Swat Holiday Pop-Up Market on Dec. 3. 

The two friends met as roommates at Davidson College and are hosting a series of events to help promote their partnership and vision, including a tasting event at Frenchie’s in South End with Cha McCoy, author of Wine Pairing for the People. ” Events such as this are meant to honor the deep roots, cultural significance, and legacy of Black women in the wine space.

McCoy’s stop is part of the book tour for Wine Pairing for the People, a wine guide designed to introduce people to underrepresented wine regions and cultures and give them practical skills for pairing wines with foods from those cultures.

“She’ll lead a guided tasting at Frenchie’s Sip and Shop and talk about the wines and tell stories of her travel to those particular places,” Gaston says of the event. “There will be a Mexican wine, a wine from South Africa, and one from a smaller Eastern European country.”

The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 29. 

This past weekend, The Art of Traditional Gulllah-Geechee Winemaking featured a winemaker from Charleston’s Lowcountry who designs dinner experiences highlighting Lowcountry cooking practices that derive from Africa, as well as a winemaking workshop.

According to Gaston, the Gulllah-Geechee typically live from South Carolina to Georgia and are identified as a group of Black Americans with the clearest connection to parts of Africa. The Gullah-Geechee are known for their preservation of their language and customs. 

Gaston says she and Williams are excited to bring these events to the Queen City and feel strongly about helping further diversity in the city’s food scene.

“There’s a focus on Charlotte’s food scene, and has been for several years,” she says. “We see a lot of restaurants coming and one thing that is really important to note is we’re getting a lot of diversity through our restaurants, so being able to bring events that further highlight diverse culinary traditions that are right here is really important and we want to highlight a culture that has contributed a lot to American cuisine.”