“This isn’t about me. It’s about Gullah culture.”

The Azure Road Take

As a recent media guest of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival held March 5-9, 2025 in the Holy City, I had the chance to pick a Signature Dinner to attend. I scanned the 3-day list of events, many helmed by local and national chefs, looking to explore one cuisine in particular: Gullah Geechee. After visiting Daufuskie Island a few years ago, I became interested in Charleston’s foodways and their connection to West Africa, particularly through the descendants of the enslaved in the Sea Islands and along the southeastern coast of the U.S. I had heard about the important cultural and historical culinary work of Chef BJ Dennis but never experienced his cooking or heard him speak. A few nights ago, during a dinner held in The Daily, that changed.

The evening started with a canned beer by Holy City Brewing made from fonio, a West African grain that’s had a resurgence in interest due to its nutritional content and as a climate-resilient crop. Wine pairings came courtesy of Brown Estate, a Black-owned winery in Napa.

The set menu had six dishes, all tied to Gullah Geechee ingredients and techniques, including an outsanding rice flour pancake folded around morsels of chili-spicked chicken; a seafood groundnut soup of Sapelo Island clams and crab meat floating in a rich peanut broth; and the main event, Rice + Fush.

Sustainability Chops

Chef BJ Dennis has earned a reputation in Charleston and beyond as a key voice in preserving Gullah Geechee traditions for a reason: his efforts extend beyond the kitchen. He actively educates others about the cultural significance of Gullah Geechee food, its ties to West Africa, and the many ways it has shaped the flavors of the American Southeast.

Sourcing from local farmers and fishermen, Dennis highlights ingredients that have been staples of Gullah Geechee cooking for generations. He works with Carolina Gold rice, the most well-known heritage grain of the Lowcountry, and Sea Island red peas, an heirloom legume traditionally grown on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. He regularly incorporates benne, a sesame seed brought to the region by enslaved West Africans and historically used in everything from cooking oil to stews, and Guinea corn, a variety of flint corn used for grits and cornbread, which ties back to early grain milling practices in the region.

Dennis prioritizes Black-owned farms and independent growers, keeping traditional knowledge in circulation and ensuring these foodways remain part of daily life in Charleston.

The Bite

At the Signature Dinner, Dennis served a series of dishes, each deliciously embedded with meaning. The centerpiece, Rice + Fush, layered local seafood atop a scoop of cornflower-blue rice, a combination rooted in the flavors and history of the Gullah Geechee.

Starting with the name of the dish: “fush” references the Creole-inflected Gullah Geechee pronunciation of “fish,” a reminder that food and language evolve together.

Seafood serves as the base of the dish. Shrimp, oysters, and fish come from the same waters that have fed Gullah Geechee communities for generations. Stewed garlic shrimp, simmered in a broth that seeps into the rice, recalls the one-pot meals of Lowcountry cooking. Roasted oysters, integral to both historical and modern cooking in Charleston, pays homage to oyster roasts integral to coastal gatherings.

Carolina Gold rice built the wealth of the Lowcountry, but the Gullah Geechee people shaped its legacy. Enslaved Africans brought West African rice-growing expertise, making large-scale cultivation possible. After emancipation, Gullah Geechee communities kept those traditions alive, passing down growing techniques and cooking methods even as commercial production faded. Dennis rolls the rice in butterfly pea flower, turning it deep blue for a striking presentation.

Origin Story

Chef Benjamin “BJ” Dennis was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Growing up, he learned from his grandparents about eating from the land, an ethos that naturally emphasizes eating locally and seaonally.

He spent a year at College of Charleston where he studied business. However, he worked in Charleston’s kitchens as a dishwasher where he discovered an affinity — and preference — for professional cooking.

During that period, he spent time in book stores devouring all the cookbooks he could find that included recipes from his ancestors. One book that resonated most was Charleston Receipts, a Junior League cookbook featuring recipes passed down for 300-years. Every chapter started with a Gullah phrase.

Dennis transferred to Trident Technical College, where he shifted his focus to culinary arts. He gained experience working at notable Charleston establishments such as Hyman’s Seafood, 82 Queen, Anson’s, and Hank’s Seafood. ​

In 2004, Dennis ventured to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to study Caribbean culinary traditions for four years. This experience informed his decision to focus on the food of the Gullah Geechee, creating menus around what his ancestors ate.​

After returning to Charleston, Dennis became a driving force in the local food scene, hosting pop-up dinners and events that highlighted the ingredients and history of Gullah Geechee cuisine. He uses his platform to educate others about its West African roots and lasting impact on Southern cooking. His dedication has earned national recognition, including a feature on Netflix’s High on the Hog.