Blackberry Sonker with Carrie

My dear friend and mentor, Carrie, is a yoga educator and life coach in Charlotte, NC. She is the co-creator of Explore and Expand, where she leads specially curated travel retreats in exciting locations across the globe (she co-hosts a highly entertaining podcast, too, by the way!) “Basically I feel like that’s why we’re here: to connect, and to let people know that they matter” 

Sonker is a baking traditional dish at the intersection of pie, cobbler, and crumble, which is unique to Surry County, NC, where Carrie is from. Usually made with a juicy berry (such as blackberries) or sweet potato, it has been covered by a number of media sources because of how special it is (including NYT and Our State). There’s even an annual Sonker Festival! For Carrie, it is so much part of the fabric of her family’s life that none of her relatives ever wrote down a recipe; they just know how to make it. 

Carrie grew up in Mount Airy, where no invitation was necessary to visit loved ones. In preparation for this podcast conversation, Carrie decided to make blackberry sonker for the first time, which required lots of research and reviewing of family traditions with various relatives. “It felt special and important and a way of honoring my Mema.” She resisted the urge to purchase versions of the ingredients she perceived as more nutritious, coming to decide that this was not the intention behind sonker. “The intention is to celebrate abundance and delight. When I make this dish, it will be infused with her love and her spirit.” She shared her memories about all the delicious treats available in the glass container at Mema and Pa’s house, and how she has come to appreciate these even more as an adult. 

We spoke more broadly about comfort food, and how food can be a way of expressing love and care to others. Carrie shared stories about the importance of this from her world travels. “Even when you don’t speak the same language with words, you can speak the same language of gratitude and appreciation and connection through that experience.” We also discussed the ways COVID-19 has only deepened her experiences of connection and resiliency.