Who should we thank for some of our most beloved local dishes, like shrimp and grits, collard greens and Hoppin' John? The Gullah Geechee. There are several eateries in Jacksonville making an intentional effort to preserve the foodways of the Gullah Geechee people. Photo by Sindy Gonzalez. The Gullah Geechee (also known as simply Gullah or Geechee, depending on the region) are the descendants of West and Central Africans enslaved on the plantations of the Lowcountry, the coas