Addicted to Black Sugar

Article and Photography by ROBERT K. WRIGHT

Soft.

Buttery.

Airy.

Sweet.

Addictive.

THESE ARE WORDS DESCRIBING A NEW KIND OF COOKIE THAT IS MADE IN NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. BLACK SUGAR TEA CAKES ARE A DELICACY THAT DATE BACK TO SLAVERY, AND MONROE’S BAKER KITA WRIGHT CONTINUES THE TRADITION WITH A RECIPE FEATURING A FEW ADDED STEPS, WHICH HE HOLDS AS TOP SECRET INFORMATION. HIS CUSTOMERS TAKE ONE BITE OF THE SOFT, SWEET TREATS, AND THEY ARE BACK ORDERING MORE. WRIGHT’S LOVE FOR COOKING BEGAN AT HOME AND IN HIS HIGH SCHOOL HOME ECONOMICS CLASS.

A YOUNG BAKER
A native of Monroe, Kita began his career in baking at Carroll High School. He took cooking and sewing under Mrs. Billie Creed in the mid-1990s and discovered his passion for cookies.

“I was trying out a tea cake recipe in high school. They were a bit hard but tasty. Back then, I wasn’t selling them, just giving them away to friends,” he said. Although he attributes his formal education in the kitchen to Creed, he also had to learn cooking to earn his cooking merit badge in the Boy Scouts. Ironically, he didn’t like cooking.

“I had to get that cooking merit badge and that was one of the worst ones, because I had to cook. I don’t like cooking. I’ll bake, but I don’t like cooking,” Wright said. He said occasionally he will bake wings or grill a steak, but that’s the limit to his cooking.

WHAT IS A TEA CAKE?
Tea cakes are an ethnic culinary treat that dates back to American slavery. On plantations, the slaveowner’s mistress would host socials in her parlor with edible treats to rival that of English cookies served with tea. However, lacking the same ingredients, the slaves made their cakes with molasses and lard. They were nothing like today’s “cakes” which have evolved over two centuries of tried and true practice.

Poet Maya Angelou referred to “tea cookies” in her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In her book, she speaks of a sophisticated woman in town named Mrs. Flowers. Mrs. Flowers bakes the cakes for her as she invites Maya over for a chat. Angelou (Marguerite) is captivated by the aroma and the “sweet scent of vanilla” as Mrs. Flowers opens the door. She was served tea cookies and lemonade.

Wright said that he, like Angelou, has always had a liking for tea cakes.
“I like them. It was something I was going to eat whether anyone else liked them or not. So, I made what I like to eat,” he said.

He said that his mother, Joslyn Wright, was also a good cook at home, and she made them.

“My mom made tea cakes. I based my recipe on hers. Today when she eats mine, she says that mine are good but don’t taste like her recipe,” Wright said. He jokingly laughed at her satisfactory response to the taste of his cookies. He said that with a sneaky smile on his face that he tells his mother “I know they don’t, because I tweaked your recipe.”

STRUGGLE TO GET THE “WRIGHT” RECIPE
Kita said that the first batch of cookies were not as soft as they are today, and lots of practice and experimentation with the recipe helped it evolve.

“The cookies were coming out hard then soft. Over the years, I played around with the ingredients and methods. I would give the cookies out to friends. I wasn’t selling them, but I would take their input and feedback, then go back and make changes,” he said.

He said that crafting the perfect tea cake took a lot of supplies to refine the sweet and buttery taste customers enjoy today.

“Oh gosh. It was quite a challenge to get the right thickness but still have it soft and airy. I had to figure out what was missing. I’ve wasted lots of flour, sugar and butter, and adjusting the oven temperature over and over again, to get it right. But that comes with any experiment. There’s always going to be waste,” he said.

KITA WEARS LOTS OF HATS
As a youth, Kita had many odd jobs. He could always be found with a set of keys on his side, which gave him a sense of duty. Today as an adult, he continues to juggle a few professions, ranging from videographer, photographer, and graphic designer, in addition to serving as a voluntary officer with the Monroe Marshals Office. Yet, he never envisioned being in the baking business. That idea actually came from a friend a few years ago.

“I just liked making them (tea cakes). It didn’t start out as a business venture. Then someone suggested that I sell them. I really didn’t have time to get involved with selling tea cakes, but I gave it a shot, just to see what would happen,” he explained. It was a hit, and Kita’s Black Sugar Tea Cakes have been a baking success.

SWEET ADDICTION
Kita said that the name “Black Sugar” is not racially motivated or tied to any historical reference to the cookies. He mentioned that he came up with the name after watching the movie, “American Gangster,” starring Denzel Washington. The movie depicts the life of Harlem gangster Frank Lucas and his drug trade of which was highly addictive. Lucas called his product “Blue Magic.”

“I thought, you know what, since my tea cakes are so addictive, then I’ll just call mine ‘Black Sugar.’ Like his product, everyone is going to get hooked on my cookies,” he joked.

A sweet addiction it has been! Wright said that he has had many wild experiences with customers trying to get access to his tasty treats.

“One woman calls me literally begging for them. Some people have wanted to barter services for them, and some even pay in advance for large quantities,” he said. Kita said that his product has been referred to as a lifesaver or even “crack” cookies. One happy customer called and said that her husband was feeling down, but when he had Black Sugar Tea Cakes, it lifted his spirits.

Recently, 4th Judicial District Attorney Steve Tew put in an order for 8,000 tea cakes and gave them out complimentary to area nurses during Nurse’s Appreciation Week.

MORE TO COME
Kita continues to diversify his brand by adding new flavors and meeting demands of his growing customer base. He sells his product online and locally.

“We have six flavors of tea cakes including original, almond, lemon, coconut, maple and banana. I may concoct a new flavor for the holidays, but right now it’s just those six,” he said.

You never know where you might see Kita around town. But one thing is for sure, after a long day’s work, he’ll be back in his baker’s shop concocting another batch of his brand of Black Sugar Tea Cakes, ever keeping his customers satisfied, addicted, and wanting more.