Prosperity Market Is a Hub for Black-Owned Food Businesses

Prosperity Market, a farmers market in Los Angeles supporting Black chefs and food producers, has been growing a dynamic platform and community for small business owners over the last three years. It launched in 2021 in the wake of the protests over the murder of George Floyd, when longtime friends makeup artist Carmen Dianne and fashion designer Kara Still felt inspired to boost economic opportunities for Black entrepreneurs. 

The physical version of Prosperity Market features over 30 Black-owned businesses, selling everything from pizza and hot sauce to fresh produce, pies, and plants. It’s held several times a year — usually in February for Black History Month and August for Black Business Month — in various locations around L.A. The next one will be on September 1 at Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen’s Slauson location. 

Dianne and Still are also building a 48-foot trailer that will debut as a mobile farmers market later this year. But if you live outside of the L.A. area, you still can take advantage of the market. Many of the vendors sell their products year-round on Prosperity Market’s website.

Here are a few of our favorites, available to be shipped nationwide. 

At the heart of Los Angeles soul food restaurant Alta Adams are its chefs-owners Keith Corbin and 1997 F&W Best New Chef Daniel Patterson, who have created a vibrant community space with reimagined comfort food. Alta has also garnered a devout following for its pantry staples, like barbecue and hot sauces. Its smoked safflower oil, naturally perfumed in a barbecue smoker, laces some of the restaurant’s most popular sides like collard greens and seasonal vegetables with an irresistible umami. At home, it can be used as a finishing and cooking oil, imparting extra oomph to steak, pork roast, and fish. ($14 for 8 fl oz.)

Documentary filmmaker Rhasaan Nichols already had a passion for storytelling when he founded California Coffee Company in 2020. He used the beverage as a tool to broaden the conversation on how enslaved Black people and farmers had long been part of the coffee industry. Nichols discovered Saan Sumatra, his favorite single-origin beans from Indonesia, when he sampled over 30 roasts in the company’s early days. This medium roast with hints of chocolate and tobacco is the perfect way to start the day. ($20 for 12 oz.)

Sustainababe is the next wave in vanilla extract. Owner Beau Beatrix hand-processes vanilla beans, adds a pod to each bottle to further enhance its flavor, and mixes them in small batches in robust flavors like bourbon and rum. While a basic supermarket version may simply consist of vanilla beans and alcohol, Sustainababe’s popular spiced option is punched up with ingredients like star anise, cardamom, and rainbow pepper — a superb complement to baking, oatmeal, coffee, and even making soaps and candles. ($20 for 2 fl. oz. and $30 for 4 fl. oz.)

One of the most popular products comes from Tranquilitea, a hand-blended, loose-leaf tea maker with ingredients sourced from local herbalists and BIPOC farmers. Radiance, a light and earthy steep fragranced with vanilla rooibos, is a combination of organic herbs that include fenugreek, dandelion, cardamom, and rose petals. Owner Nikkia Johnson fell in love with making her own teas after searching for natural ways to ease her through during an arduous pregnancy. With Radiance, she aims for the medley to promote a healthy gut and decrease inflammation. ($22.99 for 2 oz. and $29.99 for 4 oz.)

Testimony Seasoning from My Daddy’s Recipes company channels Cajun-inspired flavors in its mix of nutritional yeast, cashews, sunflower seeds, coconut, garlic, basil, and peppers. This versatile vegan spice makes everything from pasta to popcorn sing. Owner and chef Nekia Hatley, who learned how to cook Southern food from her father, pivoted to a plant-based diet while coping with endometriosis. Now a vegan chef, she offers pre-made meals, including soups and cobblers, and packaged seasoning. ($12 for 12 oz.)