High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America

This extraordinary TV series available on Netflix examines the influence African American cuisine has had on the American diet, but also the history of the food. For a foodie like myself, I binged the entire series in a day, as it was absolutely fascinating.

High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America explores the history of food and how it has influenced America in so many ways. Many food traditions that are embraced by all families around the United States have early beginnings that are traced and discussed in detail in this series. 

The humble Mac and Cheese, this dish was created by the chef of Thomas Jefferson, James Hemings, who was a slave and person of color who studied cooking in France. Hemings loved to cook and was renowned for his culinary expertise, so when he created the macaroni and cheese pie, it became a favorite of the Jefferson household and is an early version of the American staple.

Robert Bogle and the Dutrieuille family were catering legends from Philadelphia, receiving their independence following the proclamation of emancipation, they set about creating amazing dishes for wealthy families in Philadelphia. The popularity of their dishes grew and both these families are credited with establishing the first catering businesses in America.

Oysters are a staple of New York City, but the King of Oysters, Thomas Downing, made them fashionable and is credited with making them popularity across the entire city. Thomas Downing, the son of slaves, cultivated the mollusk and sold it to the likes of Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria.

The red velvet cake is loved across America but the origins of this delicious cake can be associated with the celebrations of Juneteenth. The color red is a humble reminder of the blood that was spilled to achieve independence for African Americans. But the original red velvet cake was colored with beets, so the cake was layers of chocolate and the beet colored chocolate cake covered with a maple and cream cheese frosting, very different to the bright red concoction that is available today.

Stephen Satterfield presents this captivating series and explores the African American cuisine from the influences from Africa all the way to the origins of the Texas BBQ.

This series is based off the book by Jessica Harris, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America. But what is also remarkable is that the entire series was produced by an entire Black creative team. Fabienne Toback, Karis Jagger, Roger Ross Williams, Yoruba Richen and Jonathan Clasberry and the creative minds behind the thought provoking series.

A series of this nature has come along at the perfect time as it will make the viewing public aware of the cultural influences of food in America. As there are so many aspects of African American culture that need to be explored and discussed. But what is so engaging about this series is that it captivates the audience with these incredible dishes, many that we associate with American culture. But it is remarkable to see how heavily the African American culture has influenced modern American cooking and it is timely that it is finally getting credit where credit is long overdue.

High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America is currently available on Netflix.