It seems fitting, on Juneteenth, to talk about “High on the Hog,” a Netflix documentary that highlights how African and Black food culture underpins much of modern American cuisine. The 4-episode series is based on the book of the same name by noted food historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris and features Atlanta-based chef and cookbook author Steven Satterfield as he travels in African and through the U.S., speaking with chefs, historians (including Dr. Harris), and other experts about slavery, the African food diaspora, and culinary and cultural traditions that shape some of the foods we think of as iconically American.
As someone who has long been casually interested in food history, I thought this series was phenomenal. Although there aren’t any recipes, each episode provides a wealth of culinary and cultural history in an approachable format that revolves around casual conversations, meals and kitchen behind-the-scenes, all presented in the geographical context that frames the roots of a particular ingredient or culinary tradition.
“A lot of times our history is dark, or we view it as dark. But there was just so much beauty between the lines and I feel like menus and food is the synthesis that happens in between the lines, in between history.” Omar Tate, chef
The series also has an emotional heft that belies its brevity; it is a celebration of talent and craft that doesn’t look away from the pain underlying the notion of resilience. To me, the series’ greatest achievement is its ability to gently call out the erasure of African and Black contributions from this country’s historical narratives while remaining uplifting and hopeful. I cannot recommend this series enough.