When it comes to African foods and the vast diaspora that these foods come from, few people are as knowledgeable as food historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris. Fortunately for viewers everywhere, Harris – who holds more Awards and achievements than can fit in a single sentence – brings their wealth of knowledge to a new original Netflix show called High on the pig: How African American Cuisine Changed America, that will debut on May 26th.
The documentary series, which comes from one of Harris’ many books of the same name, is, according to a press release, „partly a culinary show, partly a travelogue”. The show is hosted by Stephen Satterfield, the founder of whetstone, a magazine and media company that tells stories about food and its culture around the world. During the four-episode series, Satterfield begins „a vibrant and powerful culinary journey with chefs, historians and activists celebrating the courage, artistry and ingenuity of the African American people,” the press release reads.
Too often, food and travel shows fall back on the tired thing of Food As Unifier, a feel-good concept that, however, tends to eliminate and glaze over and glaze over issues such as racism, class differences and work that are so often the focus of attention ? This show appears to have set itself the goal of telling the complete and unadulterated story of „America’s deeply entrenched history of slavery and its impact on American food as we know it today.”
High on the pig Offers a history lesson from one of the country’s finest historians and one of its most respected food journalists, and promises to untangle and unpack these topics over beautiful West African stews, soul food, barbecue and gourmet dishes. The show, directed by Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams, is, according to the press release, „a story about the resilience, enduring creativity and crucial contribution of Black America to American cuisine.” A month seems like a long time to hit Netflix Show to wait, but if their previous work shows any signs of it, Harris and Satterfield will sure make the wait well worth the wait.
