Heritage Cooking, High On The Hog, And Hunger …Thoughts

Last updated on: March 5, 2024 at 1:37 pm by Lilith Dorsey

Heritage Cooking, High On The Hog, And Hunger …Thoughts 2024-03-05T13:37:00-05:00 Lilith Dorsey

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Personally I have always been a proponent of heritage cooking, and also a big fan of Jessica B. Harris, so when I saw the new Netflix show High on the Hog: How African-American Cuisine Transformed America appeared, I was hungry to see what it would present. Based on Harris’ book of the same name the show traces a journey through both history and food.

There is a lot to unpack here, and I will start where the show does, as close as possible to the beginning. The series begins in Benin, a place which holds great cultural significance. It is here that we find the roots of Black cuisine: okra, yams, and much more. We find out how these delicious beginnings make the journey across the waters. For those interested in learning more I suggest checking out the documentaries In Search of Voodoo by Djimon Hounsou and From Brooklyn to Benin by Regine Roumain, one of our favorite filmmakers, who we profiled before here.

Jessica B. Harris is a James Beard lifetime award winner, and her book High on the Hog, has been serving up culinary realness for almost a decade. She has been profiled here on this blog before when we reviewed her book My Soul Looks Back. Harris has a delightful way of combining food histories with life herstories, and we’re here for it in every way.

An article in the New York Times titled “The Profound Significance of ‘High on the Hog‘” talks about the crew and their powerful mission ” The four-episode show was made by an intentionally Black creative team — itself a rarity in television. Fabienne Toback and Karis Jagger are executive producers. Roger Ross Williams is the primary director of the series, with Yoruba Richen and Jonathan Clasberry. It’s based on the 2011 book by the historian and prolific cookbook author Jessica B. Harris, “High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America,” and hosted by Stephen Satterfield, a food writer, former sommelier and trained chef who is also the founder of Whetstone Media. At the center of the series is the holistic experience of Black foodways, told for us, by us: our unique and complex migration, diverse customs, creativity and expertise on full display. Blending a cross section of stories that address land and ownership, preservation and innovation, from fine dining to the outdoor pit, “High on the Hog” is an energetic, emotional and deeply nuanced celebration of Black people and their food. It is also sorely overdue.”

We can not agree more, so often we see media like this dominated by white creatives who filter authentic black narratives, this is a refreshing change. And just as with a great meal I intend to savor every bite. I’m very pleased to see that a second season has been released. It was so fantastic we even dedicated an episode of our Pop Occulture vidcast to it. You can watch that here –

As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment, and share !

Food and Religion

About Lilith Dorsey

Lilith Dorsey M.A., hails from many magickal traditions, including Afro-Caribbean, Celtic, and Indigenous American spirituality. Their traditional education focused on Plant Science, Anthropology, and Film at the University of R.I, New York University, and the University of London, and their magickal training includes numerous initiations in Santeria also known as Lucumi, Haitian Vodoun, and New Orleans Voodoo. Lilith Dorsey is also a Voodoo Priestess and in that capacity has been doing successful magick since 1991 for patrons, is editor/publisher of Oshun-African Magickal Quarterly, filmmaker of the experimental documentary Bodies of Water :Voodoo Identity and Tranceformation,’ and choreographer/performer for jazz legend Dr. John’s “Night Tripper” Voodoo Show. They have long been committed to providing accurate and respectful information about the African Traditional Religions and are proud to be a published Black author of such titles as 55 Ways to Connect to Goddess, The African-American Ritual Cookbook, Love Magic, Orishas, Goddesses and Voodoo Queens, Water Magic and the newly re-released Voodoo and African Traditional Religion. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

January 30, 2024

Divination Space Station: Tarot of the Vampires

Next Post

March 19, 2024 Ostara Recipe: Lavender Pistachio Shortbread

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Ancestors astrology Candomble Crystals Divination Entertainment Goddess Herbs Hoodoo Ifa Pagan Ritual Recipes Santeria Spells Uncategorized Vodou Voodoo Witchcraft

Select a Month May 2025 January 2025 September 2024 August 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 September 2023 June 2023 March 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the main Christian group in Ethiopia called?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Baptist Pentecostal Assemblies of God