High on the Hog’: The major role of African Americans in shaping US cuisine

The concept of American food can be a little difficult to define, but we can probably agree on a few staples such as Apple pie, macaroni and cheese, and barbeque. These foods, and so many others, aren’t just quintessentially American. They’re also deeply rooted in the experience of African Americans — going all the way back to the arrival of the first slaves from Africa.

The way that Black Americans transformed our food — way beyond just Southern cooking — is often overlooked if not totally ignored. But no longer, thanks to the new Netflix series “High on the Hog.” It’s hosted by food writer Stephen Satterfield, who spent more than a decade working as a sommelier before founding Whetstone, a magazine and media company dedicated to exploring the origins of food and culture.