High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America

High on the Hog traces African American culinary history from its roots in West Africa through slavery, Emancipation, and into modern times. Author Jessica B. Harris combines historical research, personal narrative, and food writing to document this journey. The book moves chronologically through key periods, examining how African Americans preserved and adapted their food traditions despite oppression and displacement. Harris includes profiles of Black chefs, food entrepreneurs, and other figures who shaped American cuisine, along with discussions of specific ingredients and dishes. Through food pathways and cooking traditions, Harris reveals connections between Africa and America that have endured for centuries. Her work makes an essential contribution to understanding how African American foodways became fundamental to American culture and identity.

Readers value the deep historical research and connections Harris draws between African and American foodways. Many reviewers note the book reads more like an academic text than a food memoir, with detailed accounts of slavery's impact on American cuisine. Readers appreciate: - Documentation of overlooked Black contributions to American cooking - Personal stories woven with historical facts - Clear timeline from Africa through slavery to present day Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - Limited recipes and food descriptions - Jumps between topics without smooth transitions Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (1,100+ ratings) "More history than food writing," notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads user writes: "Important information but dry delivery." Several readers mention watching the Netflix adaptation first, finding the book more scholarly and less engaging than the show.

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🍽️ Jessica B. Harris spent more than four decades researching and documenting African and African American foodways, traveling extensively through Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. 📚 The book's title refers to the practice of enslaved people receiving less desirable cuts of pork, while plantation owners kept the "high on the hog" premium cuts for themselves - a phrase that later evolved to mean living well. 🌱 Many staple ingredients in American cuisine, including black-eyed peas, okra, and watermelon, were brought to North America through the transatlantic slave trade. 👩‍🍳 Harris is one of the founding members of the Southern Foodways Alliance and was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's Hall of Fame in 2020. 🏛️ The book inspired a Netflix documentary series of the same name, hosted by food writer Stephen Satterfield, which premiered in 2021 and traces African American culinary history from Africa to Texas.