Netflix's High On The Hog Just Received An Impressive Honor
Okra, yams, and black-eyed peas are just some of the many ingredients that have transcended time and place when it comes to African-American foodways. While many are struggling to find themselves in food media, the Netflix series "High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America" is making strides to fill this gap in food history. Receiving high praise from all sorts of media outlets, the series is racking up nominations and awards, including one especially impressive title.
Exploring the history and relevance of Black food culture, "High on the Hog" is a four-part documentary that expands on the research of culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris, notes Eater. Traveling from Africa to South Carolina, the journey chronicles Stephen Satterfield as he meets with chefs, authors, historians, and food experts to investigate the ingredients and dishes that were introduced by Africans and later popularized in American culture.
While there has often been a lack of diversity and representation in mainstream food media, as noted by The Atlantic, there has been a push in recent years to give credit where it is due, which is why media that highlights and validates history is so important.
High on the Hog Receives a Peabody Award
Established in 1940, the Peabody Awards are an annual celebration created to recognize powerful stories that shed light on social issues while remaining entertaining and inspiring. This year marks the 82nd Annual Peabody Awards, and among the first round of winners, is "High on the Hog." With an insightful validation of the countless contributions of African Americans to food culture, the title was presented by John Legend, and accepted by the series' director and executive producer, Roger Ross Williams.
"Being nominated would've been an honor enough but this one mattered so much to me," explained Williams. "In making the series, we wanted to really create a balance between the hardship and sorrow of these untold stories but also the courage and the artistry and the resourcefulness of African-Americans."
The series also won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary (Television) and an African-American Film Critics Association Award Winner for Best Docuseries. It has also earned nominations for a Black Reel Award, Cinema Eye Honors Award, and an IDA Documentary Award.