Netflix
Inspired by the book by culinary historian and author, Dr Jessica B Harris, production duo Fabienne Toback and Karis Jagger adapted High on the Hog as their first full-length documentary. The four-episode docuseries takes the viewers on a journey with food writer, Stephen Satterfield as he learns about and connects with his roots and ancestors, whose skills and innovation transformed American cuisine. His mission is to, ‘understand where we come from, in order to understand ourselves.’
Stephen’s exploration starts in West Africa including Ganvie, the village whose surrounding waters warded off slave owners, and Ouidah where slaves were marched along the red road toward the slave ships to be taken from their homeland, to the shores of Charleston South Carolina where they arrived, were sold off on auction blocks, and despite their enslavement, created their own cuisine based on the rich flavors of home with the off cuts in the states, to Philadelphia with the founding chefs, slaves Hercules Caesar and James Hemings, who cooked at the President’s house and thereby became America’s first celebrity chefs even though no photos exists of either man, to the entrepreneurs and oystermen like Thomas Downing in New York and in Staten Island’s south shore, Sandy Ground, and finally to Texas to celebrate Juneteenth and ride with the Black cowboys and the Northeastern Trail Riders.
The layers of history really begin to be peeled back half-way through the first episode, especially gripping and powerful through the end of the premiere (demanding to be rewatched–I did so three times), and continuing to unfold stories throughout the series.
High on the Hog is so powerful, I will continue to think on the resilience, endurance, and courage revealed, and dig into the chefs and stories featured for weeks to come. No series has opened my eyes so much. I’m thrilled to hear a second season has been green lit, I have a voracious appetite to learn more from Stephen and his explorations, uncovering a once fragmented history spanning cuisine, culture, and community.