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It was her sister鈥檚 glowing recommendation that first convinced Carol Lamar to watch 鈥淗igh on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.鈥� Released May 26, the Netflix series explores the origins of African American cuisine, sparking dialogue in the Black community and across racial lines. And when the owner of The Love Inspired, a holistic health company, tuned in to watch, she was pleased to discover how truthfully the series depicted the nuance of Black history.聽

鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of division and disconnect from American culture [recently]. But this show really affirmed how much American culture really is African American culture,鈥� says Ms. Lamar.

鈥淗igh on the Hog鈥� illuminates how Black ingenuity is intrinsic to many American dishes. The series furthers what many Black culinary historians have been doing for decades: It credits the resourcefulness of enslaved Black people for some of America鈥檚 most celebrated foods. By doing so, the series offers a guide for understanding racial history through food.聽

鈥淗igh on the Hog鈥� shows how African Americans not only created eats like macaroni and cheese and American barbecue, but were also instrumental in the popularization of okra, black-eyed peas, hibiscus, yams, peanuts, watermelon, oysters, and many other foods considered American staples, especially in the South.聽

鈥淚 believe food is a good way to connect to other people. And we need a lot of connection in the world today,鈥� says Adrian Miller, a James Beard Award-winning author and certified barbecue judge, who was a consultant on the show.聽

The show does precisely that; it connects stories of people making a variety of food in the West African country of Benin, a stronghold for the transatlantic slave trade, to regions across the United States. Host Stephen Satterfield dissects everything from the food history of Gullah culture and cuisine to the Black families carrying on the traditions of America鈥檚 first caterers.聽

鈥淲hen we talk about the African American influence on American cuisine, we鈥檙e talking about 400 years of history,鈥� Mr. Miller remarks. 鈥淪outhern food, soul food, Creole food, Gullah cuisine, low country food, we鈥檙e talking about the ingredients and techniques of Western Africa, Western Europe, and also the Americas all coming together several centuries ago. Because of the racial dynamic, enslaved Africans were often the cooks.鈥�

The show leaves no cultural touchstones unturned, and viewers are coming away with lots to research. Mr. Miller says the show has inspired Black Americans to do their own investigations about their heritage. Books from various culinary authors, some nearly a decade old, are getting more attention since the series, he says. People are utilizing what they鈥檙e learning, and the show is sparking conversations.聽

鈥淗igh on the Hog鈥� viewer Christin Ivy, an actress at Tre Floyd Productions in Atlanta, watched the show with her partner. She says the series reinforced a lot of things she already knew and felt about Black history.

鈥淎 lot of the times the argument is African Americans don鈥檛 have a culture,鈥� Ms. Ivy says. 鈥淏ut we do have a culture. It is woven into food. It is woven into every way of life. There are parts of it that have never been lost. I鈥檓 hoping we can continue as a people to just learn more about that part of ourselves. We have to remember who we are.鈥澛�

But inevitably, in reckoning with African American history, Black people are faced with their own present-day struggles.聽

鈥淔or the last couple of decades, Southern food and barbecue have been very popular,鈥� Mr. Miller explains. 鈥淏ut in terms of storytelling about these cuisines ... when people of color did this cooking, it was just viewed as work. But [for] white people, it鈥檚 viewed as craft. And 鈥榗raft鈥� can make a whole lot of money.鈥澛�

In having an all-Black creative team, 鈥淗igh on the Hog鈥� can depict Black culture and history with agency, as the makers of the series have the lived experience to tell the stories. This is increasingly important for many Black viewers who look to see African Americans both on and off the screen. Still, experts like Mr. Miller stress that America has a long way to go before generational woes are fully addressed.

For many Black viewers of the series, the more research they do about their history, the more it aligns with the present, Mr. Miller suggests. Some viewers wonder what to do after watching 鈥淗igh on the Hog鈥� and being educated about the disregard that Black cuisine often faces. But the genesis of the series itself can provide insight.聽

Culinary historians have grown concerned that African American food will, quite literally, get swallowed up by Americans without the respect or acknowledgment that other cuisines are given. Some experts wonder if clearer definitions of Black cuisine are necessary for it to be respected.

鈥淲e need to begin to establish some regulations about what [African American cuisine] is,鈥� says Dr. Jessica Harris, author of the book 鈥淗igh on the Hog,鈥� which inspired the series. 鈥淲hen we talk about mac and cheese, does it have to have elbow pasta? Could it have pappardelle and still be mac and cheese?鈥� she asks. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like [Jamaican] jerk. People can call pretty much anything jerk because we鈥檝e never really defined it. It鈥檚 steamed over pimento wood, which is now endangered in Jamaica, so they鈥檙e smoking it over logwood. But what does that mean if you鈥檙e doing it up here in a kitchen where you were not thinking about logwood or pimento wood? Is it still jerk?鈥�

While defining centuries-old cultures seems like a massive undertaking, some viewers say the need is rooted in African American pride.

鈥淒espite all the things that were thrown at our ancestors, we鈥檙e still here,鈥� Mr. Miller says. No matter how much Black people have endured or will endure, 鈥渢here is always a kernel. A nugget, a nubbin of joy in everything,鈥� Dr. Harris affirms. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 called soul food; it reflects something deeper, she says.

To experts and viewers alike, the show demonstrates the enduring resilience of African Americans and their ability to shine through periods of immense challenges.聽

鈥淚 felt really joyful,鈥� Ms. Lamar says after having watched the series. 鈥淚t made me feel better as a Black American woman, and not many things make me feel proud to be American. This show reminded me that to be American, you have to include the story of the Black Americans.鈥�