There are many ways to learn about history but thanks to a new series on Netflix called "High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America" there is one that is clearly more delicious than the rest.
This 4 part series is a documentary tracing the roots of some very American dishes and phrases back to their roots with the cultural influences of African Americans. And some were surprising.
Mac-n-Cheese? French Fries? Thank Thomas Jefferson's enslaved chef James Hemmings for popularizing those American staples. Even Texas BBQ has to give a nod to the 1-4 cowboys that were black. Even the term "Cowboy" itself comes from Black history.
Despite best being known for cotton, enslaved African Americans were responsible for supplying a huge portion of the rice exports to the colonial world. All while using their own ingenuity, cultural heritage, and determination to create foods from the scraps their white masters often didn't want.
From slavery, to Juneteenth, the White House to the Rodeo, this series clearly shows that African American history IS American history.