What Is ‘High On The Hog’ On Netflix About?

High On The Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America is a brand new four-part docuseries on Netflix which explores and celebrates black contributions to global food and culture. The show considers how much of what we consider American cuisine today was influenced by African American culture, through generations of enslavement and the fight for equal civil rights.

Hosted by Stephen Satterfield, who takes viewers back through time to the tiny West African country of Benin where it all began to present day America, the powerful series aims to have a lasting impact.

What does that phrase “high on the hog” even mean? Who stars in the series? We have all the answers. Here’s everything you need to know, including our full review of High On The Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.

WHAT IS HIGH ON THE HOG: HOW AFRICAN AMERICAN CUISINE TRANSFORMED AMERICA ON NETFLIX ABOUT?

The series explores African American culinary history though the lens of experts in the field who bring light to the significance of black contributions to some of your favorite American dishes that many of us eat on a regular basis. Thus far, the analytical food series has had an overwhelmingly positive response from viewers.

WHAT DOES THE PHRASE “HIGH ON THE HOG” MEAN?

The phrase literally originates from the hog and was originally just a food term as the best meat from pork is said to be from its back and upper legs. In the 9th century, when the phrase first originated, anyone who was well off could eat the “high parts” of the hog. According to The Idioms, the present form of the phrase was used in 1946 in a newspaper called the Call Bulletin and was popularized in 1920s by the New York Times, which was blaming wealthy people who ate high up the hog to be the cause of increasing inflation at the time.

WHO STARS IN HIGH ON THE HOG: HOW AFRICAN AMERICAN CUISINE TRANSFORMED AMERICA ON NETFLIX?

As stated above, Stephen Satterfield, the founder of Whetstone magazine — a media outlet dedicated to food origins and culture from around the world — is the host of the Netflix original series. According to the Whetstone website, Satterfield has spent his career, which began in 2007, redefining food and beverage as a means of organizing, activating and educating.

Satterfield, who has become one of the most prominent and respected voices in U.S. food media, was a sommelier and social entrepreneur promoting wine as a catalyst for socioeconomic development for Black wine workers in South Africa, prior to his career in media.

The series also features Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Omar Tate, BJ Dennis, Toni Tipton-Martin and Michael Twitty.

HOW TO WATCH HIGH ON THE HOG: HOW AFRICAN AMERICAN CUISINE TRANSFORMED AMERICA ON NETFLIX:

You are currently able to stream High On The Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America on Netflix, but you will need a subscription to the platform—or at least a login from a friend—to watch the series.

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor

Stream High On The Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America on Netflix