Braided Heritage: Tracing the Roots of American Cuisine with Dr. Jessica B. Harris

Explore the deep cultural roots that shaped American food as we know it today. WAMC On the Road and CulinaryArts@SPAC present a special free community program featuring renowned culinary historian, James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame winner, and star of the Netflix docuseries High on the Hog, Dr. Jessica B. Harris.

Hosted by WAMC’s Joe Donahue, the conversation will draw from Harris’s decades of research across the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa, illuminating how Indigenous, European, and African traditions converged to form a uniquely American cuisine. Harris will also reflect on her distinguished career, including the creation of High on the Hog, the award-winning book adapted into a popular Netflix docuseries, and her latest work, Braided Heritage, which blends sweeping history with personal stories and recipes that bring this culinary legacy to life.

Preceding the discussion and Q&A, attendees can enjoy complimentary light bites, including Pan de Polvo (traditional cinnamon shortbread cookies) and La Colle (praline-like Creole candy), alongside a specialty non-alcoholic beverage. A book signing will follow.

This is a free event, but registration is required. Save your seat here

Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a selection of Dr. Harris’s books, including Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine and have them signed by the author.

Dr. Jessica B. Harris is the author, editor, and translator of seventeen books, including twelve cookbooks documenting the foods and foodways of the African diaspora. Her IACP Award–winning book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America has been adapted into a Netflix series. Harris is a professor emerita at Queens College/CUNY in New York and has written extensively for scholarly and popular publications. She served as the culinary consultant for the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture and their lauded restaurant, the Sweet Home Café. She holds lifetime achievement awards from the Southern Foodways Alliance, the Soul Summit, and the James Beard Foundation, which also inducted Harris into the Cookbook Hall of Fame.

Thank You To Our CulinaryArts@SPAC Sponsors & Supporters

Culinary Arts@SPAC is produced by Culinary Consultants Pam Abrams and Kevin London.