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jasonpatrickg's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
High on the Hog is everything it promises to be and more. A thorough history of Black America's culinary development from its African roots to its many-faceted present. I enjoyed this novel immensely, from its spot-on descriptions of food such that the flavors leapt from the page to the cutting and intensely-perceptive descriptions of America's true (and often overlooked) history. Fans of the TV show based on the book will enjoy, but be warned this is a lengthier, slower read (but is so worth it)!
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.5
This is an interesting exploration of Black cooking from pre-slavery to present day. The book is well-written and is accessible to common readers. It shows rather than tells about the ways food is important to communities and how tastes are shifted over time. I found it to be interesting and feel that most people who consider themselves foodies, activists, or both would be interested as well. The back of the book has several recipes from traditional Black cooks/cookbooks, some of which I’m planning to try at home this summer!
busboom's review against another edition
4.0
2 episodes in to the Netflix series based on this book, I couldn't resist picking up the Audible version.
It's a fascinating journey, and it's a good balance of scholarly information in a popular discourse. Harris's narration adds to that, I think, giving it an enjoyable, almost conversational aspect.
I have one quibble: Harris misstates Bobby Kennedy's assassination as occurring in 1967, prior to MLK's assassination in 1968. RFK was assassinated in June 1968, after MLK. Perhaps this has been fixed in subsequent Kindle/ebook editions.
It's a fascinating journey, and it's a good balance of scholarly information in a popular discourse. Harris's narration adds to that, I think, giving it an enjoyable, almost conversational aspect.
I have one quibble: Harris misstates Bobby Kennedy's assassination as occurring in 1967, prior to MLK's assassination in 1968. RFK was assassinated in June 1968, after MLK. Perhaps this has been fixed in subsequent Kindle/ebook editions.
soniapage's review against another edition
4.0
As much a history of African-Americans as a history of their food. Very interesting and informative. Includes recipes - some I might try.
ekb523's review against another edition
5.0
Combination of history, food, and culture - also loved watching the Netflix series alongside reading the book.
lfraczek's review against another edition
4.0
Very informative and interesting, but there was so much information it was hard to read more than a few pages a day.