Diaspora Food Stories

The Global Food and Drink Initiative
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Food
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Diaspora Food Stories podcast explores the stories behind the creators from the African Diaspora, furthering the mission of The Global Food and Drink Initiative to connect Black people through food, drink, and travel. Listeners will enjoy conversations that go deep into the history and origins of our foods and how they have shaped cultures, communities, and the world. In addition, Diaspora Food Stories is the first food podcast to offer these stories in the native tongue of our guests, thereby adding another important element to the preservation of our food and drink stories; the language in which they are introduced.

  1. May 28

    Restaurateur and Innovator Chef Russell Jackson

    NYC-based chef Russell Jackson doesn't do things like others when it comes to his work and how he looks at food.  The industry veteran of 49 years has worked in some of the best restaurants from West to East and also developed his own concepts in between to present food the way he feels it should be; in its simplest form, yet delicious. We're talking with him in this 2-part series that starts in California and ends with the soon to be opening of Unity Market and Reverence Phoenix in New York's iconic Central Park on June 20. Along with sharing his story, he is sharing his vision for the next chapter of his impressive culinary career.  Enjoy part 1 and then come (June 10) as we release part 2.  You can also follow his work on social media and support his upcoming projects with a donation. LISTEN AND CONNECT Website Instagram

    1h 8m

  2. Apr 30

    International Creole Food Festival Founder Jean-Charles Bertrand

    (As part of our work to present food cultures of the African diaspora through language, this episode is available in French only. However, you can read about the upcoming The Sommet & Festival International des Chefs Créoles in Reunion on Cuisine Noir). Ceci est un épisode spécial du podcast de Diaspora Food Stories en Français avec l'animatrice invitée Madalena Pedro Miala en conversation avec Jean-Charles Bertrand, restaurateur et fondateur du Sommet & Festival International des Chefs Créoles, le premier festival culinaire créole de la Réunion qui aura lieu entre le 22 mai – 24 mai. La Réunion est peut-être une nouvelle destination pour beaucoup, mais elle a une histoire vaste et puissante qui prendra le devant de la scène grâce à la nourriture dans moins d'un mois.  Au cours de cet épisode, Jean-Charles partage ce qui fait de la Réunion une île à découvrir et explorer, ainsi que comment la diversité de ses habitants a non seulement façonné la culture, mais aussi la façon dont la nourriture porte l'histoire et les traditions, en particulier la cuisine créole. Avec des chefs venant d'Europe, des Caraïbes et d'autres régions intermédiaires, Jean-Charles nous présente les points forts de l'événement qui ajouteront et feront monter la Réunion sur votre liste de voyage. Écouter et se connecter Site web Instagram Article connexe de Cuisine Noir Reunion Island Creole Gastronomy With Its First Creole Food Festival

    57 min

  3. Apr 15

    Cultural Curator, Filmmaker and Author Zella Palmer

    Zella Palmer, is an author, professor, filmmaker, curator, scholar and the Chair and Director of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture in New Orleans, Louisiana. Palmer is committed to documenting and preserving the legacy African American, Creole, Indigenous and LatinX culinary history. As the Chair of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program, Palmer filmed and produced the Story of New Orleans Creole Cooking: The Black Hand in the Pot documentary.  In 2020, under Palmer's leadership, Dillard University launched a Food Studies Minor at Dillard University. Her latest publications, Recipes and Remembrances of Fair Dillard: 1869-2019 (University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press) and James Beard Foundation Semi-Finalist (U.S. Foodways) Ed Mitchell's Barbeque (Harper Collins, June 2023) shares some of her rich research and she released her latest documentary Grenada to the World in August 2025.  Zella is extending her legacy through her work advising higher education institutions, museums, and tourism ministries on integrating artificial intelligence while safeguarding culture, memory, and human meaning. In alignment with her professional work, she is also studying to become an herbal physician, answering a deeply ancestral calling. LISTEN AND CONNECT Website Instagram (Zella) Instagram (Dillard)

    1h 29m

  4. Feb 25

    Chef Instructor and Author Sheri Raleigh

    Sheri Raleigh is a prominent chef Instructor and the owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC, based in Waco, Texas. She has made significant contributions to the culinary world as the founder of the Gifts From The Ancestors Foodways Project and the author of two notable works, "Okra & Tomatoes" and "Creole Celebrations." With a rich background in cross-cultural education, Sheri offers community cooking classes across various sectors, including education, hospitality, and healthcare. Her business, Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, is dedicated to delivering "culinary edutainment" and fostering team-building experiences, with a particular focus on Creole cuisine. She is also the founder of the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Hospitality Scholarship in honor of her parents at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, which is current accepting donations to ensure it is fully endowed by the end of this year.  LISTEN AND CONNECT Website Instagram and Facebook Learn more and donate to the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Hospitality Scholarship.

    55 min

  5. Feb 12

    Gullah Geechee Singer and Cultural Artist Zabriel Rivers

    Zabriel Rivers is a Gullah Geechee singer, cultural artist, and educator celebrated for his "soaring voice and magnetic stage presence that brings both spiritual depth and storytelling brilliance." Hailing from St. Helena Island in South Carolina, Zabriel shares the language, stories, and songs of his heritage that inspire audiences while ensuring that the living legacy of Gullah Geechee music continues to thrive through his program, "A Gullah Evening with Zabriel." He stops by to raise awareness about the continued fight of Gullah Geechee communities to keep their land and the life they know from developers who aim to erase and benefit from generational land stewardship. Listen and Connect Website Instagram Related Article from Cuisine Noir Gullah Geechee Cooking: Savannah's Gina Capers-Willis Keeps Family Traditions Alive

    33 min

  6. 09/04/2025

    Creole Food Festival Co-Founder Fabrice Armand

    Fabrice Armand is the founder of TRIB Marketing Agency and the co-founder of the Creole Food Festival, the only Creole cultural festival taking place in four cities while connecting the American South, the Caribbean, Latin America, South America and South America. Born and raised in Haiti, Fabrice came to the U.S. as a teenager and in college began connecting to the work of building community. Through the Creole Food Festival, he is not only lifting the richness of Haitian Creole food and culture, but other unifying Creole cultures one event at a time. Listen and Connect Website Instagram Related Article from Cuisine Noir The Creole Food Festival Unifies Through Culture and Taste

    1 hr

  7. 04/30/2025

    Award-Winning Somali Author and Entrepreneur Hawa Hassan

    Hawa Hassan was born in Somalia and left before the age of six due to conflict in the country. As a refugee in Kenya with her mother and siblings, Hawa would later receive an opportunity to leave the country at the age of seven and relocate to Seatle, Washington where she would complete her schooling before moving to New York to pursue a career in modeling. After a years of modeling, successfully, she began to look at her life differently and time visiting her family in Norway where they now lived, set her on the course of using food as a way to connect with loved ones and create a space to bring people of diverse backgrounds together. As a James Beard Award-winning author for her cookbook, "In Bibi's Kitchen," she is set to release her sophmore book project "Setting a Place For Us, where she sheds light on the importance of preserving recipes and food traditions in places of conflict and migration.  Listen and Connect Website Instagram Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Episode Sponsor Hayti

    45 min

  8. 04/09/2025

    Ustawi Afrika Founder Doreen Irungu

    Doreen Irungu is the founder of Ustawi Afrika, an amazing organization that trains women farmers around food sovereignty and sustainability.  To date, her organization  has worked with thousands of women and continues to champion women's contributions to agriculture in Kenya. Her work has transformed the livelihoods of over 10,000 women farmers, significantly improving food security, economic independence, and resilience to climate change across Kenya's semi-arid regions. Born in rural Kenya to parents who are coffee farmers, Doreen saw first-hand the hard work and also the impact of farming and its ability to put food on the table and support additional needs of families such as education. These early experiences helped to shape how she wanted to build and help communities, especially women farmers. She is also a co-author of the book, "We Took a Risk," a book highlighting the bold steps women take to create transformative change in business and leadership. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Episode Sponsor Hayti

    1h 17m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Diaspora Food Stories podcast explores the stories behind the creators from the African Diaspora, furthering the mission of The Global Food and Drink Initiative to connect Black people through food, drink, and travel. Listeners will enjoy conversations that go deep into the history and origins of our foods and how they have shaped cultures, communities, and the world. In addition, Diaspora Food Stories is the first food podcast to offer these stories in the native tongue of our guests, thereby adding another important element to the preservation of our food and drink stories; the language in which they are introduced.

Information

  • Creator
    The Global Food and Drink Initiative
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2022
  • Show Website
    Diaspora Food Stories