Black Americans played a foundational role in shaping American cuisine. Still, their contributions have long been overlooked in mainstream food narratives and unknown to many — but that is beginning to change. Shows like Netflix’s High on the Hog and cookbooks like Toni Tipton-Martin’s Jubilee are two examples of how writers, chefs, and historians are working to tell the stories of African diasporic food traditions in the U.S. In that spirit, here are seven Black inventors and pioneers who transformed the way we eat and drink, whether or not you realize it:
1.
Steve Henson, creator of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
Ranch: America’s favorite dressing for lettuce, chicken, and even pizza. It was invented in the late 1940s by Steve Henson, a plumbing contractor in Alaska who often made meals to fuel his construction crewmates during the workday. The special buttermilk, mayo, and sour cream dressing he served on salads was a favorite of the crew. Years later, that dressing recipe went on to sell in a business deal worth $60 million dollars today.
Steve Henson had an entrepreneurial spirit, which led him and his wife Gayle to leave Alaska and the plumbing industry to buy a ranch in southern California. They named the ranch “Hidden Valley” and opened the ranch to guests, hosting parties where they served dinner and, once again, Steve made his crowd-pleasing creamy condiment. The dressing was so popular they began selling it to nearby restaurants, and people would buy the seasoning packets needed to make it directly from Steve and Gayle. This is how Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing was born.
2.
James Hemings, “America’s first chef” and creator of American macaroni and cheese
James Hemings is considered by many to be “America’s first chef.” Born into slavery in 1765, Hemings grew up in Virginia, moving to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home and plantation, as a child. Hemings had an early aptitude for cooking, and Jefferson, francophile that he was, wanted a French chef in his Virginian home.
In 1784, Jefferson took Hemings to Paris to study the culinary arts. In France, Hemings earned a wage cooking and mastered the art of haute cuisine in the kitchens of Château de Chantilly. He brought this expertise to the kitchen in Thomas Jefferson’s Parisian home and ultimately back to Virginia.
While in France, he was likely introduced to gratin de macaroni, a dish of pasta baked with butter and cheese. One of Thomas Jefferson’s favorites, Hemings adapted the recipe and prepared it for elaborate dinners for Jefferson back in Monticello, likely replacing some of the French ingredients with those available in Virginia, such as cheddar cheese. His version of the dish, referred to as “macaroni pie” in early American cookbooks, is the predecessor to the ooey-gooey comfort food we all know and love.
James Hemings eventually won his freedom from Thomas Jefferson in 1796 and remains one of the most important chefs in American culinary history.
3.
Edna Lewis, innovator of “farm-to-table” cooking and champion of Heritage Southern cuisine
Before “farm-to-table” became a calling card for upscale restaurant menus (curated by mostly White male chefs), there was Edna Lewis. Lewis was born in the early 20th century and raised in Freetown, Virginia, a community village founded decades prior by formerly enslaved people, including her grandfather. Growing up, she inherited generations of culinary knowledge from the elders in her community, who cooked ingredients grown on the land she grew up on.
In 1948, she brought this expertise to New York City diners as the chef at Café Nicholson, a new restaurant and trendy gathering spot for New York artists and creatives. Among the hundreds of dishes she served to guests at the cafe was her iconic pan-fried chicken: a non-greasy, special occasion dish that contradicts the McDonald’s and KFC connotations of fried chicken.
Lewis elevated the status of Southern American cuisine, gaining national praise and attention for it. She authored four seminal cookbooks, including the 1972 The Edna Lewis Cookbook.
4.
George Speck Crum, inventor of potato chips
There are conflicting legends about the origins of the most excellent bar snack, but one thing is sure: George Speck Crum, an esteemed Black chef in Saratoga Springs, was the first to serve potato chips to customers. One legend says that while working as a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in New York, George Speck Crum cut razor-thin potato slices before frying them for a difficult customer complaining about their fried potatoes being too thick. The crispy result was accidentally delicious, and he began serving them at the resort as “Saratoga Chips.”
Another legend says that Crum’s sister, Catherine, invented the potato chip. While we’ll never fully know the true origin of the chip, he certainly popularized them both at the Moon Lake Lodge resort and then at his own establishment. Crum served his potato chips to each table in his restaurant and gained notoriety in American high society for his hospitality and delicious snack.
5.
John Young, the “King of Wings”
On a fateful day in the early 1960s in Buffalo, New York, the chef and owner of Wings ‘n’ Things began serving fried chicken wings tossed in a tangy mumbo sauce. Young’s version of the chicken wing is sweet and well-seasoned, a slightly different version of the now-world-famous Buffalo wing, which is typically tossed in a vinegar-based hot sauce and butter. The wings were a big hit in the Buffalo community, and within years, other establishments began selling their own versions of the saucy wings.
Another local business, Frank and Teressa Bellissimo’s Anchor Bar, is often credited with inventing Buffalo Wings in 1964. They also claim to have invented the popular bar fare and served theirs with the now-typical hot buffalo sauce. Many people aren’t aware of Young’s role in the origin story of Buffalo’s most famous dish. Despite this, Young maintained throughout his life that he invented Buffalo wings. Since his passing, his family has continued to tell his story and share his food with others.
Young’s business recognized and highlighted the chicken wing, a part of the bird that had long been considered less desirable. His family, community, and customers continue to call him the “King of Wings.”
While technically the Black Panther Party is not an individual, its contribution to our food system in the US is so significant that it deserves a spot on this list. Let it be known to all Americans that if you, your child, or even your friend has ever had breakfast provided to you by your public school, you have the Black Panther Party to thank.
Having recognized the connection between food insecurity and systemic inequality, the party started the first Free Breakfast for School Children Program in 1969. Over the next decade, the party would serve tens of thousands of children a full breakfast. The effects were immediate, with educators even remarking on the noticeable change in their student’s attention and behavior. The program was so effective that it pressured the U.S. government to expand its own school breakfast initiatives, eventually leading to the widespread federal School Breakfast Program we know today.
Augustus Jackson changed how Americans eat and make ice cream. His innovations made the frozen dessert an accessible treat for all, not just the wealthy elite. In the early 1830s, Jackson began his culinary career as a child, working as a cook in the White House, and over two decades was the chef to three U.S. Presidents before leaving Washington D.C. and moving to Philadelphia to become an entrepreneur.
In Philadelphia, Jackson opened a catering and confection business where he developed new techniques for making ice cream smoother and easier to transport. He developed an eggless ice cream custard base and used a combination of rock salt and ice to make the ice cream even colder — an innovation that laid the foundation for commercial ice cream production.
He began selling various flavors of the frozen dessert in tin containers to Philadelphia ice cream parlors wholesale. And while his innovations made Jackson one of the richest men in Philadelphia at the time, his innovations actually lowered the cost of ice cream for customers. He never patented his methods but shared the technique with other Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia.
Next time you’re enjoying a Buffalo chicken wing or dipping a carrot in some Hidden Valley Ranch, take a moment to appreciate the innovators behind those flavors — and share their histories (and maybe this post) with the people you’re eating with.
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