Celebrity chef and best-selling author Carla Hall takes viewers on a global adventure to explore the unexpected roots of popular dishes within today’s American food culture on Food Network Africa’s new series, Chasing Flavor.
Beginning on Sunday, 15 June, at 16:05 CAT, Carla’s curiosity about America’s most delicious dishes, from chicken pot pie to ice cream, leads her to Ghana, Italy, Turkey, and more. Along the way, Carla traces the history and lineage of dishes, discovering the interconnected, international origins and cultures that paved the way for today’s American cuisine. Join Carla as she chases flavour across the globe to discover how it all comes together on the American plate.
“Chasing Flavor brings together so many of the things I am passionate about. It’s about food, family, and sharing stories, history, and travel. And more importantly, giving credit to the cultures that had a hand in a particular dish,” said Hall. “I’m really proud of this show. Everyone involved in making it, myself included, put their heart and souls into it. It was a wonderful adventure, and I can’t wait for others to share it.”
Throughout the six half-hour episodes, Carla dives into American classics from shrimp and grits to hot chicken, to barbeque, and more. In one episode, Carla is on an unexpected dairy adventure that takes her from the United States to Italy and to Turkey to discover the origins of ice cream. Stopping at the top ice cream spots in New York and Philadelphia, Carla learns the unique churning methods used to give the classic dessert its smooth, creamy texture. Then, in Italy, Carla gets a lesson on the difference between ice cream and gelato, and in Turkey, Carla is like a kid again playing with her food as she uncovers a unique ingredient that gives ice cream its silkiness.
As the series draws to a close, the final two episodes of Chasing Flavor offer powerful stories that will resonate with viewers across Africa. Episode #5 – Hot Chicken – sees Carla team up with Ghanaian-American chef Eric Adjepong to trace the fiery roots of this Southern favourite from Nashville and South Carolina to Ghana. Along the way, they uncover the dish’s West African influence and the often-overlooked role of African American culture in its evolution. Episode #6 – Shrimp and Grits – takes Carla from the American South’s low country region back to Accra, Ghana and New York, exploring how this humble pairing became a soul food staple.
Carla Hall and Ghanaian-American chef Eric Adjepong team up in Chasing Flavor Episode 5 to explore the fiery roots of hot chicken, from the American South to West Africa.
With every step of her journey, Carla celebrates the global threads woven into American cuisine—because if you don’t know the history, you don’t know the dish.
