Food inspired by Black culture has been the foundation of some of the most creative recipes of the century. Many millennial and Gen-Z chefs have utilized social media to catapult their careers.
These culinary masters are not only creating new flavors and recipes, but also using food to show people the world. If you’re unable to travel to a destination, here are a few Black chefs who will take your tastebuds to a new world.
Helena Faustin
A registered nurse at a top New York City children’s hospital, Caribbean culinary expert and mother Helena Faustin is a queen of island cuisine. Known on Instagram as @thatnursecancook, Faustin is dedicated to providing recipes and food guides on creating your favorite Caribbean delights right at home. From jerk fries to ackee and saltfish fritters, Faustin juggles work and home life while inviting followers into her kitchen as she prepares meals for her family.
Juwan Rice
Juwan Rice started cooking at 6 years old alongside his grandmother. Now, Chef JR is taking the world by storm as he prepares to open his new, cutting edge restaurant Rated Test. At age 14, he opened his private dining and catering company JR Gourmet. Inspired by moments Rice spent growing up cooking with his grandma, Chef JR’s style spans a wide array of cuisines. He aims to fuse different cultures and cuisines together to create completely new flavor. From West African food to Japanese infusion, Chef JR’s culinary experimentation is the result of a love of food that has passed down through generations of Black Americans.
Kimberly Nichols
Better known on IG as @kimmyskreations.1, Kimberly Nichols has been wowing people with her culinary mastery for years. She’s the pioneer of some of social media’s top trending food recipes. If you follow Nichols, then you know there’s not much she can’t make. Nichols’ creative flair in the kitchen brings elements from all corners of the African diaspora to the stovetop. Everything she cooks has a dash of Black American cuisine, reinforcing Black influence in popularized food culture. Whether its baking, sautéing or creating a tasty shake, Nichols has all the ingredients for many meals that’ll take your taste buds coast to coast.
David Kirkland
Utilizing a farm-to-table approach to cooking, executive chef and Turn STL restaurant owner David Kirkland has always felt the music in food. His emergence of rhythm and culinary arts culminated into a restaurant where music and food flow freely. His menu items embrace diversity and fun, using music to further heighten the culinary experience of his patrons. Pulling from his experiences in San Francisco and years spent in the Midwest, Kirkland has fine tuned his own personal style of transforming food through music.
Tolu Erogbogbo
Tolu Erogbogbo blends contemporary Nigerian cuisine with California West Coast vibes. For a while, Chef Eros delivered consistent, West African fine dining through a pop up experience. Now, travelers have access to his menu regularly at his restaurant, Ilé Bistro at Citizen Public Market in Los Angeles. Chef Eros strives for unity and food harmony. He doesn’t care about which country’s jollof is the best. Instead, he combines preparation methods and ingredients from across Africa’s diverse nations.
Mariya Russell
Known for her small-bites style of cooking, Mariya Russell is a culinary force. In 2020, Russell became the first Black woman to earn the Michelin star. The honor signified her as a master of distinct flavor at Chicago bar Kumiko and its sister restaurant, Kikko. Russell’s style is rare and seemingly perfect. It’s delicate almost, serving up bite-size, luxury doses of Japanese cuisine that takes guests to the mountaintops of East Asia.
