Culture & Flavor
Culture & Flavor is a podcast about food and culture centered in Black & Indigenous foodways. Hosted by Zella Palmer, Director and Chair of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture in New Orleans, Louisiana. Each episode features high vibrational conversations with cultural bearers, chefs, farmers, scholars, bbq pitmasters and more. The show explores the deep connections between flavor and history, inspiring listeners on their culinary journey.
Episodes
Kaitlin Guerin | Lagniappe Bakehouse
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Kaitlin Guerin, a New Orleans-based Pastry Chef and Baker with an artistic dance background and an affinity for creativity and science. After attending the pastry program at The Culinary Institute of America and working in Michelin-star kitchens in Denmark and California, Guerin returned home to New Orleans just before the pandemic
Givonna Joseph
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Givonna Joseph, Founder and Director of Opera Creole. Ms. Joseph is committed to the culture of New Orleans, the city of her birth. This is most evident in her research on 19th-century classical music of New Orleans's Free People of Color.As Founder and Artistic Director of the award-winning OperaCréole,  
DJ Soul Sister
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with DJ Soul Sister @djsoulsister an internationally-known, veteran DJ artist, whose broadcast programs and live performances feature her personal collection of thousands of vinyl records, which earned her a spot in the book Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting.A native of #NewOrleans, Soul Sister has hosted her Soul
Chef Nando Chang | It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Nando Chang, a Peruvian-born chef and restaurateur behind behind Michelin-starred Itamae AO in Miami. A 2025 James Beard Foundation Award winner for “Best Chef: South,” he has achieved national recognition for both introducing and redefining Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) cuisine in Miami. Born in Chiclayo, Peru, and raised by his gran
Setsong Tea Crafters | South Africa
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Retang Phaahla and her mother, Nondumiso, co-founders of Setšong Tea Crafters, an Award Winning Agri-business and vehicle for development of natural indigenous flora found in the natural landscapes of South Africa, more prominently within the rural areas of Limpopo. The enterprise stimulates the economy in a collaboration with rural c
Dr. Naa Oyo A. Kwate
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Dr. Naa Oyo A. Kwate, a writer and interdisciplinary scholar with wide ranging interests in Black urban life. Raised in Chicago by Ghanaian immigrant parents. She is the author of the short work and edited volume Burgers in Blackface: Anti-Black Restaurants Then and Now (2019) and The Street: A Photographic Field Guide to American
The Black Dragon | Big Kitty & Chef Kurt Evans
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Big Kitty Xue, a 27-year-old Chinese chef, born and raised in Shanghai and now based between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Known for curating intimate Chinese private dinner parties that spotlight delicate, seldom-seen regional dishes in mainstream America. After moving to the U.S. and witnessing the American love affair with Chinese ta
Zydeco | Gabrielle Deculus
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Gabrielle Deculus, a cultural strategist, marketing architect, and the visionary founder of Saint Josephine, a creative consultancy and production house rooted in community and committed to social good. She brings almost 20 years of experience blending cultural storytelling, event production, and strategic marketing to help brands and
Dew Drop Inn | Curtis Doucette Jr.
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Curtis Doucette, Jr., owner and developer of the Dew Drop Inn, a restored music venue and boutique hotel in New Orleans, Central City. A New Orleans native, Curtis is also the co-founder and CEO of Iris Development, a real estate firm focused on rehabilitating blighted properties and creating affordable housing in New Orleans and New Y
Dr. Aris Latham
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Dr. Aris Latham, a Panamanian-born raw food pioneer, chef and health & wellness influencer. Dr. Latham is known as the "father of gourmet ethical raw foods cuisine in America" and is the founder of Sunfired Foods, a raw, sun-powered lifestyle that emphasizes the life force of food.
Latham's influence in the raw food movement started
Son of the Soil | George McCalman
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with George McCalman, artist, author, and creative director based in San Francisco and Grenada. McCalman’s background in the editorial world has been a foundation of his storytelling, and his decision to cultivate his fine art practice alongside brand and strategy work reframed his perspective and synthesized the importance of design i
Insatiable City | New Orleans
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Theresa McCulla, 2025 James Beard Foundation Semi-Finalist and curator at Mars, Incorporated. McCulla served as the Curator of the American Brewing History Initiative at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. She also worked as an Arcadia Fellow for Harvard Library, Food Literacy Project Coordinator at Harva
German Soul with Justin Robinson
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Justin Robinson is a Grammy award-winning musician and vocalist, cultural preservationist, and historic foodways expert about his latest project, German Soul and their mutual German lineage.
Robinson grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina. Influenced by the musical tastes of his grandparents, he grew to love a diversity of musical style
Yo Soy De Aqui
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Puerto Rican Chef Carlos Portela. Chef Carlos is from Caguas, Puerto Rico. After many career experiences across the globe, Chef Carlos Portela founded his life project, Orujo Taller. His avant-garde style ranges from primitive to modern, using endemic ingredients to Puerto Rico and pre-colonial influences. He bases his cooking methods
Chef Nina Compton
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with St. Lucian native Nina Compton, Chef/Owner of gastronomic gems Compère Lapin and BABs in New Orleans, along with her fast-casual restaurant, Nina’s Creole Cottage in Caesar’s New Orleans about her recently released cookbook, KWÉYÒL/CREOLE.
Since her flagship restaurant, Compère Lapin opened in 2015, the restaurant has garnered critic
Chef Sean Sherman
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Chef Sean Sherman Founder/Senior Director of Vision & Strategic Partnerships, NĀTIFS Founder/CEO, The Sioux Chef and Owamni by The Sioux Chef about a recent visit to Italy, Decolonizing American food systems and their love for Prince. Sherman is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Chef Sean Sherman focuses on the revitalization and e
Diggin' in the Crates
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with DJ Lynnee Denise about the legacy of Black music. Denise is a global practitioner of sound, language, and Black Atlantic thought, Lynnée Denise is an Amsterdam-based writer and interdisciplinary artist from Los Angeles, California. Shaped by her parent’s record collection and the 1980's.
Denise’s work traces and foregrounds the intima
The State of American Food
Jim is at home at every level, whether as a six-time USA delegate to Slow Food’s Terra Madre in Italy, a visitor to Cuba to study organic farming, extensive work in urban agriculture, or planting on his 30-acre farm. Jim maintains that the local food and sustainable agriculture movement is the foundation of a sustainable community. As a scuba diver and photographer, Jim has traveled widel
We Are the Doulas
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella speaks with Chef Noni, a Chef, mother, healer, teacher, event coordinator, facilitator, a community activist and leader in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Great Mother at Noni’s Home Dish is the portal used to reconnect food and people, rekindling kinship between our people and the land through unorthodox (Forgotten) culinary food experience
Tapiwa Guzha | African Ice Cream
On this episode of Culture and Flavor, Zella reflects on her visit to Tapi Tapi African Ice Cream in Capetown, South Africa. Tapiwa Guzha, born in Zimbabwe has a PhD in molecular biology with a focus on plant genetics. Tapiwa is the founder and owner of Tapi Tapi Ice Cream nestled next to a bookstore in Cape Town, South Africa, Tapi Tapi ice cream is made with and inspired by African indi
Traversing The African Continent
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella reflects about her trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe with Chef Kudzai Bingepinge, a Chef, explorer, storyteller and co-founder of N/UM African Artisanal Salts. Kudzai is a key figure in the movement to elevate African gastronomy and culture through flavor, aiming to showcase the continent's rich culinary traditions and heritage. Kudzai is als
Finding Dr. Joseph Henry Ward
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Leon Bates about Black Doctors during the late 19th century and early 20th century, including his research on her great grandfather Dr. Joseph Henry Ward. Bates' research focuses on U.S. history of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (GAPE), the end of Reconstruction to the Great Depression (1877-1929). His research concentrates on
Dr. Guido Marcelle: Grenada to the world
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Dr. Guido Marcelle, a world renowned pharmacognosist, farmer and Grenadian about his culture and passion for botany. Dr. Marcelle is retired and is now a practicing natural farmer/ environmentalist and instructor in farming and sustainable agriculture, science, and innovation, particularly to youths and women. He worked with the G
Chef Benjamin 'BJ' Dennis | I AM Gullah Geechee
On this episode, Zella interviews personal chef and caterer Chef Benjamin “BJ” Dennis. Dennis was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, and infuses the flavors and culture of the lowcountry into his native Gullah Geechee cuisine, bringing a new taste to an ever expanding culinary palate of the southern U.S. What differentiates Chef BJ’s food from his contemporaries in “southern”
Dr. David Katerere | African Herbal Pharmacopoeia
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Dr. David Katerere, Research Platform Chair of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Advancement in Africa (PBA2) at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. He is the Co-Director of the recently established CSIR / TUT Cannabis and Hemp Research Centre. In this capacity, they provide contract extraction and formulation services for f
Tunde Wey | From Lagos
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Tunde Wey, a Nigerian social practice artist using food, finance and investment capital to address economic disparities across geographies and demographics. His work engages systems that create material disparity, focusing particularly on how economics and finance impact working class Black people globally. Wey uses performance and
Efé McWorter | The Power of the Arts
On this episode, Zella talks to her favorite high school teacher, former Dance Director of the Lincoln Park High School Concert Dancers in Chicago, Illinois Efé McWorter. Efé, pronounced E-Fay, hails from the concert dance world of Chicago. Affectionately known as Mama E, she has brought a 40-year Chicago foundation of professional concert modern dance to LA where an actor flowed forth, w
Dr. Malinda Lowery & Hannah Goins | Lumbeeland
On this episode, Zella talks with Dr. Malinda Maynor Lowery and Hannah Goins. Dr. Lowery is a historian and documentary film producer who is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. In July 2021, she joined Emory University as the Cahoon Family Professor of American History, after spending 12 years at UNC-Chapel Hill and 4 years at Harvard University. Her second book, The Lumbee In
Charity Qalutaq Blanchett | The Future of Food is Indigenous
On this episode, Zella talks to Charity Blanchett, an Indigenous Yup'ik and Black Award-Winning Non-Profit Founder and CEO, Public Speaker, and Social Impact Entrepreneur dedicated to empowering Indigenous youth and championing cultural identity. As the Founder and CEO of Dipping Spoon, a pioneering non-profit Hospitality Agency, Charity directs her efforts towards serving the luxury need
Madame Barbara Trevigne | Marie Laveau Partie Deaux
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella continues her conversation with Madame Barbara Trevigne to talk about the legacy of Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Trevigne, a 7th Ward Native of New Orleans, shares her research about growing up Creole in New Orleans, New Orleans food, religous and death traditions, and the importance of Madame Marie Laveau.Culture & Flavor i
Mariama Diallo | Food and Family
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella sits down with Mariama Diallo, Brooklyn-based renowned filmmaker, writer, and director. Her debut feature, Master, from Amazon Studios, was released in March 2022 after premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Previous works include the short films Hair Wolf (Sundance 2018) and White Devil (TIFF 2021), as wel
Chef Jonny Rhodes | The Violence of Hunger
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella sits down with Chef Jonathan Rhodes from Houston, Texas. Chef Jonny’s work experience is founded in time at several high-profile restaurants including Gramercy Tavern, The Inn at Dos Brisas, and Oxheart. During this time, Rhodes was inspired to launch the Jensen Chronicle, Indigo to Broham, and Food Fight Farms. Chef Rhodes' mission is to con
A'Lelia Bundles | Madam C.J. Walker & Dr. Joseph Henry Ward
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with A'Lelia Bundles about the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, Zella's great grandfather Dr. Joseph Henry Ward (who was Madam Walker's doctor and friend), and A'Lelia's soon to be released book, "The Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance."A’Lelia Bundles is the author of "On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J.
Chef Toya Boudy: Cooking for the Culture
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Chef Toya Boudy about growing up in New Orleans and her journey to be authentically herself in food media. Chef Toya specializes in putting a unique twist on New Orleans-style dishes and cooks with a Southern flare. As a native New Orleanian, she started honing her culinary skills at a young age and used her talent to kickstart a s
Aimée Wallin | Ghana Food Movement
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Aimée Wallin, a political foodie that advocates for local eating, sustainable production methods and preservation of Black food cultures. Wallin is Swedish/ Malian and works with the Non-profit Ghana Food Movement (GFM), a network for food actors in Ghana. GFM's vision is a resilient local food system that provides jobs and nutriti
Patty Durães | Afro-Brazil Cozinha
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Patty Durães, a food scholar with expertise in Afro-diasporic heritage in Brazilian cuisine based in São Paulo, Brazil. They discuss Patty's journey as an Afro-Brazilian food scholar and activist.Durães' research includes bibliographic and field research, articles, and speaking engagements at various institutions such as MASP, Itaú
Dr. Howard Conyers | The Science of Barbecue & Moonshine
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Dr. Howard Conyers about the legacy of whole hog barbecue and moonsine. Dr. Conyers serves as the A1 Mechanical Design Lead, and is responsible for facilitating design efforts for systems used in testing and supporting RS-25 testing. Dr. Conyers, a NASA Stennis Space Center engineer, most recently served as the Principal Investigat
Klancy Miller | For the Culture
On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Klancy Miller, author of For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food. She also wrote Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking For Yourself and is the founder of For the Culture: A Magazine Celebrating Black Women and Femmes in Food and Wine.After graduating from Columbia University, and working in international development i
Kudzai Bingepinge | The Beauty of African Gastronomy
This week on Culture and Flavor we join our host Zella Palmer for a vibrational conversation with Chef Kudzai Bingepinge, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at African Flavor Labs, N'UM African Artisinal Salts, and Executive Director of Gastronomy at Kings Kraal in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kudzai is at the forefront of integrating indigenous ingredients with sustainable practices. Hi
Megan Braden Perry | Authentic Voices in Food Media
Megan Braden-Perry is a published author, award-winning freelance journalist, public speaker, photographer and multigenerational New Orleans native. Her books include Crescent City Snow: The Ultimate Guide to New Orleans Snowball Stands (UL Press, 2017) and Allen the Alligator Counts Through New Orleans: A New Orleans Kids’ Counting Book (2014). In 2019, she was awarded the Jack Jones Lit
June & Angie Provost | The Legacy of Black Farmers
Angie and June Provost are farmer-activists residing in New Iberia, LA. They are the creators of the Provost Initiative, a venture that encompasses a for-profit farm named Provost Farm LLC and a non-nonprofit organization called the Provost Farm Heritage Center and Community Garden, Inc. Their mission is to educate and empower the next generation of farmers and farm workers, while promoti
Serigne Mbaye | Dakar Nola
A serendipitous encounter with some New Orleanians brought Chef Serigne Mbaye to the Crescent City. Serigne was born in the United States, but raised and educated largely in Senegal. A love for cooking led him to New England Culinary Institute where he graduated at the top of his class in 2016. Though he started as a line cook, he rose to the level of sous chef at Commander's Palace and w
Joseph Baba Ifa | Ifa & Food
Joseph Baba Ifa is a Babalawo in the Yoruba Lucumi spiritual traditions of Cuba with over 20 years of experience in the Ifa and Orisha culture! Born in Hialeah, an area of Miami, FIorida many consider to be the capital of Ifa and Orisha practice in the United States, Baba was exposed to Ifa at a very young age. Through countless experiences that span over two decades, Baba has been able t
Chipo Kandake | Femme Funk
Chipo Kandake is a Dancer, Griot, Musicologist and Filmmaker who studies dance movement as it relates to social life and culture throughout the Afro- diaspora. (Bachata of Haiti, Bellydance of Nubia, Cumbia of Mexico and Second line of New Orleans) After receiving her BA at Dillard University (New Orleans, LA) in Filmmaking, Kandake continued her research abroad (Dominican Republic, Cuba,
Angela Locklear Queen: Native American Herbal Medicine
Angela Locklear Queen is the author of Native American Herbal Medicine for Beginners. Angela has been decolonizing wellness/herbalism spaces for almost 20 years. Today she uses her extensive knowledge in herbalism and nutrition as a marketing professional supporting conscious and ethical brands that choose to avoid appropriation and make a difference in the world. Additionally, she nurtur
Prince Lobo | Bringing "The Land of God" to Bayou Road
On this episode I am thrilled to welcome my dear friend Prince Lobo to the show. At 25 years old, he is one of the youngest award-winning small business owner chefs and winemakers in New Orleans. Prince serves as the General Manager of Addis NOLA, a highly rated and recognized Ethiopian restaurant founded by his mother and his father and he is the creator of their specialty Honey Wine.Tod
Joëlle Dussek | From Haiti to Chopped
Joëlle Dussek (pronouns: Lï pronounced 'Lee' in Haitian Kreyol, All the pronouns in any colonizer language) is a hybrid of many ancestral markers, geographical locations, skills, and careers. Being both Haitian & African American ascendant person who hails from two illustrious cities, New York and New Orleans. Joëlle’s working background has been in entertainment for over 20 years, an
Nico Reynolds | Stir it Up: Ireland to Jamaica
From a young age Nico had a head in the cupboard and an eye over the shoulder of his grandmother learning about the depth of flavour and the variety of spice in Caribbean cooking and soul food. Bringing this knowledge to Latin America, he ran a catered event company and a small restaurant in Buenos Aires for 6 years. Combing the depth of the flavours & aromas from the Caribbean with s
Lino Asana | Creole Feast 45 Years Later
Lino Yerima Asana is a Cameroonian American filmmaker currently living in New Orleans. His films often explore and celebrate themes of black dynamism, identity, and transnationalism. Some of his films and videos have been featured by Okay Africa, Bitter Southerner, Nowness, and Indiewire and screened at several film festivals. In addition to developing his first feature film, "The Parking
Gustavo Bottino | The Willy Wonka of Barbecue
I was lucky enough to meet Gustavo Bottino and his wife at last year's Churrascada Barbecue festival in São Paulo, Brazil. Gustavo is the co-founder and curator of the festival, as well as the co-founder and creative director of Soil Vegan Cafe in Amsterdam. We talk about his journey opening an animal-free cafe, how he curates the indigenous and visiting barbecue specialists for each year
Todd Richards | The Great Food Migration
Founder, The Soulful Company Restaurant Group: Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ and the upcoming Soul: Food & Culture. Author of SOUL: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes. Chef Todd Richards is an award-winning chef known for his contemporary cooking style rooted in Soul & Southern cuisines. A native of Chicago, and based in Atlanta since the early 1990s, Richards is a self-
Madame Barbara Trevigne | The Magic of Marie Laveau
Madame Barbara Trevigne, a native of New Orleans and descendant of Paul Trevigne, best known as the editor of L'Union, a bilingual black owned newspaper in New Orleans during slavery and reconstruction. Madame Barbara Trevigne received her Master’s in Social Science from Tulane University School of Social Work, a New Orleans Tour Guide and foremost historian on the life of Marie Laveau.
Ma'at Zachary | Culinary Media Executive
Meet Ma'at Zachary, an award-winning Media Executive and Content Strategist, who is a true leader with a heart of gold. Ma'at was the creative architect on many high-impact campaigns for some of the biggest names in the industry, Chevy, Cadillac, MasterCard and a current project HBCU Tailgate Throwdown. Ma'at's story begins as an HBCU alumna trained as a mechanical engineer who was determ
Ryan Mitchell | Eastern North Carolina’s Whole Hog BBQ Pitmaster
Our guest today is Ryan Mitchell, son of BBQ hall-of-famer Ed Mitchell from Wilson, North Carolina. Ryan serves as the business-savvy brain behind his father’s brand. At a very young age, Ryan began working in the Mitchell family restaurant. Although BBQ was the only way of life he knew, Ryan pictured a different path for this career: After high school, Ryan charted his own course and att
Ms. Linda Green | New Orleans Yakamein Lady
Our guest today is Ms. Linda Green, a New Orleans culinary icon known as the Yakamein Lady. If you haven't had it, Yakamein is a classic New Orleans peppery beef noodle soup. Ms. Green, a former lunch lady for Orleans Parish Schools, took her mother and grandmother’s yakamein recipe and turned it into a generational business.Culture & Flavor is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy
Coming Soon, From HRN...
Coming soon from HRN, Culture & Flavor is a podcast about food and culture centered in Black & Indigenous foodways. Hosted by Zella Palmer, Director and Chair of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture in New Orleans, Louisiana. Each episode features high vibrational conversations with cultural bearers, chefs, farmers, scholars, bbq pitmaste
