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.
Ozoz Sokoh is an award-winning food explorer, educator and budding curator who began journaling about food on her blog, Kitchen Butterfly, in 2009. Her research and documentation explore the roots of Nigerian and West African cuisine, the impact of West African intellectual contributions to global development from the American South, through the Caribbean to Europe and Latin America, and the connection to the Afro diaspora.
She released her first cookbook, "Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria," in 2025 which celebrates the vibrant, diverse world of Nigerian cuisine, featuring dishes like spiced beef suya, rich egusi soup, jollof rice, puff puff, and hibiscus drinks.
In this episode, the Nigerian native and Canadian resident shares how one recipe started her journey of food documention and the importance of ensuring Nigerian recipes and traditions always have a safe place to be passed down to future generations.
Listen and Connect
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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
2 Jul 2026
Réunionese Food Content Creator Jennie Léonie
We're heading back to the beautiful island of La Réunion for this conversation with food content creator Jennie Léonie.
Located in the Indian Ocean, La Réunion is a small island known for its warmth and dedication to preserving Creole culture and history. Jennie grew up in a family that shaped her strong connection to the island's culinary culture.
On her Instagram page and YouTube channel, she shares easy, accessible recipes designed for active women in La Réunion, helping them bring their cultural identity into everyday cooking through small, creative twists. Her approach highlights modern, practical cooking that stays rooted in Réunionese ingredients and heritage, while documenting food experiences across the island, the Indian Ocean, and beyond.
If you are looking to learn more about what make this island so special and a must-visit, you'll want to listen to this episode.
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YouTube
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Related Articles from Cuisine Noir
Réunion Island Celebrates Creole Gastronomy With Its First Creole Food Festival
Creole Chefs Gather in Reunion Island For First-Ever Food Festival Honoring Legacy and Traditions
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
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11 Jun 2026
Restaurateur and Innovator Chef Russell Jackson - Part 2
We're back for part 2 as we follow Chef Russell Jackson from California to New York and the opening of his first restaurant Reverence NYC, which he closed in February 2025.
However, as a chef who knows how to innovate, he is on to his next projects, Unity Market (https://unitymarketny.org/) and Reverence Phoenix, which are set to open in New York's iconic Central Park on June 20.
Check out the second part of our conversation and if you haven't listen to part 1, you'll want to do so because it is just as good.
You can also follow his work on social media and support his projects with a donation.
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Website (https://russelljackson.com/)
Instagram
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
1,846
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 74 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
85
Social presence
0
YouTube
74
Engagement
81
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