Afros and Knives Podcast - Staying hungry and writing brilliantly with Korsha Wilson

Staying hungry and writing brilliantly with Korsha Wilson

01/07/22 • 67 min

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Korsha Wilson is a brilliant food writer and the host of A Hungry Society podcast on Heritage Radio Network. She examines and illuminates the world of restaurants, food, culture, and how what we eat speaks to the conditions of our society.

She is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and spent two years in journalism school at Emerson College She has written for many publications including The New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, the New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Eater, Civil Eats, Thrillist and more. She was named a Southern Foodways Alliance Smith fellow, was a participant of the Jack Jones Literary Arts’ inaugural #Culture, Too fellowship in 2019.

In 2020, her essay on restaurant criticism was included in "Best American Food Writing", an anthology edited by J.Kenji Lopez-Alt and Silvia Killingsworth. Her weekly podcast A Hungry Society on Heritage Radio Network highlights diverse voices in the food world.

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Previous Episode

Building a legacy inspired by history with chef Nyanyika Banda

Nyanyika Banda is a professional chef, writer, and entrepreneur. She is American-Malawian. “Raised b/w a New England college town & a Midwestern one. Working through identity issues by writing, cooking & traveling.”

Current Work | MID.DLE PASSAGE EVENTS

Middle Passage Events is the celebration of the African diaspora through food, music, art & word. My goal is to continue to tell the stories of Black and Brown people, and those of African descent.

In her own words: “The term Middle Passage is used to describe the journey Africans were forced to endure as enslaved peoples from their native countries to those across the globe. As a young child learning about the Middle Passage I was overwhelmed with empathy and also fear. In some ways, it was easier for me to block the horrific details of my ancestral past than to acknowledge how hateful some people could be, and that if born in a different time, it could have been me. For the past five years, I chose to live in a moderately sized city in Northern Minnesota. Of the 87,000 residents 90% are white, 2.3% Black. I had finished my undergrad there and decided to stay and turn my pop-up restaurant into a brick and mortar. For 3 years, every meeting I went to I was the only person at the table that looked like me. With every interaction, I felt I was being seen and judged before I was being heard. There were many instances when my intelligence and life experiences were being undermined. I grew up in predominantly white towns and spaces. I have a lifetime of experience being a “token”. But when I thought about my ideal work environment, one that I was creating, it was one that included folks who look like me. And then I realized I had never had that experience. I’ve worked in some of the top restaurants in the US, and still not with more than 2 other black folks in the kitchen. I eventually realized I desperately needed more diversity in my life. I made a promise to myself to find my tribe, and share space with them, and collaborate with them. I am no longer subduing my identity to make my Blackness more comfortable for others, but rather finding spaces through which I can be Black, loud, and proud! “

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Next Episode

The healing power of returning to your roots with chef Maya

Black Roux Collective is what happens when a talented, Black chef combines the love of travel with a passion for food. Chef Maya created the concept of the Black Roux Culinary Collective to bring the world to every table. Her immersive culinary experiences create a dynamic approach to studying and sampling the culinary traditions of diverse regions.

“Black Roux offers adult culinary classes geared toward the passionate home cook who is serious about expanding their knowledge and skill in multi-regional cuisine. Weekly classes delving headfirst into cultural cooking traditions will leave students with the confidence to prepare food from far away places with skill.”

There are also the Black Roux Culinary Excursions. Immersive travel experiences aim to take students directly to the source. These excursions offer participants the opportunity to experience the world’s diverse culinary traditions up close and personal

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