‘Searching For Soul Food’ adds new flavor to Hulu lineup

LOS ANGELES — Chef Alisa Reynolds had a mission: find out what soul food means to people around the globe. The result was a show that’s part travel, part food and all sorts of flavorful.

In “Searching For Soul Food,” Chef Reynolds heads to Peru, Jamaica, South Africa, Italy and to several areas in the USA, including Los Angeles, Mississippi and Appalachia.

“I kind of wanted to go to places that were not on the average radar of a food travel show,” Reynolds told On The Red Carpet. “I wanted to go where the stories were.”

And oh, are there stories! Reynolds ventured to Naples, Italy where she learned about the “pizza police” (it’s really a thing). And while in Jamaica, Reynolds got a bit of a history lesson of how and why the Maroon warriors cooked their food in an underground pit and how the seasonings they used became known as “jerk” seasoning.

“It was really exciting to like go to Jamaica and actually stand on the land where Jerk was actually formed and made and find out so many stories. Because now I look at jerk a different way,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds, who owns a restaurant in Los Angeles called My 2 Cents, said filming the show changed her and she hopes the audience enjoys the experience.

“I just wanted people to experience traveling and what’s actually on your plate a little different and look at it in a different light,” Reynolds said.

While soul food may look different around the world, one thing that unites cultures is the love that people put in to creating these cuisines. And Reynolds says that is the most important ingredient.

“Food moves and travels, has no emotion. It just goes and then it creates these emotions in us when they’re put together,” Reynolds said.

You can stream “Searching for Soul Food” on Hulu now. Be prepared, it will make you hungry!

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Hulu and this ABC station.