Exploring History and Tradition: The Making of Our Black History Month Recipes

At HelloFresh, recipe development is about more than just combining ingredients—it’s a way to tell a story, honor culture, and celebrate tradition.

This February, in recognition of Black History Month, our team crafted a series of authentic recipes that highlight the global influence of Creole, Caribbean, and West African cuisines. 

To ensure these dishes stayed true to their roots, and to honor the flavors and history behind them, the team meticulously researched, brainstormed, taste-tested, and refined. We sat down with the recipe developers to learn more about these special dishes and how they came to be.

How the Recipes Were Created

The development of our Black History Month recipes began with a brief from our Culinary Product Strategy team.

“We knew we had to be very intentional in the creative process and make sure we were anchoring in authenticity,” explains Marina S. 

To do so involved extensive planning, consultation with our Employee Resource Group, LIMES, and careful consideration of potential brand partnerships that could enhance the recipes and add to their cultural accuracy. Each recipe underwent multiple rounds of discussion, testing, and tasting by as many people as possible.

Showcasing the Global Influence of Creole, Caribbean, and West-African Cuisines

Research and careful planning by HelloFresh’s Product Managers and Culinary Product Strategy teams helped define key areas of focus for the recipes. What set this project apart was the early involvement of Christina B. and a few of our other Black recipe developers, who from there, helped in scoping the recipes and researching cuisines. 

The team documented the various cuisines that contribute to African American food traditions, focusing not just on community staples but on dishes they believed deserved wider recognition. Strategic brand partnerships helped in delivering authentic flavors and added unique ingredients.

“We looked at recipes that aren’t just staples in the African American community but should be staples for everyone because they’re that delicious,” notes Christina B. 

The approach led to recipes like the shrimp étouffée, which also teaches our customers culinary techniques, like how to make a roux and build a recipe dish from it.

The Inspiration Behind the Recipes 

Our Black History Month recipes were inspired by cultural experience, institutional knowledge, and candid discussions about food and culture. As a non-Black recipe developer, Marina emphasized how important it was for her to follow the lead of her Black colleagues throughout the process.

One standout recipe, the Trinidadian Inspired Chickpea Stew, was created in partnership with Dozen Cousins, whose founder, Ibraheem, grew up in a kitchen that was a melting pot of Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American cooking. An ode to the curries enjoyed in Trinidad & Tobago and throughout the Caribbean, the team anchored the flavor of the dish in the sauce of the chickpeas and tried a few iterations of it with different cuts of chicken before landing on the final recipe—which was created with bone-in chicken, hearty potatoes, and tender chickpeas.

The seal of approval came when our DEI leader took leftovers home to her Trinidadian husband.

“At that point, we knew it was good to go!” Marina recalls.

Honoring Black Culinary Traditions and Black History Month

When asked how HelloFresh’s special recipes contribute to a deeper appreciation of Black culinary traditions and Black History Month, the team notes that as chefs, they know that food is the best—and most enjoyable—way to teach culture.

The HelloFresh culinary team is also incredibly diverse, they note, so ethnic culture always plays a prominent role in their recipe development. Our Black History Month recipe collection offered a special opportunity to encourage customers to explore new flavors and cooking techniques that lead to more conversation and learning.

“This was a fun and important way to bring it to everyone’s attention,” Marina adds, “and we’re so grateful for the opportunity.”

At HelloFresh, we believe in the incredible power of food to spark conversations around culture and diversity. Thank you to our team for developing these delicious recipes and for sharing them with our HelloFresh community.

Have you tried our Black History Month recipe collection yet? Head to HelloFresh.com to order today. 

And don’t forget to check out more of our articles that spotlight Black History Month! Read about our Black History Month Founders Bundle and our LIMES Employee Resource Group to learn more about how we’re celebrating at HelloFresh.