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(ThyBlackMan.com) In 2017, the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 13.9 percent of food service workers identified themselves as black or African American. The number of black-owned dining establishments has increased by 50% since 2012, according to data by the National Restaurant Association. Thus, the current rise in the popularity of black chefs in the country shows a promising future for the African-American community. These chefs were being recognized for helping shape American cuisine using their African roots. Here are some of the best black chefs in the country today.
Chef Daryl Shular
As one of the most respected and talented chefs in the country, Chef Shular is also known as a gem in the African American community. He made history in 2014 after being hailed as the first black chef and minority to pass the excruciating 130-hour Master Chef exam. While currently working as the Executive Chef of the Atlanta Athletic Club, Shular recently joined some of the best chef instructors from The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes to demonstrate his take on the traditional Southern cuisine. One of his dishes is the re-invented Braised Beef “Daube” which he cooks in sous vide style. This recipe normally requires to be cooked in a Dutch oven or a slow cooker for at least seven hours. But Chef Shular managed to re-create this by vacuum-sealing the food in a sealable bag and cooking on low heat for long periods. With the sous vide method, the flavor and aroma of the food can be preserved. It can also lessen the need for adding more fat and salt to the dish, thus CHef’s Shular’s version of the Daube become well-known in the world of cuisine. 
Chef Kwame Onwuachi
This 29-year-old chef is one of the latest James Beard Awardees in 2019. He came from a new group of critically-acclaimed millennial chefs who are experts in different cooking techniques using traditional concepts and high-tech kitchen tools like sous vide machines and blast freezers. Chef Onwuachi got his love for cooking from his mother, who used to run a catering straight from home. His first professional experience in the food industry began in McDonald’s and worked his way up in various restaurants in Louisiana. He now owns the Afro-Caribbean restaurant named “Kith and Kin,” which he described as a place for African Americans to celebrate and take pride in their culture. This is also the place where he can showcase his Trinidadian roots while honoring the memory of his family.
Chef Bryan Terry
Aside from being a James Beard award-winning chef, Bryan Terry was known for his advocacy to bring health and sustainable food on the table. The current chef-in-residence at San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD) was also recognized as one of the 11 Smartest People in the Bay Area Food Scene in the December 2017 issue of the San Francisco Magazine. Aside from these recognitions, Bryant’s 2014 cookbook “Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed” was hailed as one of the best cookbooks of the year by Amazon.
These are just some of the most popular black chefs in the culinary industry in the US today. They all offer something new yet familiar to the palate of their diners. Due to their growth and expertise, these chefs are paving the way for people of color to have a place in the competitive kitchen world.
Staff Writer; Harry Love
