South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV) announces the premiere of The Savers of Flavor, a new locally produced television series following Chef Kevin Mitchell and food historian David Shields as they work to rediscover and preserve ingredients that have shaped Southern cooking. The series will be distributed nationally to public television stations and streaming platforms through PBS Plus and PBS Distribution beginning May 4. The series premieres locally on May 7 at 8 p.m. on ETV. Viewers outside South Carolina are encouraged to check local public television listings for air dates and times in their area.
Chef Kevin Mitchell, one of Charleston’s most recognizable chefs, is a chef instructor, culinary historian and scholar specializing in the culinary history of the American South. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he became the first African American chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College in 2008. Mitchell works to preserve Southern ingredients and highlight the historical significance of African Americans in the culinary arts. In 2018, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi, where his thesis examined the influence of freed and enslaved Charleston cooks on Southern cuisine.
Dr. David Shields, known as “the flavor saver,” tracks down lost food crops and assists in restoring them to fields and tables, including Carolina Gold Rice, Cocke’s Prolific Corn, the Dyehouse Cherry and Bradford Watermelon. He has written award-winning agricultural and culinary histories, including Southern Provisions, The Culinarians, Taste the State South Carolina and The Ark of Taste. Shields is Carolina Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina and chairs the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation.
With each growing season, the South risks losing the ingredients that have long defined its flavor, history and culture. Through their research, Chef Mitchell and Historian Sheilds discovered that many of the key ingredients once central to Southern recipes are now disappearing or in decline. Climate change, reduced distribution of heirloom varieties and the loss of seeds are among the reasons these foods are gradually losing their distinctive flavor. Through The Savers of Flavor, Mitchell and Shields are working to bring the flavor back to Southern tables.
Part documentary, part travelogue and part cooking show, The Savers of Flavor follows the quest to rediscover these missing ingredients and make them accessible once again. The series traces culinary heritage from farm fields to fine dining rooms, exploring the foods found on humble kitchen tables and in acclaimed restaurants across the Southeast.
Mitchell and Shields belong to a network dedicated to preserving historic grains, garden vegetables, heritage breeds and fruits from forgotten orchards, all predating industrial-scale agriculture. The Savers of Flavor follows their travels as they meet growers, chefs and preservationists, learning how endangered ingredients can still be grown, prepared and enjoyed today.
The Savers of Flavor includes four episodes:
Episode 101: Peas Come to Table (Early Frame Pea)
Which pea ripens first? From Thomas Jefferson’s spring contests to a lost heirloom, savers rediscover the Early Frame pea in South Carolina and return it to Monticello.
Episode 102: A Cherry to Dye For (Dyehouse Cherry)
The South’s only pie cherry, Dyehouse, vanished after WWII. A hunt for the fruit finds a lone surviving tree on a Kentucky artist’s farm.
Episode 103: Okra from Another Mother (Motherland Okra)
Savers tour Georgia for better okra uses: seed oil in Pitts and Motherland okra in Milledgeville. African-style leaves with smoked fish is prepared.
Episode 104: It's A Great Pumpkin (Dutch Fork Pumpkin)
Carolina pumpkins link Pumpkintown, S.C., to Cherokee lands as seeds are spread to Native growers and pumpkins are roasted.
Mitchell and Shields are also authors of Taste of the State South Carolina and are preparing to release their second book, Taste of the State Georgia. Their work has been featured by the Southern Foodways Alliance, The Bitter Southerner, Garden & Gun and Forbes, and they have appeared on Good Morning America and A Chef’s Mind.
The Savers of Flavor is produced by SCETV with production funding provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
In addition to broadcast, The Savers of Flavor will be available for streaming at SCETV.org and PBS.org, as well as through the SCETV and PBS apps. The series will also be available through PBS Distribution, which includes streaming services like Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
QUOTES
“The Savers of Flavor reflects SCETV’s commitment to telling stories rooted in our state’s history. This series highlights how food connects generations while preserving knowledge and ingredients that might otherwise disappear.” –SCETV President and CEO Adrienne Fairwell
“Chef Kevin Mitchell and David Shields show that saving flavor is also saving history. Each discovery brings viewers closer to the people, places and traditions that continue to shape Southern cuisine.” –The Savers of Flavor Producer Ginger Cassell
“With The Savers of Flavor, we shine a light on the ingredients and stories that shaped the South long before they were celebrated on modern tables. This series is a reminder that preservation is powerful and that flavor carries memory.“ –The Savers of Flavor Host Kevin Mitchell
“Our mission is simple, search the countryside to find and preserve the classic creations of America's farmers, gardeners, and orchardists – particularly the lost and endangered grains, vegetables, and fruits – and show how their storied flavors can be revived in the kitchen.“ –The Savers of Flavor Host David Shields
FAST FACTS
- SCETV announces the premiere of The Savers of Flavor, a new locally produced series premiering May 4.
- The series follows Chef Kevin Mitchell and food historian David Shields as they work to rediscover and preserve ingredients that have shaped Southern cooking.
- The Savers of Flavor is produced by SCETV with production funding provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
- In addition to broadcast, The Savers of Flavor will be available for streaming at SCETV.org and PBS.org, as well as through the SCETV and PBS app.
About South Carolina ETV and Public Radio
South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV) is the state's public educational broadcasting network. SCETV amplifies South Carolina voices, provides educational experiences and strengthens communities, while working toward creating a stronger, more connected and informed South Carolina. In addition to airing local programs, such as The Know Show, Making It Grow, and This Week in South Carolina, SCETV also presents multiple programs to regional and national audiences, including Books By The River, After Action, Kitchen Curious with Vivian Howard, Reel South and Southern Songwriters with Patrick Davis.
Media Contact
Landon Masters
media@scetv.org
(803) 737-3337
