For Black History Month, News 12 is exploring the origins and impact behind some of the foods we love. News 12's Shakti Denis takes us inside burger chain Slutty Vegan's kitchen in Brooklyn.

Chef Jumoké Jackson, the executive chef at Slutty Vegan, says it's important to highlight the roots of the foods that make up the American diet. She explains that many dishes that we enjoy today came from a place of struggle and suffering, like shrimp and grits.

"Grits used to be rationed to slaves. That's what slave owners would give them to eat. To supplement that, because you couldn't survive on grits alone, they would gulf at different streams and pull out shrimp, and they would combine that with the grits," said Jackson.

So, next time you’re enjoying a delicious meal, Jackson suggests doing a little bit of research.

"We care about what’s going into our body, how about we care about where it came from. So if we take a little bit of time to understand the significance of it, I think it brings us that much closer to it," Jackson added.