Culinary historian Michael Twitty is in the business of building bridges.

In his 2017 James Beard Award-winning book, “The Cooking Gene,” Twitty connects his identities as a black, gay and Jewish man to the cooking of his ancestors.

Through his work as a historical interpreter, genealogical researcher, self-trained chef and renowned author, Twitty highlights the contributions of enslaved people to empower their descendants.

Next month, he will take a group of 13 chefs, including two from Madison, to West Africa. That’s another kind of bridge, between nations, and between past and future. 

“We’re going as learners, we’re going as ambassadors,” Twitty said. “We’re going as people who will hopefully come back with knowledge we can bring back to our respective communities.