Spirit Plate Episode 5: Yurok Secrets to Cooking the Perfect Pacific Eel

In this episode of Spirit Plate, I travel to the untamed North Coast of California, into Yurok Country, where redwoods stretch toward the sky and the Klamath River cuts through the land before meeting the Pacific Ocean. This place holds a powerful energy. The land, the water, and the people are deeply connected, and you feel it the moment you arrive.

My guide on this journey is Bubba Riggins, the go to person for traditional Yurok hunting and cooking techniques. Together, we set out along the river to collect Pacific eel for a community cookout. Eel is not just a food here. It is a cultural staple and a reminder of how closely tied the Yurok people are to the river system that sustains them.

One of the most meaningful parts of this visit was learning about the Klamath River itself. The river was once heavily restricted by dams, but through the efforts of the Yurok people, four dams were removed just last year. Over one hundred miles of habitat have reopened, allowing salmon and eel to return home. Standing there, watching the river flow freely, I felt the weight of that victory. This is what food sovereignty looks like. It is the land healing and the people being able to feed themselves again.

We also spent time gathering ingredients from a bustling local farmers market, highlighting just how rich this region is. The Yurok people are fortunate to live in a place where food is close, diverse, and abundant. The land and water provide everything needed to sustain a community when they are protected and respected.

The episode closes with a traditional village feast. We grilled the eel over open flames, the smoke rising into the trees as families gathered together. Serving that meal felt like being part of something much bigger than myself. I thought about all the generations who walked this same path, harvested from this river, and cooked for their people in this exact place.

For me, the prayer behind this visit was about restoration. Restoring rivers. Restoring food systems. Restoring balance between people and the land. Cooking and sharing Pacific eel with the Yurok community showed me how resilience lives not just in survival, but in joy, laughter, and coming together around food.

Spirit Plate continues to teach me that Indigenous foodways are acts of resistance and love. Every dish tells a story of place, perseverance, and care. I am deeply grateful to the Yurok people for welcoming me into their community and trusting me to help share their story.

🐍 Watch the full episode on PBS Food: Spirit Plate | Yurok Secrets to Cooking the Perfect Pacific Ee