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Robot Food Delivery on the Rise

May 7, 2019

What would you do if a rolling, autonomous cooler with food arrived at your feet? Professor Ken Albala, food historian, shares his opinions on robotic food-delivery systems. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

Hunting, Gathering, and Stone Age Cooking

October 2, 2017

In episode one of Food: A Cultural Culinary History, we’re going to consider food as a catalyst in human history, and what our food choices reveal about our values and ambitions. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

What Early Agriculturalists Ate

October 2, 2017

The transition to agriculture is perhaps humanity’s single most important social revolution – and one that was not without its tradeoffs. In episode 2 of Food: A Cultural Culinary History we’re going to explore the factors surrounding the rise of agriculture, how plants and animals were domesticated, and why agriculture directly led to civilization as we know it. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

Egypt and the Gift of the Nile

October 2, 2017

Ancient Egypt’s prosperity, impressive court culture, and their isolation from conflict led to a sophisticated food tradition and the emergence of the world’s first “elite” cuisine. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

Ancient Judea—From Eden to Kosher Laws

October 2, 2017

Practices regarding food were deeply integral to the lives of the ancient Hebrews. In episode 4 we’ll explore prescriptions regarding food in Biblical Genesis, and consider that the Fall of Adam and Eve itself was an act of eating. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

Classical Greece—Wine, Olive Oil, and Trade

October 2, 2017

In this episode, we’ll discover how the ancient Greeks’ need for arable land led to their imperial and mercantile system, and we’ll consider what we learn about their food culture from such sources as Homer, Hesiod, Pythagoras, and Plato. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

The Alexandrian Exchange and the Four Humors

October 2, 2017

Alexander the Great’s conquests heralded an era where previously unconnected cultures mixed on a large scale. In this podcast, we’ll trace the diffusion of foodstuffs over vast trade networks in the Hellenistic period. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

Ancient India—Sacred Cows and Ayurveda

October 2, 2017

In this episode, we’re going to learn about the culture of the Aryans, whose religion prefigured Hinduism; we’ll discuss food customs relating to India’s caste system; and we’ll even touch upon the traditions of vegetarianism in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. […]

Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast

Yin and Yang of Classical Chinese Cuisine

October 2, 2017

Chinese culture has produced what is arguably the most complex, sophisticated, and varied culinary tradition on earth. In this podcast we’re going to trace the rise of civilization in China from the Hsia to the Han dynasty. […]

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