The History of American Food is a podcast about food by a mom… but it’s not about baking cupcakes with funny faces for your little one’s birthday parties. Rather, it’s a fascinating exploration of the history of America through the lens of food and food production.
The presenter, Greta Hardin, has a background in teaching science, and her knowledge of chemistry informs her understanding of food.
The podcast is divided up into seasons that cover periods dictated by the major wars in the history of the US.
Greta is currently in the 17th Century and exploring what the early settlers ate and how they grew and cooked their food—including how Native Americans and Africans were exploited to feed the White colonists.
Standout episodes include the Thanksgiving episode on turkeys, two episodes on fat and how little of it there was at the time, and an examination of globalization in “Spice – Worth Taking Over The World”—which shares the power of just two spices, nutmeg and cloves, from two tiny, faraway islands.
Greta is massively knowledgeable about her subject, and this podcast promises to be an enjoyable ride—taking listeners from the time when people ate little more than salted pork and peas to the wonders of Korean BBQ tacos and the heaving shelves of modern grocery stores.
May 2022 Issue
