Food—A Cultural Culinary History Podcast – The Great Courses Daily
Latest Episodes
Hunting, Gathering, and Stone Age Cooking
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. [...]
What Early Agriculturalists Ate
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 agric...
Egypt and the Gift of the Nile
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. [...]
Ancient Judea—From Eden to Kosher Laws
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.
Classical Greece—Wine, Olive Oil, and Trade
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.
The Alexandrian Exchange and the Four Humors
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.
Ancient India—Sacred Cows and Ayurveda
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,
Yin and Yang of Classical Chinese Cuisine
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.
Dining in Republican and Imperial Rome
In this episode we’re going to Ancient Rome, where we’ll delve into some intriguing contrasts in the dining habits of the ancient Romans. We’ll examine the simple food customs of republican Rome, and then trace the expanding empire and learn how exotic...
Early Christianity—Food Rituals and Asceticism
In today’s podcast we’re going to observe the role of food in Jesus’s parables and miracles, as well as in the ritual of the Eucharist.