Presented by Sam Bilton
Saffron has allured us with its golden hues throughout time. It was the darling of the Medieval kitchen, the saviour of the apothecary’s chest and gave cloth a regal glow. Unlike many spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, saffron can be successfully grown in England. Continue reading
The story of China’s chaotic Cultural Revolution (1966-76) through its cuisine. During that period, approximately 17 million city youth were “sent down” to the countryside to “learn from the peasants” and they discovered that toil in the communes was arduous and food was scarce. Continue reading
Podcast
Historical Cooking Show
Feeding Fascism explores how women negotiated the politics of Italy’s Fascist regime (1922-1943) in their daily lives and how they fed their families through agricultural and industrial labour. Darvin looks at women’s experiences of Fascism by examining the material world in which they lived in relation to their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Continue reading
Back in March, 2021, there was a talk by Priya Mani on gathered, edible lichens from the Indian subcontinent. It is hardly imaginable that a lichen scraped off tree barks in the sub-Himalayan forests is the decisive and defining ingredient of what we know and imagine as “spicy-Indian.” Knowledge and use of stone flower that was for generations hidden in regional kitchens have suddenly found a nationwide use, albeit as a secret ingredient in readymade spice blends. Continue reading