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Food history collection

Origins & inventions

10stories

The foods we take for granted rarely have tidy origin stories. These episodes trace inventions, discoveries and accidents that transformed what people ate and how they prepared it.

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Origins & inventions

52 - The Kentucky Meat Shower

Turn on the tv or radio, or scroll any news site online and you’ll no doubt be inundated with stories about crazy weather anomalies happening all around the globe. Volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, earthquakes, tornadoes and so much more. But none of us, thankfully, have ever lived through one of the strangest events in history when something a lot more dense than rain began falling from the skies onto some unsuspecting farmers in the small town of Olympia Springs, Kentucky.

15:06
Origins & inventions

47 - William McKenna the "Human Ostrich"

For today's story we will be diving into the life of a truly extraordinary man named William V McKenna, and while he fits the category of “people who eat random things”, those things that he ate can’t really be classified as food. So let's see just how this man, William McKenna first discovered his talented digestive system.

14:35
Origins & inventions

37 - Michigan Held A Funeral For 30 000 Pizzas

There is nothing quite like pizza. The variety is endless, the experience is magical, the taste is delicious and they can be found in almost every single country on earth with any number of local variations. Which makes todays story all the sadder, when we find out that from their humble italian origins, 30 000 of these delicious delicacies were once condemned to mass burial in Michigan.

16:33
Origins & inventions

31 - Using Onions To Heal Gunshot Wounds

Onions have been a part of human history since long before records began. It's played a vital part in our diets, but also in our mythology, representing eternal life to some cultures, as well as playing a part in the origin stories of the stars. Onions are one of natures most versatile products and in this episode we dive deep into the role it's played throughout the ages.

15:47
Origins & inventions

30 - Japan's Accidental Killer Rice

In the late 1800s in Japan, there was a disease that seemed to target not just inner-city dwellers in Edo, what we know as modern-day Tokyo, but it affected mainly the upper classes. Not even the emperor and his family were immune to this slow, agonizing disease that saw people waste away in front of their loved ones. It would be a few years until the true culprit was discovered and it would throw Japanese culture into a frenzy when the cause was found to be none other than their beloved, white rice.

20:50
Origins & inventions

21 - Crazy True Stories About Ice Cream

From it's origins in ancient China, to the accidental discovery of the first ice cream cone, we take a journey to see how ice cream has influenced cultures all around the world. World War 2 plays a surprising role in the story as some navy men valued it almost more than their own lives and safety. Listen to the episode to find out even more crazy stories from the long and interesting history of ice cream.

18:32
Origins & inventions

19 - Tomatoes Were Blamed For Witchcraft & Werewolves

The past is a crazy place, and no matter how many times we go back there, there's always something new to surprise us. This episode we learn about a continental witch panic that just happened to coincide with tomatoes arriving in Europe. An unfortunate mistranslation from the original Ancient Greek really didn't help matters either.

16:24
Origins & inventions

16 - The Swedish King Who Tried To Kill A Prisoner With Coffee

Coffee was discovered in the 9th century in Ethiopia. From there it spread across the globe, making its way through Europe and at some point into Sweden. It was not as welcome there as in other parts of the world, especially not for King Gustav III. With no ethics board to hold him back, he embarked on a mad plan to prove once and for all that coffee was the root of all evil. Please support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/foodhistorypod and get early access to episodes, bonus content and even free merch! Find transcripts and references on the website: www.foodhistorypodcast.com Huge thanks to www.roastersmarketplace.com for sponsoring this episode. If you love coffee this is the place for you. Shop by origin, roast level, processing method, and even by flavour notes.  www.roastersmarketplace.com is a veteran-owned business, run by a great guy called Chris. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him and his vision for the coffee market and I honestly can’t recommend them highly enough. Get FREE SHIPPING on your first order by using the offer code: "FOODHISTORY" at checkout.

17:14
Origins & inventions

9 - The German Coconut Cult

The bizarre story of a man named August Engelhardt who started a cult on a tropical island in the early 1900's. He forced his followers to only eat coconuts and to worship the sun. They weren't even allowed to wear clothes. After a few mishaps, diseases and unfortunate circumstances, things began to look bleak for the little German coconut cult.

16:02
Origins & inventions

3 - A Gross History Of Competitive Eating

We all know the stories of modern day competitive hotdog eating competitions, now we look way back in history to possibly the first ever competitive eater known as The Great Eater Of Kent. From then until now there are a myriad of stories of people stuffing themselves as a challenge.  For show notes and references please visit https://www.foodhistorypodcast.com/ Please support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/foodhistorypod Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: @foodhistorypod Instagram: @foodhistorypod Facebook: facebook.com/foodhistorypod

15:31