The Delicious Legacy

Hello! Welcome back to another archaeogastronomical adventure! Today's episode is all about ancient vegetarianism. And the philosopher Pythagoras is the central figure on all the stuff we talk today. Pythagoras, the father of mathematics, was born and raised in Samos. around 580BCE. Even though Pythagoras spent more than forty years in his birthplace, he eventually decided to set sail for new seas; his thirst for knowledge led him to travel throughout most of the then known world, most notably Egypt and Babylon, centres of wisdom knowledge and secret mystical rites, before settling down to Croton, a town in Magna Graecia, modern Southern Italy. Notes for some names dropped: Theophrastus (c. 371–287 BCE) was a Peripatetic philosopher who was Aristotle's close colleague and successor at the Lyceum. He wrote many treatises in all areas of philosophy, in order to support, improve, expand, and develop the Aristotelian system. Of his few surviving works, the most important are Peri phytōn historia (“Inquiry into Plants”) and Peri phytōn aitiōn (“Growth of Plants”), comprising nine and six books, respectively. Aulus Gellius (c. 125 – after 180 AD) was a Roman author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome. Ovid (born March 20, 43 bce, Sulmo, Roman Empire [now Sulmona, Italy]—died 17 ce, Tomis, Moesia [now Constanṭa, Romania]) was a Roman poet noted especially for his Ars amatoria and Metamorphoses. Vetch: A member of the pea family, Fabaceae, which forms the third largest plant family in the world with over thirteen thousand species. Of these species, the bitter vetch, was one of the first domesticated crops grown by neolithic people. There are many different vetch species, the purple flowered varieties are all safe to eat. Music Credits: Pavlos Kapralos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzgAonk4-uVhXXjKSF-Nz1A Thanks for listening! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! When did the word 'Barbecue' appeared in our language? As a technique it has been used under various guises from all humans, throughout the planet... This early appearance from 1709: I have been often in their Hunting-Quarters, where a roasted or barbakued Turkey, eaten with Bears Fat, is held a good Dish; Or this from 1707 "The Three Pigs of Peckham, Broiled Under an Apple Tree" ...the white folks of Peckham, Jamaica, had “their English appetites so deprav’d and vitiated” by rum that they desired “a Litter of Pigs nicely cook’d after the West Indian manner.” Three hogs were placed on a wooden frame over coals, and “the best part of the town of Peckham” turned out to watch and to eat, “expressing as much Joy in the Looks and Actions, as a Gang of wild Cannibals who, when they have taken a Stranger, first dance round him, and afterwards devour him.” Can we say that every technique that uses fire and smoke, even if it's spit roasting or grilling to a degree, constitutes a barbecuing technique? And what is that we find so attractive so convivial? Listen, and get hungry! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered how common or rare the ovens once were? What was the original mince pie? And what was the first EVER bread humankind invented? Hello! Welcome back to another archaeogastronomical adventure! Today I have as a guest an old friend of the podcast; Dr Neil Buttery and we have a good long chat about his new book, all about baking! The book will be released on 12th of September and our interview today will give you a taste of the subjects covered in the book as well some of our favourite baked goods, and myths that are baked in our societies and have to do with the discovery of certain items! You can pre-order 'Knead to Know' here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/knead-to-know/neil-buttery/9781837731213 Neil has also another book ready for publishing, for The British Library, called "The Philosophy of Puddings" which is released on 24th of October! and you can find it here: https://shop.bl.uk/products/the-philosophy-of-puddings Enjoy! Thom & The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is with vinegar? Why it is so popular as an ingredient in our cooking? Why do we love the sour taste so much when mixed in our dishes? In the ancient Mediterranean vinegar was practically always made from wine, hence the epic epithet oininon oxos 'winy vinegar' employed by Archestratus. Vinegar is most often used as a culinary ingredient and as a preservative. Numerous medicinal uses are listed by ancient physicians. A vinegar and water mixture, known in Greek as oxykraton, was also used medicinally. A very similar mixture, flavoured with herbs, formed a popular cheap drink (Latin posca, Greek oxos and later phouska) Music by Pavlos Kapralos. Enjoy! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Pickled food through the ages and continents! We will go to the ancient lands of China, India, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome, and through them to Persia, the Arab world, Spain and Latin America! I think a history of civilization is a history of pickles, and fermentation! Without fermentation we wouldn't have beer, wine, cheese, miso, kimchi. sauerkraut and pickled herrings! Where would we be then huh? Or how the lactobacillales domesticated humankind... We will also be seeing a medieval chutney from Richard the II's cookbook "Forme of Cury", evidence of the first "modern" mention of brined cheese aka feta from Crete, the emergence of Dutch pickled herrings and how it conquered Europe, a brief history of saurekraut, Indian pickles, why balsamic vinegar is such a special vinegar, and of course the holy triptych of soya beans- soy sauce- miso! Sources used in this episode is Jan Davidsons book: Pickles A Global History and the fantastic Noma Guide to Fermentation alongside with Cato "Liber De Agricultura" and Columella's "De Re Rustica" agricultural manual Music theme is Seikilos Epitaph the oldest recorded surviving melody, performed by the formidable Panos Kapralos. Thank you and enjoy! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! With the arrival of the Olympic Games in Paris, we have a reached a peak of reminders of the ancient Greek Olympic games and with them, a tonne of misinformation and misconceptions about the ancient Olympians! Well, the most important thing, was left out however from most of these articles; The food and the drink and the partying in Ancient Olympia! What was it like? How did an ancient Olympian athlete and a winner ate, what was their diet and how they've used food and wine as ways to cheat their way to the first place? These and a lot more, with myths from the ancient times on today's episode! Enjoy! The Delicious Legacy Music by Pavlos Kapralos Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Part two of our archaeogastronomical adventure is out! How the myth of Marco Polo bringing "pasta" back to Italy started? What's the truth behind it? What are the origins of tea and tea drinking ceremonies? How important are dairy products, milk and cheese in Chinese culinary history and what's the impact today? All this and a lot more on our episode today! Excited to have as a guest Professor Thomas DuBois introducing us to his new book, an adventure through China's culinary history "China in Seven Banquets, A Flavourful History", published by Reaktion Books: https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/china-in-seven-banquets You can purchase Professor Thomas DuBois book from many online shops like here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/china-in-seven-banquets/thomas-david-dubois/9781789148619 Enjoy part two, of our adventure through China! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Excited to have as a guest Professor Thomas DuBois introducing us to his new book, an adventure through China's culinary history "China in Seven Banquets, A Flavourful History" , published by Reaktion Books: https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/china-in-seven-banquets You can purchase Professor Thomas DuBois book from many online shops like here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/china-in-seven-banquets/thomas-david-dubois/9781789148619 Enjoy part one, and I'll see you next week for part two! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enjoy a nearly three thousand year exploration of Persian food, culture and inventions that made our culinary pleasures, even more pleasurable! Info if you want to find out about yakhtchal, the ancient Persian refrigerators check here; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%C4%81l The Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”) By Ferdowsi -the Persian epic poem https://sdbiblestudy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/The-Shahnameh.pdf Medieval Persian Cookbook "A Baghdad Cookery Book" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baghdad-Cookery-Book-Al-oTabaikh-Culinaires/dp/1903018420/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/258-4486056-9939464?pd_rd_w=h0uD7&content-id=amzn1.sym.46f507f3-7fc1-4bf4-9492-ed026d6e4f68&pf_rd_p=46f507f3-7fc1-4bf4-9492-ed026d6e4f68&pf_rd_r=CY9W5FDBRDZ88YJH8B8J&pd_rd_wg=jGw6S&pd_rd_r=287bc114-87a3-4bc4-bc48-174d24e4ac0b&pd_rd_i=1903018420&psc=1 -How Persian Kings and the Imperial Court was drinking wine from rhyton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yJCay1_CA4 Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Khalili Batmanglij https://www.najmieh.com/book/food-of-life-ancient-persian-and-modern-iranian-cooking-and-ceremonies/ I hope you will enjoy this episode as much as I did! Much love, Thom & The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An early fourteenth-century Baghdadi cookbook begins thus: “The pleasures of this world are six: food, drink, clothing, sex, scent, and sound. The most eminent and perfect of these is food, for food is the foundation of the body and the material of life.” What is a "rhyton"? What's a yakhtchal? And how is that Persian walled gardens are connected to Christian paradise? I am Darius, the great king, the king of kings, the king in Persia, the king of countries, the son of Hystaspes, the grandson of Arsames, the Achaemenide. Join me on this new episode to explore nearly three thousand years of Persian food, culture and inventions that elevated our culinary pleasures to higher standards that we still follow to this day! Music by Pavlos Kapralos and Motion Array Enjoy! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Burmese food writer turned activist MiMi Aye has been raising awareness about the crisis in Myanmar since the coup in February 2021. MiMi’s award-winning book ‘MANDALAY: Recipes & Tales from a Burmese Kitchen’ is loved by Nigella Lawson and was chosen by The Observer, The FT, and The Mail on Sunday as one of their Best Books of 2019. MiMi also co-hosts the food and culture podcast The MSG Pod and is on social media as @meemalee Thanks for listening, The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Many other improprieties a good servant will avoid.’ ... Rules for health, hygiene and manners in Middle Ages... Yes! They existed. People were worried about manners, and food poisoning and etiquette. Yes people washed their hands before they sat on the table. And much, much more! Listen to todays fascinating episode! Voiceover on "The babees book" by Lucy Davidson. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-davidson-a31682136/ Enjoy! x The Delicious Legacy Books on medieval manners: Frederick James Furnivall, ed., Early English meals and manners: John Russell’s Boke of nurture, Wynkyn de Worde’s Boke of keruynge, The boke of curtasye, R. Weste’s Booke of demeanor, Seager’s Schoole of vertue, The babees book, Aristotle’s A B C, Urbanitatis, Stans puer ad mensam. For the overview of medieval table manners see Hammond, Food and Feast, 116–19; Henisch, Fast and Feast, 159–203; Gies, Life in a Medieval Castle, 116; and Hans Sachs, “Ein Tischzucht,” in Astrid Stedje, Deutsch gestern und heute: Einführung in Sprachgeschichte und Sprachkunde (Lund: Liber Läromedel, 1979), 130. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Rice is a very ancient food…People ate rice perhaps from 12000 BCE gathered with other seeds and nuts. Today every third person on earth eats rice every day in one form or another. Rice is grown on about 250 million farms in 112 countries. But one dish more than any other, defines the global reach of rice and how it is claimed by many nations and has a deep, complex history: Biryani! From Persian "birinj biriyan" - literally, fried rice, to the Mughal Empire and an old Mughlai recipe from Shah Jahan's kitchen, to subtle pulaos that let the fragrance and flavour of highly aromatic rice shine through and would have been considered more refined and fit for a king there's a rich cultural trail to follow in todays exploration of one of my favourite rice dishes! Enjoy! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How old is a Greek salad? And how 'Greek' for that matter? Who introduced the potato to the Greeks? What other dark misunderstandings the introduction of the tomato and potato in Europe has?( and what's got to do with werewolves?) And finally some delightful tomato recipes from the Greek Cycladic Islands for your gastronomic enjoyment! Just to kick start your summer! Enjoy! The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Nikolaos Tselementes. His name is what every Greek says when talking about cookbook. "Did you look at the Tselementes for your recipe"? Indeed when I was growing up i thought that a guide to cooking, or a book with recipes was called "Tselementes"! :-) On his death in 1958, the impression one is most likely to get from the statements of such well-known men of letters and esteemed journalists writing about him, is that before Tselementes there was chaos in the Greek kitchen. Idle, ignorant women who very little about cooking forced their poor husbands to live on one bad meal after another, a Situation that often resulted in divorce… Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. The unanimous adoration for the author of the first complete cookbook written in modern Greek, and based on French cooking, was the result of a sweeping trend that started at the turn of the century. This trend was created by the rich and travelled upper classes —- especially those wealthy Greeks living in the Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria - who, imitating their English and French neighbours, were eager to leave their Eastern past behind and become Europeans. Nothing of course is further from the truth! But let's find out about the life and legacy of this colossus of the modern Greek kitchen! Enjoy! Thom Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Welcome to part two of our exploration of the foods of Aztecs. Corn, food of the Gods and humans. The ceremonial drink cacao and the alcoholic drink pulque All here. Plus the importance of the Florentine Codex, a document with descriptions of many native plants and animals and customs of the Aztecs. Here is the Florentine Codex, digital edition with English translation too: https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/book/11/folio/1v?spTexts=&nhTexts= Enjoy! The Delicious Legacy podcast Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Season 5, has landed! Episode one, part one is out and it's all about the amazing, delicious and perhaps unique foods and farming methods of the Aztecs, and the other indigenous people of Mesoamerica, the area that roughly today covers the country of Mexico, itself a massive area with many unique ecological niches and diverse nature. The food and diet of Aztecs therefore can't be anything else but diverse, unique and adapted to the different climatic conditions of the area of modern Mexico City. So what do we know of their recipes, their dishes and their eating habits? Let's find out today and next week! Love The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Excite about Part2 of our Irish Food History! The Irish palette, is coarse like an oat cake. Fatty from butter and meat, and salty from preservation of food. What animal shaped the culture of Ireland more than any other? I'll give you a clue with this amazing myth and story. Táin Bó Cúailnge, the story of the cattle raid of Cooley! What's the relationship with fish and seafood? What if an alien came down to Ireland and saw this island, surrounded by sea, and thought the Irish would eat a lot of fish, what is the reality and how it has been shaped by history, poverty and religion? And what about the famous bog butter? Regina Sexton is Food and Culinary Historian, Programme Manager MA in Food Studies and Irish Foodways, University College Cork. She has been researching and publishing in the area of Irish food and culinary history since 1993. As such, she is the best possible person to takes us through an adventure through the history of Irish foodways! Enjoy the latest episode! Thom & The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pomponius Mela, a Roman geographer, who hailed from the Roman province of Baetica (now Andalusia) in southern Spain writing in 43AD, he described the Ireland and Irish people as “a people wanting in every virtue, and totally destitute of piety”. And yet this country was so “luxuriant in grasses” that if cattle were “allowed to feed too long, they would burst”. Hello! The ancient Greek geographer and explorer Pytheas of Massalia while exploring north west Europe named the land of Ireland "Ierni" and from there Claudius Ptolemaeus ("Ptolemy") called the island Iouerníā . The Roman historian Tacitus, in his book Agricola (c. 98 AD), uses the name Hibernia. It meant "land of winter", and he modern name Eire derives from here. So today's episode, part 1, is all about the food history and food culture of ancient Ireland. I've talked with food historian Regina Sexton who is based in Cork to give me all the fascinating details of the rich ancient food history of Irish people. Regina Sexton is a food and culinary historian, food writer, broadcaster and cook. She is also a graduate of Ballymaloe Cookery School holding a Certificate in Food and Cookery. She is the Programme Manager of UCC's Post-graduate Diploma in Irish Food Culture. She has published widely at academic and popular levels. Her publications include A Little History of IrishFood (Gill & Macmillan, 1998) and Ireland’s Traditional Foods (Teagasc, 1997) I hope you'll enjoy my discussion with her and join me soon for part 2! See you soon, Thom & The Delicious Legacy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

...Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the filtered beer of the collector vat, It is (like) the onrush of the Tigris and the Euphrates. Hello! The lines above are from a brilliant Assyrian hymn to the Goddess of the brewing process: Ninkasi. Also a good set of instructions on how to make beer! Aside from beer, there are many other inventions that Sumerians are credited with. But there is not enough time in my lifetime to write everything about Mesopotamian food! From Sumerians, to Akkadians to Assyrians and Babylonians, we're talking about civilizations and empires that lasted roughly four thousand years. More time has elapsed from the first cuneiform clay tablet in 3200BCE -when writing was invented- till the last tablet around 1st century AD, than from the last until today. What were their recipes? How do we know? And what about their food production systems and first documented agricultural practises? Enjoy! As you usual, if you want to contribute and help me do this podcast you can support me on Patreon. Music by the amazing Pavlos Kapralos! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzgAonk4-uVhXXjKSF-Nz1A Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.