A Taste of the Past
Culinary historian Linda Pelaccio takes a journey through the history of food. Take a dive into food cultures through history, from ancient Mesopotamia and imperial China to the grazing tables and deli counters of today. Tune in as Linda, along with a guest list of culinary chroniclers and enthusiasts, explores the lively links between food cultures of the present and past.
- Update frequency
- every 17 days
- Average duration
- 39 minutes
- Episodes
- 409
- Years Active
- 2009 - 2025
Immigrant Italian Women and the Birth of an Italian American Foodway
In this episode Linda talks with Lucinda Scala Quinn about the history of immigrant Italian women who came to America between 1880 and 1924, fleeing the poverty of their southern Italian homes. They …
00:53:12 |
Wed 19 Mar 2025
The Foodways and Cooking of Nigeria
Nigerian food writer and cookbook author Ozoz Sokoh describes the historical foodways and evolution of the cuisine of Nigeria and its regions. From her new book, CHOP CHOP:: Cooking the Food of Niger…
01:02:54 |
Sat 15 Feb 2025
Elysian Kitchens
Monasteries, temples, mosques, and synagogues around the world preserve not only the world’s religions, but also cultural and culinary traditions, And those who cook in the kitchens of those sacred p…
00:45:13 |
Fri 17 Jan 2025
Gastronomic Journey of Peru
Peruvian gastronomy is one of the most diverse cuisines in the world, consisting of an extensive variety of distinctive dishes characteristic of each city in the country, stemming from the bio divers…
00:50:59 |
Wed 10 Apr 2024
Jewish Food Society: Preserving the Jewish Culinary Heritage from Around the World
From growing up in a Kibbutz, to a life in New York City where her work sits at the intersection of food, culture, community building, and art, landing her in a profile article in Vogue, Naama Shefi …
00:38:26 |
Thu 07 Mar 2024
Endangered Foods
Drawing on Slow Food's Ark of Taste, a list of endangered foods throughout the world, culinary historian Sarah Lohman decided to look closer at the American local culinary traditions and rare, cheris…
00:36:51 |
Tue 14 Nov 2023
Ways of Eating
Based on years of observation, ethnographic fieldwork, and countless shared meals, mother and son Merry White and Ben Wurgaft explore how our foods reach our plates and how every bite is part of a co…
00:41:42 |
Wed 25 Oct 2023
The Controversial History of Fasting
Fasting from food is a controversial, dangerous, and yet utterly normal human practice. Christine Baumgarthuber discusses our fascination with restrictive eating in cultural history from her new book…
00:41:21 |
Wed 04 Oct 2023
The Magic Eight: The Plants Native American Peoples Shared with the World
Lois Ellen Frank, Native foods historian, culinary anthropologist, and James Beard award winning cookbook author, joins Linda to talk about Native American foodways. She describes her teachings to Na…
00:41:43 |
Wed 20 Sep 2023
National Dish
What makes a national dish, and who decides? Food writer Anya Von Bremzen dives into the questions as she journeys to the heart of six of the world's most storied food traditions in search of how cui…
00:47:52 |
Wed 28 Jun 2023
America's Burgers with George Motz
Burger Scholar George Motz has spent decades researching, writing about, cooking, and eating America's favorite food: Hamburgers. His documentary film, Hamburger America, was recognized by the US Nat…
00:46:03 |
Thu 15 Jun 2023
Peanuts: Preserving History
Peanuts have a long history tied to indigenous South American people, early traders,and slavery. It was African slaves who brought the peanut to Virginia and planted and harvested the first crop. Som…
00:48:59 |
Thu 01 Jun 2023
Chefwise
Restaurants come and go, but chefs move on because it’s their career, their art, and, hopefully, their passion. But what are the secrets that lead to success? Tools of the trade—the craft-- are often…
00:40:38 |
Thu 04 May 2023
The Myth of Milk as Superfood
Cow’s milk in fluid drinking form was not introduced in America until the 17th century, and quickly gained popularity. Before long it was promoted as a science-backed dietary necessity even though a …
00:49:46 |
Thu 13 Apr 2023
Iconic New York Jewish Foods
Many of the foods brought by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe to New York have become some of the most iconic foods associated with New York City. Their popularity spread across the country and …
00:46:46 |
Thu 23 Mar 2023
Food of the Italian Islands
Italy is a land of ancient cultures, the fibers of which are woven through its everyday modern culture. Nowhere is this more noticeable than on the many islands which dot the Mediterranean waters of …
00:48:14 |
Thu 09 Mar 2023
The Philosophy of Curry
Curry is a word imbued with many meanings and mixed emotions. From the time of colonialism, it was long used to describe Indian food in general, a term that often had derogatory connotations to those…
00:45:22 |
Thu 09 Feb 2023
Unraveling The Food of Taiwan with Cathy Erway
Taiwanese food is closely associated with Fujian and Japanese cuisine. There is a lot of braising, pickling, steaming, deep-frying, and noodles. Linda talks with Taiwanese-American food blogger, cook…
00:44:02 |
Thu 26 Jan 2023
The History and Revival of Gelatin
There was a time, beginning about 500 years ago, when aspic/gelatin represented the finest, most elite, five-star dining experience. Jello dishes—savory and sweet-- appeared in abundance in the follo…
00:44:20 |
Thu 12 Jan 2023
The Miracle of Salt
Naomi Duguid has written fabulous books that are not only history and gastronomic adventures, but travelogues as well. In her newest work, she focuses on one ingredient--salt--and the essential role …
00:51:49 |
Thu 01 Dec 2022
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