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
Episode 270: Rose Water Festival and Saffron Tales
Roses are indigenous to Iran and distilling the essential oils of the flower to make rose water has been practiced there for over 2,500 years. Every May, when the city of Kashan is enveloped in pink …
00:36:26 |
Thu 18 May 2017
Episode 269: America's First Foodie
On the season premiere of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Elizabeth Federici and Kathleen Squires, the director/producer and producer, respectively, of the new documentary film …
00:38:22 |
Thu 11 May 2017
Episode 268: Popular History: Food
For years Food History remained the purview of a few researchers writing papers for academic journals. But recently interest has grown in knowing what we ate in times past, and where certain foods in…
00:38:55 |
Thu 20 Apr 2017
Episode 267: Tea Time
This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by tea sommelier for the historic St. Regis Hotel in New York City, Elizabeth Knight.
Widely recognized as one of the country’s fore…
00:50:19 |
Thu 13 Apr 2017
Episode 266: Persia: Cuisines without Borders
The countries in the Persian culinary region are home to diverse religions, cultures, languages, and politics, but they are linked by captivating food traditions. The intrepid traveler, food writer …
00:47:22 |
Thu 23 Mar 2017
Episode 265: A Little Bit Irish
Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day, or so the saying goes. It's a celebration that's been going on in America since the mid 1700's. And except for the soda bread, the food of the da…
00:36:14 |
Thu 16 Mar 2017
Episode 264: Pho: History in a Bowl
Andrea Nguyen, an author, food writer, culinary teacher and expert in Vietnamese cooking, learned to love the iconic noodle soup of Vietnam long before it became a cult food item in the US. She trav…
00:47:51 |
Thu 23 Feb 2017
Episode 263: African American History Through the Lens of Food NMAAHC
The recently completed Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and …
00:34:38 |
Thu 16 Feb 2017
Episode 262: Handwritten Recipes and Marginalia
Handwritten Recipes is a living platform for culinary memories curated and edited by Rozanne Gold, a well-known chef and cookbook author. The column is part of the the website Handwrittenwork.com cre…
00:44:29 |
Thu 02 Feb 2017
Episode 261: What's a Wok? The Evolution of Chinese Food in America
Chinese food first became popular in America under the shadow of violence against Chinese aliens. In her book Chow Chop Suey, Anne Mendelson traces the introduction of an altered Cantonese cuisine to…
00:44:42 |
Thu 19 Jan 2017
Episode 260: History and Origin of Coconuts and Their Use in Cooking
Today is the launch the 8th Winter/Spring season of A Taste of the Past. To get this season cracking Ramin Ganeshram joins me to talk all about the background, history, and folklore of coconuts. Wher…
00:49:42 |
Thu 12 Jan 2017
Episode 259: Celebrations of Winter Solstice
The winter solstice is the longest night of the year. Since ancient times, people all over the world have recognized this important astronomical occurrence and celebrated the subsequent “return” of t…
00:35:52 |
Thu 22 Dec 2016
Episode 258: What Menus Tell Us
Menus hold a vast amount of historic information on America's culture, social history, economy, and everyday life. Food and culture historian and menu collector Henry Voigt shares some of the stories…
00:39:41 |
Thu 15 Dec 2016
Episode 257: All About Butter
From an accidental churning in ancient times to the modern day quest for the purest, silkiest spreads, butter has a very rich history. Historian Elaine Khosrova, author of Butter, A Rich History, sha…
00:48:39 |
Thu 08 Dec 2016
Episode 256: As American as...Black Pepper? Surprising Flavors of American Cuisine
American cuisine is often described as bland, but throughout our history flavors and spices such as pepper, vanilla, curry powder and soy sauce have crossed the ocean to define our ever-changing pala…
00:45:53 |
Thu 01 Dec 2016
Episode 255: A Culinary Journey: Historic Food Traditions
Intrepid traveler and writer Shane Mitchell shares her insights into the culture and regional cuisines of remote communities around the world from her book, Far Afield: Rare Food Encounters Around th…
00:49:09 |
Thu 17 Nov 2016
Episode 254: The Myth of the Italian Mamma
Artist, writer, and accomplished cook Rob Chirico talks about growing up with an Italian mother who would rather be anywhere but the kitchen. In fact, he wrote an entire book about it, "Not My Mother…
00:27:40 |
Thu 10 Nov 2016
Episode 253: China: 3000 Years of Flavor
Since ancient times Chinese cuisine has been a reflection of cultural triumph and struggle. From political battles and famines to a proliferation of gastronomic arts, food has been embedded in the na…
00:38:30 |
Thu 03 Nov 2016
Episode 252: American Cake
Cakes in America aren't just about sugar, flour, and frosting. They have a deep, rich history that developed as our country grew. Cakes in some form or other have been around for millennia and were b…
00:44:04 |
Thu 20 Oct 2016
Episode 251: What's In a Name: A Spirits History
In 1765 Richard Hennessy created the eponymous Cognac. Today, Maurice Hennessy, 8th generation, joins us to tell the story. And Kara Newman talks about the Negroni and other cocktail history from her…
00:43:45 |
Thu 13 Oct 2016
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of Heritage Radio Network. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.