Burt Wolf: What We Eat
How Sweet It Is: The Story of Sugar (#102)
Sugar started out in Asia, traveled to the Middle East and then to Europe, first as a medicine. [26 minutes]
This episode has not aired in the past few months on Iowa Public Television.
Series Description: In BURT WOLF: WHAT WE EAT, Burt Wolf travels through the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the United States to commemorate the 500th anniversary of an era that sowed the most important seeds of change. With the help of some of the world's leading experts, he uncovers how the migrations of people, plants and animals that started between 1492 and 1502 continue to impact the culture, economics and the diet of the world today. From the introduction of horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens into the New World, to the exportation of spices, corn, potatoes, chocolate, peanuts, Chile peppers, tomatoes and beans to Europe and beyond, these exchanges continue to have profound effects on the daily lives of people and societies everywhere.
All Episodes
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When Money Grew On Trees: The Story of Chocolate (#101)
Look at the history of chocolate in Mexico, its arrival in Spain & its history in Europe & America. [27 minutes]
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How Sweet It Is: The Story of Sugar (#102)
Sugar started out in Asia, traveled to the Middle East and then to Europe, first as a medicine. [26 minutes]
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Some Like It Hot: The Story of Chili Peppers (#103)
Learn how the hot pepper spread around the world and changed cooking from China to India to Texas. [25 minutes]
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Domesticated Bliss: The Story of Livestock In America (#104)
When the domesticated animals of Europe arrived, they changed the way people lived, ate & traveled. [25 minutes]
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Time to Play Ketchup: The Story of the Tomato (#105)
Learn the true origin of ketch, how tomatoes first got to Europe and the history of tomato juice. [25 minutes]
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This Spud's for You: How the Potato Changed the World (#106)
The potato saved people during wars, changed farming & caused a population explosion in Ireland. [27 minutes]
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The Seed of Life: The Story of Corn (#107)
Corn oil, corn starch & corn syrup have become essential to every industrial society on the planet. [26 minutes]
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Milk's Leap Toward Immortality: The Story of Cheese (#108)
Trace the history of cheese with a close look at what has happened in California. [26 minutes]
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Taking The High Grounds: The Story of Coffee (#109)
A look at the discovery of coffee, its control over nations economies & how it's grown & processed, [26 minutes]
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The Hand That Stirred the Pot: African Foods in America (#110)
The origins of traditional African foods and the roles they play in western cooking and culture. [25 minutes]
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Simple Pleasures: Mediterranean Foods in the Americas (#111)
The history of Mediterranean foods and how they have affected people in Europe and the Americas. [26 minutes]
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Here's Looking at You Kid: The Story of Wine In The Americas (#112)
The history, folklore & culture of winemaking in America from the earliest plantings to the present. [25 minutes]
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Connecting The Dots: An Overview of the Consuming Passions Ignited by Columbus (#113)
A look at the forces that led to the voyages of Christopher Columbus and their effect on our world. [27 minutes]