The Fantastic History Of Food

Nick Charlie Key

Stories of the fun, bizarre and often ridiculous, history of food.

Join me as we explore The Fantastic History of Food.

Contact me on foodhistorypod@gmail.com

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59 episodes
Updated June 19

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Episodes59

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18 - The Worlds Most Dangerous (And Illegal) Cheese
For this episode we're travelling to the small Italian island of Sardinia where we explore the a generations long delicacy known as Casu Marzu. While the Sardinian people love it, it's been named as the worlds most dangerous cheese by the Guinness...
Aug 30, 2020 · 18 min
17 - When Drinking Coffee Could Get You Decapitated
This is the 2nd episode in our two part series on coffee. Last time we heard about the origins of coffee discovered by dancing goats in Ethiopia, as well as a few scandinavian kings who took a particular dislike to what they believed was the devils...
Jul 17, 2020 · 17 min
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....
Jun 30, 2020 · 17 min
15 - 3 Tales of Cheese: From Egyptian Mummies to Uruguayan Cannonballs
In this episode we explore one of the worlds favourite foods, CHEESE! We hear a bit about it's origin story and then dive into 3 different stories involving cheese throughout history, and it's a cracker! (Pun very much intended). Please support me on...
Jun 12, 2020 · 18 min
14 - Piracy, Witches and Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate has been a favourite drink of so many households throughout the ages. Not many people know the rich and varied history that this simple drink actually has. From Columbus first encountering chocolate in the 1500s to the deep connection it...
May 16, 2020 · 18 min
13 - Charles Darwin & The Glutton Club
Charles Darwin is one of the most famous men in history. Not as many people know about his penchant for eating almost every animal he studied, from puma to armadillo, tortoise to brown owl. Discover a whole new meaning of the phrase "survival of the...
Apr 26, 2020 · 15 min
12 - The Man Who Ate King Louis XIV's Heart
William Buckland and his son Francis were two men whose goal in life seemed to be to consume every single animal on earth. From bluebottle flies to mice on toast they were not afraid to try anything put in front of them, not even a mummified king's...
Mar 20, 2020 · 15 min
11 - Bathing In A Meaty Broth
Throughout medieval times all the way until the 19th century, there are tales of people using food in all manner of creative ways. We know that ultimately what we put into our bodies will have either a positive or a negative effect on our wellbeing....
Mar 6, 2020 · 14 min
10 - Hitler And The Secret 'Margarine Whale' Plan
Hitler had a plan to make Germany self-sufficient during World War 2. The German people had a craving for margarine, unlike any other nation. In order to keep his people happy, Hitler and his advisors hatched a crazy plan to try and ensure that they...
Feb 21, 2020 · 16 min
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,...
Sep 12, 2019 · 16 min
8 - Tapioca Time-Bomb
It's August 1972 and the Swiss freighter Cassarate is bound for Europe with 1.5 Million kg's of Tapioca on board. Somewhere along the way a fire breaks out below decks. Mix tapioca, heat and the water from the firehoses, and you've just set in motion...
Aug 23, 2019 · 12 min
7 - The Deadly Tidal Wave Of Molasses
Just 2 months after WW1 one of the most bizarre tragedies in history would strike a crowded neighbourhood in Boston. Thanks to some unseasonably warm weather, some poor construction and the greed of some factory owners, the saying "sugar is bad for...
Jul 26, 2019 · 14 min
6 - The California Egg War of 1863
The California gold rush in the mid-1800's brought hundreds of thousands of people through San Francisco in a very short amount of time. The sudden demand for food sparked an entirely different type of rush, and fortune hunters turned their attentions...
Jul 15, 2019 · 16 min
5 - Ancient Warrior Diet: Ninjas From Medieval Japan
Ninjas are everyones favourite ancient warrior class. We take a look behind the scenes at what fueled these simple guerrilla warriors and kept them in such lithe and agile shape. For show notes and references please visit...
Jun 29, 2019 · 12 min
4 - When a NY Yankee Challenged an Ostrich To A Spaghetti Eating Competition
Francesco Stephano Pezzolo, otherwise known as Ping Bodie, was a famous slugger for the NY Yankees just after WW1. This is the story of the day he challenged the famous Jacksonville ostrich Percy "The Worlds Greatest Eater" to a spaghetti eating...
Jun 29, 2019 · 13 min
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...
Jun 29, 2019 · 15 min
2 - A Conspiracy. A Murder. An Egyptian Bread Pudding.
An exploration of three different origin stories for the famous Egyptian pudding Om Ali. We dive deep into the story of the famous female Sultan Shajar Al Durr, and her far reaching influence in the empire. For show notes and references please visit...
Jun 29, 2019 · 16 min
1 - The Day Paris Ate Its Zoo Animals
It's 1870 and Paris is under siege. It's the middle of the Franco-Prussian war, and the German army has the city surrounded. Their food and supply lines are cut off and the Parisians find that they have to start getting creative with the produce they...
Jun 29, 2019 · 14 min
Introducing The Fantastic History Of Food
Season One of 'The Fantastic History Of Food' will soon be launching with the first 5 episodes. I'd really appreciate all of your help in getting more listeners for this podcast as we head towards the launch. The best way to do that is to leave a...
Jun 25, 2019 · 1 min

The Fantastic History Of Food

Support the show

18 - The Worlds Most Dangerous (And Illegal) Cheese

17 - When Drinking Coffee Could Get You Decapitated

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

15 - 3 Tales of Cheese: From Egyptian Mummies to Uruguayan Cannonballs

14 - Piracy, Witches and Hot Chocolate

13 - Charles Darwin & The Glutton Club

12 - The Man Who Ate King Louis XIV's Heart

11 - Bathing In A Meaty Broth

10 - Hitler And The Secret 'Margarine Whale' Plan

9 - The German Coconut Cult

8 - Tapioca Time-Bomb

7 - The Deadly Tidal Wave Of Molasses

6 - The California Egg War of 1863

5 - Ancient Warrior Diet: Ninjas From Medieval Japan

4 - When a NY Yankee Challenged an Ostrich To A Spaghetti Eating Competition

3 - A Gross History Of Competitive Eating

2 - A Conspiracy. A Murder. An Egyptian Bread Pudding.

1 - The Day Paris Ate Its Zoo Animals

Introducing The Fantastic History Of Food