Burt Wolf : what we eat: Some like it hot : the story of chili peppers
When Columbus set out from Spain, his objective was to get King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella into the black pepper business. He believed that the islands he landed on in the Caribbean were off the coast of China. When the natives showed Columbus chi...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: Milk's leap toward immortality : the story of cheese in California
People have been making cheese for over 5,000 years. Cheese has many advantages over milk. It is easy to travel with, takes up less space, and lasts longer. In America, cheese making was a skill that was passed from mother to daughter. Selling chees...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: Simple pleasures : Mediterranean foods in the Americas
The staples of the Mediterranean diet - wheat bread, wine and olive oil - were not present in the Americas before Columbus. When the Spanish colonists settled in America, the foods they brought with them from the Mediterranean were blended into the ...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: When money grew on trees : the story of chocolate
During his final voyage in 1502, the Mayans introduced Columbus to the cacao bean, which was an integral part of their diet. This program follows the history of chocolate from its importance to the Mayan culture, to its arrival in Spain and eventual...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: Here's looking at you kid : the story of winemaking in the Americas
This program looks at the importation of winemaking skills to America by the Spanish colonists, who were concerned that they had entered a world created by a devil that had no use for wine and its relationship to Christ. In 1524, grapevines were bro...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: The hand that stirred the pot : African foods in America
Over 10 million slaves were transported from Africa to the Americas, bringing with them their knowledge of how to grow and cook their traditional foods. The slaves came from many different tribes with many different diets. This program shows the maj...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: Taking the high grounds : the story of coffee
The first serious cultivation of coffee as a cash crop took place in Yemen during the 1400's. Islamic pilgrims spread it throughout the Muslim world. This program looks at the discovery of coffee, its ability to control the economy of major nations ...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: How sweet it is : the story of sugar
In 1493, Columbus planted sugar cane in Haiti. It eventually became one of the crops associated with "Triangular Trade," the basis for all British International Commerce. The Caribbean area could not hold onto a paid labor force because land was fre...
Burt Wolf : what we eat: This spud's for you : how the potato changed the world
First cultivated in the Andean Mountains of South America about 7,000 years ago, the potato fed the great Inca Empire and their Spanish conquerors. The potato became a staple of the sailors' diet because it prevented scurvy. Germany and the British ...