Follow the Crumbs

We’re back! The Dumpling Diaries continue with the unlikely journey of a Central Asian street food that became one of South Asia’s most beloved snacks. We discuss all the words to describe a flaky pastry enveloping a spiced meat and vegetable mixture, the Mamluks and the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, and how the earliest … Continue reading Dumplings Diaries 4: The Seventh Samosa

As we gear up for Thanksgiving, we revisit an all-American food favorite. We discuss one of America’s most divisive and storied holiday desserts: pumpkin pie. We discuss Indigenous farming practices, the myth of the first Thanksgiving, and how New England used tourism to elevate the story of Plymouth Rock. Finally, we discuss the connection between … Continue reading Holiday Rewind: American Pie

After a HUGE hiatus, we’re back! We traveled, we lost sleep, we experienced life’s ups and downs, but here we are, returning to our first love – this podcast. And we resume talking about dumplings. This week, we discuss a true champion of dumplings (the momo), Ancient Nepalese-Tibetan geopolitics, and Buddhist mythology. Finally, Faye can’t … Continue reading Dumpling Diaries 3: Lost in the Himalayas

This week, we dig into our first dumping – the humble gyoza. In our dumpling taxonomy, the gyoza is a “true dumpling.” We discuss Chinese medicine, the history of Sino-Japanese relations, and how gyoza (or their ancestors) may have been found in tombs in Western Asia. Finally, we argue that dumplings are good for your … Continue reading Dumpling Diaries 2: Memoirs of a Gyoza

We’re kicking off our long-awaited dumpling series by providing a methodology. Oftentimes, we find ourselves asking, “what is a dumpling,” and in this mini-episode, we provide the answer that will guide us throughout this series. We present three categories of dumplings and some examples. Finally, we leave you with some myths surrounding dumplings.

This week, we share a belated Eid and Easter episode with all of you. We discuss the parallels between Easter and the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, how Abrahamic religions incorporate maamoul into their springtime holidays, and why the ancient Egyptians had depictions of maamoul. Finally, we trace the history of date cultivation in the Middle East, … Continue reading One Maamoul to Rule Them All

This week, we postpone our dumplings series for one more festival-themed episode. Instead, we discuss a cake for all spring holidays in the Christian calendar, how a Christmas-time dessert became an Easter-time dessert, and the significance of Three Kings Day. Finally, we talk about enriched doughs.

This week, we dive into season 5 by ringing in the (Lunar) New Year. We explore the foods that make Lunar New Year special, the relationship between samurais and mochi, and how a bowl of tteokguk can give you another year of life. Finally, we discuss the pun that gave the world longevity noodles.

This week, we trace the pagan roots of the Christmas season. We discuss big tree fires, why the bouche de noel (Christmas cake) looks like a log, and how leaders repackaged pre-Christian traditions for a converted populace. Finally, we discuss exactly why yule logs are so difficult for bakers on and off the Great British … Continue reading Yule Be Home for Christmas

This week, we’re deep in Holiday Season, as we discuss one of America’s most divisive and storied holiday desserts: pumpkin pie. We discuss Indigenous farming practices, the myth of the first Thanksgiving, and how New England used tourism to elevate the story of Plymouth Rock. Finally, we discuss the connection between the Civil War and … Continue reading American Pie

This week, we’re taking on seasonal treats. We discuss a marketing strategy that worked too well, how candied fruits traveled from China to the Americas, and the connection between Yeats and candied apples. Finally, we explore the dental dangers of various kinds of hard-shelled apples.

In this episode, we’re diving into one of Mexico’s beloved cocktails – the margarita. Of course, the history of this drink is murky, and we explore the margarita’s competing origin stories. We discuss a showgirl who was allergic to every alcohol except tequila, a house party hosted by Dallas socialite and a Hilton in Acapulco, … Continue reading Remember the Margarita!

This week, we’re ending our wheat series with yet another revolution. But this time, we’re not talking about a political revolution. We discuss the hottest fads in farming, the environmental impacts of fertilizer, and the negative impacts of an agricultural movement to end hunger. Finally, we talk about the superbugs that keep us up at … Continue reading Wheat Streets 8: Pan y Circo

This week, we’ve got yet another episode on bread and revolution. This time, we take our journey to Russia, where we discuss Romanov industrialization, the historical liberties in Anastasia, and how the women of Russia toppled an empire. Finally, Rasputin.

As our journey with wheat continues, we come to the most important event of the 20th century: The Great War. This week, we pick up right where we left off, and discuss why America’s grain couldn’t get to Europe fast enough, how Germany’s quest to feed its people may have prolonged the war, and how … Continue reading Wheat Streets 6: Brot and Peace

We’re back on our grain train! This week, we’re talking about wheat’s trip across the Atlantic, the role that railroads (yet again) play in the rise of a beloved food in the United States, and how a century of revolution in Europe allowed American farmers to feed the world. Finally, we discuss the rise of … Continue reading Wheat Streets 5: Grown in the U.S.A.

It was only a matter of time. As we continue our stories on wheat, we return to a very familiar theme: bread and revolution. This time we’re continuing last week’s discussion and finally exploring how the peasants took out their anger on the millers. We discuss the medieval farming practices, the storming of the Tower … Continue reading Wheat Streets 4: London Falling

This week, we’ve got another addition to our bread series and things are getting personal. We talk about why everyone hated the millers, how peasants avoided eating bread, and how pubs became central to medieval English villages. Finally, we discuss Chaucer.

This week, we continue our bread series, and this time, we go from Egypt to Rome. And with our entrance to Rome, we explore burdensome Roman economics, analyze Jesus’s bread and loaves, and revisit our old discussions of grain and revolution. We conclude our discussion just as Rome did – with the fall of the … Continue reading Wheat Streets 2: Roman around

We’re starting a new staple series, and this time, we’re turning to Oprah’s favorite carb, bread. In this episode, we start at the very beginning and explore how a hard seed that broke people’s teeth became the central food for some of the oldest civilizations in the world. We discuss the how women probably invented … Continue reading Wheat Streets: The Bread Books, pt. 1