Listen "The History of Food: The Universalization of Regional Food Practices"
Episode Synopsis
Stanley Chodorow, Emeritus Professor of History at UC San Diego, traces the evolution of food preservation, preparation, and production from ancient times to the modern era. He explores early methods such as drying, salting, and ice cellars, advances like iceboxes, refrigeration, and flash freezing, and innovations in cooking technology from open fires to gas and electric stoves. Chodorow examines the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture, and transformative tools like the wheeled plow and horse harness. He highlights the rise of industrialized food, refrigerated transport, and global trade in products such as sugar, chocolate, and processed foods. Concluding with the health impacts of dietary changes since the shift from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies, he offers a sweeping view of how technology has shaped what—and how—we eat. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40966]
More episodes of the podcast Science (Audio)
Targeting the MLL Complex in Leukemia
01/10/2025
Lessons from La Jolla Shores
29/09/2025
From Uncertainty to Early Warning: Advancing Sundowner Wind Science to Reduce Wildfire Risk
19/09/2025
Cellular Reprogramming in Human Disease
13/09/2025
Bach Lives!
09/09/2025