Ep 2. What Early Agriculturalists Ate

What Early Agriculturalists Ate, the second episode of season 1 of the show Food: A Cultural Culinary History, explores the dietary habits of early agricultural civilizations. The episode takes a deep dive into the diets of the early civilizations, including the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Greeks, and examines how their dietary habits influenced their culture and society.

Hosted by food historian and author Dr. Rachel Laudan, the episode begins by looking at the dietary habits of the Sumerians, one of the world's first agricultural civilizations. Dr. Laudan discusses how the Sumerians relied heavily on barley and beer for sustenance and how beer, in particular, played an important role in their religious ceremonies and social gatherings. She also highlights the importance of bread in Sumerian cuisine, showing how it was a staple food that helped sustain the civilization during times of drought and famine.

Moving on to the ancient Egyptians, Dr. Laudan delves into their reliance on the Nile River for irrigation and how this allowed them to cultivate crops such as wheat, barley, and figs. She also examines how the Egyptians' monumental building projects, such as the construction of the pyramids, impacted their diet, as laborers were provided with a diet of bread, beer, and vegetables. The episode further explores how the Egyptians' religious beliefs influenced their diet, examining the role played by ritual offerings of food, including bread and beer, to their gods.

The episode then turns its attention to the Ancient Greeks, discussing their reliance on the Mediterranean Sea for sourcing fish and seafood, as well as their cultivation of olives, grapes, and other crops. Dr. Laudan underscores the importance of wine in Greek culture, noting how it was used for medicinal purposes and how it played a central role in religious ceremonies. She also highlights the role played by bread in Greek cuisine, particularly in the form of flatbreads such as pita and lavash.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Laudan discusses the challenges early agricultural societies faced in terms of food storage, preservation, and distribution. She examines how food surpluses allowed societies to grow and expand, while food shortages could lead to societal breakdowns and even collapse.

In addition to exploring the dietary habits of early agricultural civilizations, the episode also highlights the contributions made by these societies to the development of the modern food system. Dr. Laudan discusses how early civilizations developed new agricultural techniques, such as crop rotation and irrigation, that allowed them to cultivate more food and sustain larger populations. She also examines the development of trade routes and the exchange of goods and ideas between different societies, which helped pave the way for the global food system we have today.

Overall, What Early Agriculturalists Ate provides a fascinating look at the dietary habits of early agricultural societies and the role played by food in shaping their culture and society. Through expert analysis and engaging storytelling, the episode offers insight into the challenges and triumphs faced by these early societies and how their culinary traditions continue to influence our own.