Caesar cocktails with pickled asparagus garnish

We're getting saucy with a discussion about the etymology and history of condiments -- from Roman garum to Worcestershire sauce, through Escoffier and seasonings, to the global implications of ketchup.

Show Notes

Sources for this episode:

Jurafsky, Dan. The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu
Bober, Phyllis Pray. Art, Culture, & Cuisine: Ancient & Medieval Gastronomy. U of Chicago P, 1999.
Curtis, Robert I. “In Defense of Garum”. The Classical Journal, Vol. 78, No. 3 (Feb. - Mar., 1983), pp. 232-240.
Corcoran, Thomas H. “Roman Fish Sauces”. The Classical Journal, Vol. 58, No. 5 (Feb., 1963), pp. 204-210.

Some history of ketchup, with early English recipes

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We discuss the origins of the Gimlet cocktail, the stories about its name, and its connection to the treatment of scurvy; then we talk about some of the other diseases tied to the early era of European expansion and colonialism, including the classical history of malaria in Greece and Rome. Also featuring conversation about gin, the pronunciation of quinine, and a cameo appearance by Alexander the Great!