History: 10 Foods Which Changed History

Today we have access to a wide range of different foods at reasonable prices a great many of them grown and manufactured in other parts of the world. Hundreds of years ago Europeans were at a distinct disadvantage as many of these early desirable foods were available on the other side of the world and the trade itself was often controlled by others. Join us to look at how a range of foods, including sugar, spices, gin and tea amongst others were instrumental in shaping history profoundly. Want to know more about how food changed world history and how it drives the European drive for world exploration, colonialism and leads to the beginning of the modern forms of capitalism we know today then this is the place to start.

Find out how these foodstuffs began to be used and how they caused fundamental changes to the way we lived and to international relations. We will see how far successive rulers and governments were prepared to go to source these foods, and consider how they were regarded at the time and how they continue to influence us to this day.