About Janette Speyer

Join me on a journey through history to explore how centuries of culture have shaped the way we eat. I’m passionate about both food and history. I spend a great deal of time learning about the traditions and flavors that influenced what we eat today.

Stolen, Sacred, and Sold: The Story of Vanilla

Vanilla is one of the most sought-after flavors on earth. Shaped by conquest and unlocked by a 12-year-old enslaved boy’s genius, its story is one of power and labor. Before it became the backbone of desserts, vanilla was rare and fiercely difficult to cultivate. Discover the roots of our favorite flavoring.

What’s On Your Plate? A History of Food Fraud and Crime

What’s really on your plate? What if your morning coffee once contained sawdust… or your “beef” wasn’t beef at all? The history of food fraud reveals the dark truth behind what we eat. Deception, danger, and crime have long shaped our food system and still do.

Garum: The Ancient Roman “Ketchup” That Vanished

Garum, a fermented fish sauce poured on almost everything was the Roman Ketchup. Prized for its umami flavor and traded like luxury goods, Garum vanished after the empire fell… yet its descendants survive in Italy’s Colatura di Alici and Southeast Asia’s fish sauces. Modern chefs are now bringing this ancient flavor back, proving that some tastes truly never die

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