How and what we eat defines who we are. Food is both everywhere and nowhere, so normal that we rarely consider how radically the production and consumption of food have shaped not only human culture, but the environment as well (and how radically the production of food has changed over time).

Sample a little food history with historians Chris Otter, Helen Veit and Sam White, who reveal that what we shove into our mouths has shaped our cultures, our bodies and our planet.

*[This podcast was originally featured by Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, a partner institution of Fair Observer.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

Photo Credit: Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com