Temperance and Table Podcast

In today's episode we give an overview of scandals that have happened in the world of chocolate! Happy Valentine's Day

References:

1. Smithsonian Magazine — The Dark History of Chocolate
2. BBC Future — How Chocolate Became a Global Obsession
3. Book: Sweetness and Power by Sidney Mintz
4. FDA History Office — Early food adulteration laws (chocolate & sweets)
5. The Guardian — Articles on modern chocolate labeling & “fake chocolate”

In this episode, we uncover one of the most overlooked and disturbing stories from Prohibition: the federal poisoning program. When industrial alcohol became the main source for bootleg liquor, the U.S. government deliberately increased the toxicity levels to deter drinking — despite public health warnings and mounting deaths. We explore how the program worked, why it continued, how speakeasies tried (and failed) to make the alcohol safe, and what this meant for communities who unknowingly consumed deadly spirits. This is a story of policy gone wrong, a public unaware of the danger, and a chapter of American alcohol history that deserves far more attention.

#prohibition #truecrime #foodhistory #temperanceandtable #chefjennyfox #historypodcast #prohibitionera #toxicspirits #foodcrime

 In this episode, we’re stepping into one of the most fascinating food fraud cases of all time: Rudy Kurniawan, the man who created a fake empire of high-end wines and sold them to billionaires at auction. From blending cheap wines in his kitchen to forging rare vintages worth tens of thousands of dollars, Rudy changed the wine world ... until the truth caught up with him. We explore how he pulled off his scam, why collectors believed him, and how his downfall reshaped modern wine authentication.