Throughline

The Bitter History of Chocolate


Listen Later

What's better than holiday hot chocolate? If just thinking about it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, well – that’s by design. Chocolate's big history sweeps across the globe, and today we’re going on that journey: from the pre–Columbus Americas, to an early 20th century reporter’s hunch about what cocoa production really takes, to a 21st century medical student’s story about his childhood on a farm that produces those holiday treats.

Guests:

Carla Martin,
 lecturer in African and African American Studies at Harvard University and President of the Board of the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research

Catherine Higgs, professor of history at the University of British Columbia in Canada

Shadrack Frimpong, founder of Cocoa360

We’ve got a favor to ask: We know there are a lot of great NPR shows out there.. but we all know who's the best.  NPR is celebrating the best  podcasts of the year, and YOU get to crown the winner of the People’s Choice Award. Vote for Throughline at npr.org/peopleschoice. May the best pod win!

To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

ThroughlineBy NPR

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

15,713 ratings


More shows like Throughline

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,002 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,855 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,056 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,467 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,718 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,530 Listeners

The NPR Politics Podcast by NPR

The NPR Politics Podcast

25,827 Listeners

On the Media by WNYC Studios

On the Media

9,174 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,381 Listeners

Embedded by NPR

Embedded

11,971 Listeners

Code Switch by NPR

Code Switch

14,620 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,660 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,623 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,547 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

6,403 Listeners