From the windswept Caucasus Mountains to the decadent tables of Renaissance Europe, few fruits have lived a life as rich (or as risqué) as the cherry. In this episode, John and Patrick trace the cherry’s remarkable journey through time, beginning with its elusive origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Anatolia, where birds, not botanists, first sowed the seeds of this future delicacy.

As Greek philosophers began to take note of its cultivation, cherries found their way into the hands and stomachs of empires. With a Roman general, the cherry became more than food. It became a symbol of conquest, luxury, and horticultural ambition, spreading from Roman villas to British roadsides.

But that’s only the beginning. The cherry takes root in Islamic gardens, medieval courts, and the bustling markets of early modern London, where barrow-women hawked “cheryes in the ryse” with babies on their hips. Along the way, it becomes a sensual symbol - adorned in love songs, sacred art, Shakespearean innuendo, and more than a few barely veiled metaphors for desire.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover the fascinating story of this small red fruit. From botany to mythology, empire to erotica, this is fruit has it all.

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In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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