The Hungry Historians

Join Kelly Spring and Matt Phillpott for interviews and conversations with leading writers on the history of food and drink. New episodes fortnightly.

The Hungry Historians is a history podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 27 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts The Hungry Historians, a history show with 27 episodes published.

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  Episode #19

  Canning and Canned Foods with John Coupland

  Sep 3, 202656 minS2

  How did the original tin can come about and what happened next to make it such an important part of our everyday ingredients? In this week's The Hungry Historians, Matt and Kelly chat with John Coupland, professor of Food Science at Penn State. Earlier this year, he published Containing Nature: The Ongoing Invention of Canned Food with Springer Nature. In our discussion we examine the history of canning, the micro inventions that made the cans that we know today, and challenges around make tin cans safe. This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠Bloomsbury Food Library⁠⁠ , an essential resource for students, researchers, and scholars studying food, offering the widest-ranging existing collection of food studies content.

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  Episode #18

  East Asian food technologies and traditions with Angela Ki Che Leung and Hallam Stevens

  Aug 20, 202647 minS2

  In this episode of The Hungry Historians Matt and Kelly interview Angela Ki Che Leung and Hallam Stevens about their edited book Crafting everyday food: technology, tradition, and transformation in East Asia, published through the University of Hawaii Press in 2025. This exploration of foodways across the east Asian region brings in discussions around new foods, trade, and traditional foods in a variety of contexts. You can find Hallam Stevens on his website and Angela Ki Che Leung on her website . For more about the project that the book developed out of check out the Making Modernity in East Asia website. This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠Bloomsbury Food Library⁠⁠ , an essential resource for students, researchers, and scholars studying food, offering the widest-ranging existing collection of food studies content.

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  Episode #17

  Irish Food History with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman

  Aug 6, 202650 minS2

  This week we discuss the long-durée of food in Ireland, touching on linguistics, archaeology, and history, and discussing topics such as Irish cattle and dairy, honey, bog butter, and potatoes. We were very happy to chat with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman on this subject, following the publication of their edited collection Irish Food History: A Companion, published in 2024 by the Royal Irish Academy . This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠Bloomsbury Food Library⁠⁠ , an essential resource for students, researchers, and scholars studying food, offering the widest-ranging existing collection of food studies content.

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  Episode #16

  Romanian foodways with Adriana Sohodoleanu

  Jul 23, 202639 minS2

  This week we interview Adriana Sohodoleanu on her latest book Sărut-mâna pentru masă (which translates as Kiss your hand for the meal). This anthology book brings together ethnographic and literary texts and recipes to highlight the richness of Romania's historical regions. Sărut-mâna pentru masă is published in Romanian by Carturesti Press and was released in 2025. This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠Bloomsbury Food Library⁠⁠ , an essential resource for students, researchers, and scholars studying food, offering the widest-ranging existing collection of food studies content.

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  Episode #15

  Public Markets in New Orleans with Ashley Rose Young

  Jul 9, 202648 minS2

  For a long time New Orleans sold food to the public through public markets, much like those found in Paris at the time. This was in contrast to how food was largely sold elsewhere in the United States. In this week's The Hungry Historians, we explore the New Orleans public markets, considering their strengths and weaknesses, and whether they might represent an alternative way for food purchasing in the future. We are very pleased to have with us for this discussion Ashley Rose Young. She published on this subject in 2025 with her Oxford University Press book Nourishing Networks: The Public Culture of Food in New Orleans . You can find more about Ashley on her website . This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠Bloomsbury Food Library⁠⁠ , an essential resource for students, researchers, and scholars studying food, offering the widest-ranging existing collection of food studies content.

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