1: History of Everything: Potatoes

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Olga of Kiev ruled the Rus’ – a medieval people in Ukraine related to the Vikings – for over 15 years. She is primarily known for her christianizing influence on the Rus’ lands during her later years in power. But the start of her regency is just as compelling a story. She became ... Show More

In the early 17th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth stood as one of Europe’s largest and most formidable states, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. By 1618, its territory had expanded to twice the size of France, thanks to military victories against Muscovy du ... Show More

In the mid-1800s, the poorest people in Ireland ate almost nothing but potatoes. Other crops were for selling. So when a blight cut a swath through the potato crop, the impact was severe, and politics played a significant role in the tragedy. Learn more about your ad-choices at h ... Show More

The second episode in our revisit of the Irish Famine covers the mid-1800s, when the poorest people in Ireland ate almost nothing but potatoes, saving other crops for selling. So a blight, plus politics, led to tragedy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas ... Show More

Today, the humble potato can be found in restaurants and dinner tables across the world -- but this wasn't always the case. In today's episode, Ben and Noel dive into the story of one spud-loving, potato-proselytizing man named Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, and his ambitious life' ... Show More

If you enjoy the true stories told in Survival, check out this episode from our series Natural Disasters: In 1845, a fungus destroyed Ireland’s potato crops, leaving the Irish population without its main food source. The first months of the famine morphed into a bureaucratic nigh ... Show More

Jeden Tag essen viele Deutsche Kartoffeln. Egal ob Pommes, Puffer oder Bratkartoffeln: die Knolle aus der Erde ist ein beliebtes Nahrungsmittel in Deutschland. Das war aber nicht immer so! In dieser Folge erzählt euch Jan, wie die Kartoffel nach Deutschland gekommen ist. Das Tran ... Show More

Sir Walter Raleigh's is revered as the man who brought the potato to Ireland from South America. In this documentary John Skehan looks at the importance of the potato in Ireland, as well as the history and sociological impact of the potato in Ireland. (First Broadcast 1984) See o ... Show More

If you enjoy the true stories told in Survival, check out this episode from our series Natural Disasters: By the late 1840s, with no end in sight to the potato famine gripping Ireland and no help coming from the British government, the Irish people were left with few options. For ... Show More

Is it magic? Is it physics? Bethany is looking at the first written instance of kids playing the classic sleepover game, “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board.” (Play it with your colleagues as a team-building exercise!) Then, Kathleen’s Thanksgiving dinner plans are driving stra ... Show More

In our second and final episode on the humble spud, we meet the people who see the global economic future as being potato powered. The potato is the world's most produced staple food after rice, wheat and corn - yet historically, it was seen as the root of filth, misery and obesi ... Show More