The Taste of Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World

FEATURING LIZZIE COLLINGHAM – The history of colonization, particularly of the British Empire often centers on armies, slavery, and exploitation. But what about food?

Indeed today, curry is considered a quintessentially British dish. Even sugar, tea, and various spices, vegetables, meats, and methods of cooking food can be traced back to the British Empire.

A new book called The Taste of Empire makes the case that food was “a driving force of empire.”

Lizzie Collingham, Associate Fellow at the University of Warwick. Her earlier books include The Taste of War: World War II and the Battle for Food, and Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors. Her new book is called The Taste of Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World.