Mao and the Mango

50 Foods That Defined Our 2024

On the final day of 2024, we’re wrapping up the year with a delicious countdown: the 50 foods that defined 2024 (for us)! Buckle up! It’s going to be a fun and flavorful ride as we revisit the dishes that made this year unforgettable. From Britney’s French fries with curry sauce in Amsterdam to Sarah’s favorite bowl of Cambodian noodle soup in San Francisco, Britney’s newly mastered burger recipe, and Sarah’s “break-up focaccia,” this episode is more than just a food list. It’s a chance for us to reflect on the adventures, milestones, and even the mishaps that shaped our year. We hope this episode inspires your own food-filled adventures in 2025! If you’re looking for a starting point, we’ve got plenty of restaurant recommendations and dishes to try. Let’s dive in! If you like this episode, share it with your friends! Between episodes, follow our adventure on rootedeatspod.com, @rootedeatspod on Instagram, and Rooted Eats on Substack.

Mao and the Mango

What’s the link between China’s Cultural Revolution and mangoes from Pakistan? In this episode, we explore one case of how food was used as a propaganda tool. Britney takes us back to the late 1960s, when Mao Zedong launched a nationwide political movement to purge remnants of capitalism and imperialism. Amid the violence and upheaval, a gift of mangos from Pakistan’s foreign minister became a sometimes deadly symbol of Mao. This episode uncovers the surprising and dark role that the mango played in this violent era. Listener discretion is advised: The story is juicy like a mango, but certainly not sweet. If you like this episode, share it with your friends! Between episodes, follow our adventure on rootedeatspod.com, @rootedeatspod on Instagram, and Rooted Eats on Substack.

Behind the Scenes: Valencia’s Oranges vs. Corporations with Laura García Andreu

In this special episode, we sit down with filmmaker and anthropologist Laura García Andreu to discuss her debut documentary, “Domingo Domingo.” The film follows Valencia orange farmer Domingo as he battles against multinational corporations threatening the local industry. Laura shares insights on the challenges she faced behind the scenes of her first film, the realities of the orange industry in Valencia, and her hopes for how the documentary will resonate with audiences. If you like this episode, share it with your friends! Between episodes, follow our adventure on rootedeatspod.com, @rootedeatspod on Instagram, and Rooted Eats on Substack. You can explore “Domingo Domingo” and other films tackling issues in the food industry at ceresfilmfestival.org.

Behind the Scenes: A Humane Food Future with Charles X Michel and Geordie Trifa

In this bonus episode, we talked to Michelin-trained chef and food educator Charles X Michel and filmmaker Geordie Trifa on Instagram Live about their short film, “Scenes In a Coq au Vin,” which is showing at the Ceres Food Film Festival. Charles and Geordie took us behind the making and inspiration of the film, which is set in the South of France at Charles’s culinary retreat, where he describes the sacrifice of his father’s rooster for the Coq au Vin dish. Charles shared his thoughts on the killing of animals in the current food system, and his vision for a more humane food future. If you like this episode, share it with your friends! Between episodes, follow our adventure on rootedeatspod.com, @rootedeatspod on Instagram, and Rooted Eats on Substack. You can find the film and other food documentaries at the ceresfilmfestival.org.

Single-Origin Chocolate

In this episode, we talk about the meaning of the term “single-origin” and how it applies to chocolate. What does the single-origin chocolate industry look like, and what makes it different? We tasted some of Sarah’s favorite chocolate bars. We also got to speak with R.C. Gartrell from Seahorse Chocolate about what the future of single-origin chocolate looks like amid climate change. If you like this episode, share it with your friends! Between episodes, follow our adventure on rootedeatspod.com, @rootedeatspod on Instagram, and Rooted Eats on Substack.