1 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor Protection of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: I'm Annie Reese and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum. And today we 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: have an episode for you about sorghum syrup. Right, and 4 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: there's a very specific reason for this one. Correct. Uh yeah, okay. 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: So um, so June tenth, newly a national holiday is 6 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: almost upon us and so I was kind of I 7 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: was looking for, um, a dish or a product that 8 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: came to us thanks to black people in America. And uh, 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: sorghum and sorghum syrup are definitely within that purview. Yes, yes, uh, 10 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: And we're going to expand on that in the history section. Um. 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: I I don't have too much experience with this, but 12 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: it seems based on what I read, I have a 13 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: lot more than a lot of America does. Yeah, i'd 14 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: say that, I'd say that modern ly, Um, it's very 15 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: much a like like Southern Appalachian food ways kind of product. UM. 16 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 1: But but I see it. I mean I I see 17 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: it frequently on especially right, especially like kind of like 18 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: southern cuisine themed menus um. And being in Atlanta, we 19 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: have many of those. UM. I think the most often 20 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: that I see it as an ingredient is as a 21 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: sorghum butter would like sort of like a honey butter, 22 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: like served with a with a bread basket at at restaurants, 23 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: which is so good. Um and uh and oh and 24 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: I was thinking about it recently because I went on 25 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: a field trip um with some coworkers to see Rock 26 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: City and yeah and uh, our our dear friend um 27 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: and uh. Super producer Miranda Hawkins was like, oh man, 28 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: they've got sorghum butter. Can I just get some sorghum butter. 29 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: Love sorghum butter all the time everywhere, And then like 30 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: once I was paying attention to it, I was like, oh, yeah, 31 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: this is kind of everywhere. That's great. Yeah, I feel 32 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: like I again before the pandemic because I really haven't 33 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: gone out to restaurants too much since then, but before then, 34 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: I feel like I saw it a lot on brunch menus. Sure. Yeah, 35 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: And I just I prefer savory almost every time over sweet. 36 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: So that's why I sayed, like I see it a lot. 37 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: I just you don't have a lot of experience with it, right, 38 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: And I do like when I've had it, it's good. 39 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: But I'm just someone who's almost always going to get 40 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: the savory option, brunch option. Sure, yeah, oh brunch. I 41 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: missed the um so you could see our sugar episodes 42 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: episodes did we do too? We did too? It was 43 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: kind of a two parter, I guess also our honey 44 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: episode sort of right for like the history of sweeteners 45 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: in general. Um uh, And this is gonna have to 46 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: have another because right right we're focusing on sorghum syrup today. 47 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: Sorghum as a grain is going to have to be 48 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: a whole other episode. Yes, yes, yes, chifs um. But 49 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: do do highly recommend listening to those sugar ones just 50 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: because the story of these two topics are very intertwined. 51 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, yeah. All right, but I guess that brings 52 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: us to our question. Yes, sorghum syrup what is it? Well? Uh, 53 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: Sorghum syrup is a type of liquid sweetener made from 54 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: the sorghum plant, which is itself a type of cereal 55 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: grain grass related to sugarcane and corn and millet um. 56 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: It grows in tall stocks and you can press the 57 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: stocks to get to get a thin juice and then 58 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: cook that juice down to create that sirrup. Um. It's 59 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: deep red to like amber brown in color and uh, 60 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: and and thick, like similar to molasses or like a 61 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: very dark honey in appearance. The flavor is a little 62 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: bit different though. It's got this kind of like multi 63 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: rich earthy flavor um, but still has these like bright, grassy, 64 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: spiced kind of notes. Uh. This is a little esoteric, 65 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: but it reminds me of like a concentrated um rum 66 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: agricole or cashasa um, which makes sense in a lot 67 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: of ways. Uh. It's like, um, it's like you know 68 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: when the sun is rising on a cloudy day and 69 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: you get these incredibly solid looking red rays coming through 70 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: under the cloud line. It's like it's like if you 71 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: could bottle that and put it on your biscuits, it's beautiful. 72 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: Once again, you've painted quite a picture pale. Yeah. One 73 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: of my one of my very serious cravings through this 74 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: pandemic has been for fresh biscuits, because I can make 75 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: them at home, but gosh, it's better when someone else 76 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: makes them for me. Oh okay, alright, so um so 77 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: sorghum right, kind of a different episode, but briefly, um, 78 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,679 Speaker 1: it's it's a tropical too subtropical grass. Yeah. It grows 79 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: about a meter or three tall like three to nine 80 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: feet sometimes taller with with with thick fibrous stalks holding 81 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: up these big sprays of tiny flowers like up to 82 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: six thousand flowers of stalk um, each of which will 83 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: produce a seed. UH. Humans have developed a bunch of 84 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: different cultivars of of sorghum um. Some are grown for 85 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: their seeds, which are starchy grains used for everything you 86 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: would use corn where we eat or rice four um. 87 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: And some are grown for their stalks, which contain a 88 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: lot of sugars, you know, ostensibly for those grains, but 89 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,799 Speaker 1: we like eating them too. Um. These varieties are called 90 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: sweet sorghum and are used as animal feed and or 91 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: pressed for their juice to make syrup. The s is 92 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: cooked down right and then can be used as any 93 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 1: other liquid sweetener wood um to make candy or to 94 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: flavor baked goods and desserts, or is a topping drizzled 95 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: on anything you want to add some sweetness to. UH. 96 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: It is often rip made into made into sorghum butter 97 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: in the South and or apple lachia and Sorghum is 98 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: a gluten free grain, so it's gained popularity is the 99 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: market for gluten free products has grown. UM. It's a 100 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: fairly common sweetener in the pharmaceutical industry as well, and 101 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: is widely used as animal forage and for the production 102 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: of ethanol biofuel UM, and for its fibers, to to 103 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: create products like brooms and other structural accents UM, and 104 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: to make alcoholic beverages like beer or a vodka or 105 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: bai jew, which is a Chinese liquor that I am 106 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: really into right now. It is so good, it's so weird. 107 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: I adore it. Yes, yes, uh, And I guess through 108 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: all of this, I'm remembering our maple syrup episode would 109 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: probably be a good Oh absolutely yeah. Yeah, and our 110 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: beat and seats and beats and and also around agrical 111 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: Yeah that I missed that all the time. Every now 112 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: and then I'll just get a memory of tasting that Hawaii, 113 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: and I'll be like transported. Yeah, what a what a beautiful, 114 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: what a beautiful everything that was? Indeed indeed, uh, well, 115 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: but what about the nutrition? Uh? Okay. So, Sorghum syrup 116 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: is a sweetener, and generally speaking, we should all limit 117 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: the amount of of sweeteners that we consume. UM. However, 118 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: as a sweetener, Sorgum syrup is relatively nutrient rich. Um. 119 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: It contains like a little bit of protein and a 120 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: really good smattering of minerals compared to other sugars. Um 121 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: it has less actual sugar content compared to other sweeteners. 122 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: So uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're speaking of I meant 123 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: to bring this up at the top, but the other 124 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: day a friend and I got into a friendly debate 125 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: on how to pronounce syrup, whether it's syrup or syrup. Huh. 126 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 1: I think I say syrup. But when have I been 127 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,439 Speaker 1: saying I have no idea, I don't listen to myself. 128 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: We don't even know. We don't even know what's happening here. 129 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: I'm sure as we continue, things will come to light. Yeah. 130 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: And and actually, sorghum is one of those things I've 131 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: definitely heard pronounced. I'm sorgum. Oh okay, So I'm kind 132 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: of like warring with myself about how to Yeah, it's cool, okay, 133 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: fun with pronunciation. Always always a listeners, let us know. Uh. 134 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: In the meantime, we do have some numbers for you, 135 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: we do. Uh. Sorghum is one of the world's top 136 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: five cereal crops. Yeah, I think the top five in order. 137 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: I think our rice, wheat, corn, barley, and then sorgum. Yeah. Um. 138 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: Over fifty five million tons of sorghum are produced every year, 139 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: and as of twenty nineteen, the US was the largest 140 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: producer sorghum, followed by Nigeria, India, and Mexico. In the 141 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: US produced three hundred and sixty five million bushels of 142 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: sorghum um and as of seventeen, when about the same 143 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: amount was being produced in the US, cent of it 144 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: was being grown in texts, US in Kansas. A lot 145 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:06,199 Speaker 1: of educational documents out of those those states about oh 146 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: yeah um. The production value of the United States crop 147 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: as one was two point five billion dollars. Wow right. 148 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: And although it has long been a staple crop in 149 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: Africa and Asia, like providing over seventy of daily clark 150 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: intake in some populations there, um, it has been a 151 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: relatively late bloomer in the in the US, UM, but 152 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: it's been growing in popularity. Some research showed an increase 153 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: of both graining sweet sorghum together on restaurant menus from 154 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: the years of two hundred and six. Wow yeah, And 155 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:54,719 Speaker 1: that that was kind of like the midst of the 156 00:10:55,080 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: of the like Southern cuisine boom so Uh. But yeah, 157 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: it's it really is a fascinating history. Oh, it is, 158 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: and it's a long history. So we've got a lot 159 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: to get into. Uh huh. And we are going to 160 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: get into that as soon as we get back from 161 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: a quick break for award from our sponsors. And we're back, 162 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. So. According to archaeological 163 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: evidence uncovered near the Egyptian Sudanese border, sorghum has existed 164 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: in Africa since at least eight thousand BC. Uh those 165 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: some researchers believe it's even older than that. The first 166 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: evidence we have of domesticated sorghum comes out of Sudan circu. 167 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: Three thousand BC, though there were probably more than one 168 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: domestication events. Yeah. Another domestication from round about the same 169 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 1: time has been traced to what's now Ethiopia. Yeah at 170 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: uh multiple instances. Yes, And because it grows well in 171 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: arid climates, it most likely spread across Africa fairly quickly 172 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 1: as nomadic humans migrated, purposefully transporting and planting sorghum as 173 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: they went. Uh. Wall paintings suggests sorgham was being grown 174 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: in Egypt by seventh century BC, and was used as 175 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: a food source for both people and perhaps specifically poorer 176 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: people and also livestock. Evidence places sorghum in India by 177 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: four thousand b C, where it was cultivated by around 178 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: two thousand b C. Um. From there, sorghum eventually reached China, 179 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: most likely distributed along trade routes, although one theory suggests 180 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: that Ganghis Khan introduced sorgham to China in the twelve 181 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: hundreds C. Others, yeah, I know, who knows. Other theories 182 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: make the argument sorgham was present in that country by 183 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: the second century b C, so that's a pretty big range. 184 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:02,079 Speaker 1: Plenty wrote about sorghum and the first century CE, indicating 185 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: that at least some parts of Europe were familiar with 186 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: it by then. European colonizers introduced sorgham to the New 187 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:14,319 Speaker 1: World in the sixteenth century, and according to some sources, 188 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 1: sorgham arrived to the American colonies to be a guinea 189 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: in the seventeenth century. Okay, back to that in a minute. 190 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: Uh Lanais first classified the genus sorghum in seventeen fifty three, 191 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: and it was further classified a few years later. The 192 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: first known mention of sorghum in the US was written 193 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: by Benjamin franklin Um when he described how sorgham was 194 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: used in seventeen fifty seven to make brooms. And yes, 195 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: as we kind of mentioned at the top, sorghum story 196 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: in the US mirrors that of sugarcane in a lot 197 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: of ways. While sorgham may have been present on a 198 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: small scale prior, seventeenth century, traders of enslaved peoples and 199 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,959 Speaker 1: the enslaved people themselves introduced sorga more widely to the 200 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: United States, perhaps partly through guinea um. Enslaved Africans used 201 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: sorghum in a wide variety of things and in a 202 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,439 Speaker 1: variety of ways and foods like breads, puddings, and as 203 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: a pulled candy or as a feed for chickens, and 204 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: the inedible fiber for things like brooms. It wasn't until 205 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: the mid eighteen hundreds that Americans at large started to 206 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: use sorghum syrup culinarily, and this was in part due 207 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: to sugarcane um. So, Okay, we've discussed before, but Americans 208 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: have a real sweet tooth, and this is not a 209 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: new thing. We have had one for a long time. 210 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: Because of this, European Americans really loved sugarcane and used 211 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 1: it in all kinds of things, from foods to drinks 212 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: to medicines. However, the sugarcane industry relied on forced labor 213 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: of inside people's and perpetuated the industry of enslavement, so 214 00:14:55,440 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: abolitionist boycotted it. The boycott gamed momentum in North as 215 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: the Civil War loomed and Northerners didn't want to support 216 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: the Southern economy. On top of that, they knew that 217 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: when war did break out, their supply of sugarcane would 218 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: be cut off, so they turned to other sweeteners suited 219 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: for cold weather, like maple syrup and beach sugar. But 220 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: sorghum got in the mix too. Okay, so now we're 221 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: gonna take a quick detour. Okay, but all will be illuminated, Okay, 222 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: I promised. Let's talk about France, Okay, sure, yes, all right. 223 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty one, the Geographical Society of Paris requested 224 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 1: that the French Council, located in Shanghai send cuttings, seeds 225 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: and plants of sorghum that might be suited to growing 226 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: in Europe. From this, the French horticulturists ended up planting 227 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: only one seed, but it grew and multiplied, spurring experiments 228 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: that got folks really pumped about sorghum. Because I'm we're 229 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: not talking about this now, but they France also had 230 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: a lot of issues with sugar getting cut off and 231 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: finding different ways of sweeteners, so this is a big 232 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: deal for them to um. Yeah, we're not the only 233 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: ones with the sweet tooth. No, no, we're not. No, 234 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: we're not. Um And in fact, an excited French official 235 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: wrote a letter that caught the attention of a U 236 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: S patent officer located in France named J. D. Brown 237 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: in eighteen fifty five. Publication claimed that, in part, this 238 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: letter read, I continue to think the plant is one 239 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: of the most valuable which exists. That it will yield 240 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: the greatest advantage not only in Europe, where the climate 241 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: allows the late maze to grow to perfection, but in 242 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: the tropics, where it may replace the sugar cane. It's 243 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: a big deal. Um. Brown realized that the success of 244 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: sorghum in Europe meant it might have success in parts 245 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: of the US that previously hadn't been able to grow it, 246 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,040 Speaker 1: like the North as well in eighteen fifty four and 247 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: returned to the US with sorghum seeds, and a few 248 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: years later farmers received about three d bushels of sorghum 249 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: courtesy of the U. S. Patent Office. But this wasn't 250 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: the only way sorgham's popularity as a food source and 251 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: overall crop grew in the United States. On the flip 252 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,920 Speaker 1: side of this story, a British man named Leonard Ray 253 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 1: transported sorgham seeds and or plants I wasn't too clear 254 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: on it from South Africa to New York and eighteen 255 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: fifty seven. However, he gave the sorghum to Southerners, where 256 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: sorgham was quickly adopted and grown. US nurserymen also helps 257 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: spread sorgham seeds across the country, including William Robert Prince. 258 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: Aroundabouts eighteen fifty four. Prince receives sorgham seeds that he 259 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: planted at his family nursery in New York and distributed 260 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: the seeds for other nurseries to do the same. The 261 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 1: results were pretty good and not at all cumbersome when 262 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: it came to production, which was a plus, uh, particularly 263 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: in regions like the Midwest US. Henry Steel Old Coots, 264 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: also a nurseryman, did something similar and went on to 265 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 1: publish his significant work in Sorgo Emphy the Chinese and 266 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 1: African Sugarcanes. And by the way, all these people have 267 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: interesting stories, so if you want to learn more, check 268 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 1: them out. We're gonna shout out a source at the end. 269 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: But it was one of the not few cases. This 270 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,439 Speaker 1: happens kind of frequently. But sometimes we're like, you know, 271 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: this episode is getting along, I've got to pick and choose. 272 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 1: Where's the actual food where we're talking about. Yeah, I 273 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: could go on this tangent about this dude for another 274 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: like twenty minutes. But maybe maybe that's a different Maybe 275 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 1: that's a whole different episode. Maybe that's a little side 276 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: side dish for for another day side dish. I like that. Okay, Well, 277 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: back to the sorghum syrup. Yeah, through all of these efforts, 278 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: Northerners pretty much achieved what they wanted to. Through all 279 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 1: of this, sorghum rose to become a replacement for sugar 280 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: that was easy to produce at home. Far cheaper than sugarcane. 281 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: In places like rural Appalachia, it ended up in all 282 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:05,959 Speaker 1: kinds of things from beer as a milk substitute and 283 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: chicken feed, and in non southern regions it contributed millions 284 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:14,640 Speaker 1: of dollars as a crop. Yeah, um, lots of lots 285 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:19,239 Speaker 1: of towns, especially throughout Appalachia, but I think kind of 286 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: anywhere that it was being grown as as a as 287 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:26,360 Speaker 1: a sugar crop would have had a sorgham mill at 288 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 1: somewhere within the town where farmers could bring their sorgham 289 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 1: stocks for pressing, and nearby v's would be set up 290 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: to slowly cook the juice down into syrup, stirred and 291 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: skimmed continually. And in Appalaches specifically, this was like a 292 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 1: like a popular early autumn community activity sometimes called a 293 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: stir off, where you would go and you would like 294 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,439 Speaker 1: kind of gossip and maybe like meet some cute people 295 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: and you know, get some socialization going, right, Okay, I 296 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: like it. Like it. When the Civil War sent prices 297 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: of sugarcane I racketing, sorghum um only became more popular 298 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: as an alternative. President Lincoln, who was a big fan 299 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: and even brought sorghum up in one of his presidential debates. 300 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: You can read the whole exchange. Quite it's not really 301 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: what you would think it would be, but yes, brought 302 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 1: it up. The Union Commissioner of Agriculture wrote in eighteen 303 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: sixty two, the new product of sorghum cane has established 304 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: itself as one of the permanent crops of the country, 305 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: and it enabled the interior states to supply themselves with 306 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,479 Speaker 1: a home article of molasses, thereby keeping down the prices 307 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: of other molasses from any great advance over former rates, 308 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: which otherwise would have been a result of or of 309 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: course um. The Civil War cut production of sugar cane 310 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: in the U. S and Louisiana and cut off water 311 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: trade routes into the South of stuff like sugarcane from 312 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: the Caribbean, meaning that the South was also looking for 313 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: alternate sources of sweeteners and as sorghum fit the bill 314 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,880 Speaker 1: uh Southerners at the time wrote about it as being 315 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,440 Speaker 1: one of the pillars of the Confederacy right, and one 316 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: of the Confederacy's prisoner of war camps was even called 317 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: Camp Sorghum. The prisoners received meager rations, often including low 318 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: quality sorghum. So I think that's why. Yeah, yeah, Um. 319 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 1: And it's it's uh that was about to be a pun. 320 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: It it's it's sticky. It's really sticky as a topic. 321 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, it's just the best word for it. That's 322 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: It's not my fault, Um that language exists like this, Uh, 323 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: because like, like production of anything in the South was 324 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 1: so often done by enslaved people's and of course, as 325 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 1: we've talked about in in other episodes, uh, a lot 326 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 1: of the time, when you get into discussing something a 327 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: food product that became popular during Civil War or um, 328 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: during reconstruction, you start talking, you see all of this 329 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: written evidence from white people kind of taking credit for 330 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: everything and not mentioning the fact that they probably learned 331 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 1: what they were doing from black people. M hm. And 332 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: that seems very much to be the story here, right, yeah. Um. 333 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 1: And after the war's end, Uh, Sorgham did see a 334 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: lot of ups and downs in terms of popularity and 335 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 1: production in the United States, and a lot of it 336 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: did revolve around whatever was going on with sugar prices 337 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 1: and production. Yeah, like sugarcane. So when things with sugar 338 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 1: weren't looking great for whatever reason, sorghum was proposed as 339 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: the solution, often by government officials. Researchers dedicated their lives 340 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: to it. There was a lot of funding thrown towards sorghum. 341 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: Things were looking really great until they weren't. Interest in 342 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,200 Speaker 1: sorghum dramatically dropped off. There are a couple of reasons 343 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: for this. Uh. Firstly, the amount of sugar sorghum produced 344 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: was less than what was expected. Secondly, appearance. People had 345 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: long love the crystallized appearance of sugarcane sugar and sorghum 346 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: just didn't look as appetizing in their minds. And Lastly, competition, 347 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 1: especially with the sugar beat. Yeah, technology during the eighteen 348 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:26,719 Speaker 1: nineties advanced to allow the refinement of good white crystal 349 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:31,199 Speaker 1: sugar from sugar beets. Refining crystal sugar from sorghum is 350 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: more expensive than either from caine or um or after 351 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: that tech developed from beats. Sorghum syrup also suffered during 352 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: reconstruction from its association with wartime. As we've seen with 353 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: other food products, people are like, oh, man, that's what 354 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: we ate out of necessity, don't want anything to do 355 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 1: with it anymore, right, But Before all that, Uh. Sorghum 356 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 1: was grown here in the US primarily as a sweetener, 357 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: and it was once the most popular sweetener in the 358 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: United States until Americans started to move to the semi 359 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 1: arid West, an environment that necessitated crops like sorghum. Uh, 360 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: So that kind of was a boost. Moonshiners gave sorgama 361 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: boost during the Depression. Um. By the nineteen fifties, sorgan 362 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: grown in the US and was used for forage however, um. 363 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 1: But yeah, whenever prices of sugar went up, interest in 364 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 1: sorghum syrup saw a corresponding spike. So they're very, very related. 365 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: Through all of this, Americans introduced sorghum to Australia in 366 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,879 Speaker 1: the nineteen hundreds, and by the nineteen fifties that had 367 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: become a substantial crop in Australia and also South Africa. 368 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,640 Speaker 1: After American sorghum production was threatened by things like down 369 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: emailed green bug and a thrack nurse. I hope I'm 370 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,879 Speaker 1: close on that one. In the sixties, breeders got to 371 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: work creating hybrids resistant to all those things, and through 372 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: that the crop survived and bounced back. In two thousand 373 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 1: and six, Anhuser Busch launch Red Bridge, the first nationally 374 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 1: available sorghum beer, touting how it was an alternative for 375 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:10,120 Speaker 1: those allergic to wheat or gluten. It's also being investigated 376 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: as a replacement for corn as as a human and 377 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,360 Speaker 1: or animal food in areas that are currently experiencing warming 378 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 1: and or drought due to climate change. Um. It's it's 379 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: got like a like a smaller leaf to root ratio 380 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: and also this wax layer on its leaves that make 381 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:31,120 Speaker 1: it just really good at taking up and holding onto water. Um. 382 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: It's like three times more drought resistant than corn. So yeah, 383 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: that's that's a pretty big deal. Yeah yeah. Um. And 384 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: as promised, shout out to the website True Treats run 385 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: by historians Susan Benjamin and their article The Triumphs Defeats 386 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: an Ultimate victory of the Sorghum syrup. Um. It expounds 387 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: on a lot of stuff we mentioned here that we 388 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,120 Speaker 1: had to whittle down, and it's really fascinating. Highly recommend 389 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 1: checking it out. Uh, just so much stuff in there. 390 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,679 Speaker 1: Sometimes we're reading these articles and doing this research and 391 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, how is this not a movie already or something? Oh? Absolutely? Yeah. 392 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 1: And there were I I was telling Annie before we 393 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 1: started recording that this is one of those topics that 394 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: I felt like I could have just kept reading about 395 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: for for days. There are so many, so many firsthand 396 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:29,200 Speaker 1: accounts UM of of this sudden boom in in sorghum 397 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: syrup U from like eighteen fifty five to like eighteen 398 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: sixty two. UM it overnight became wildly widespread. UM, and 399 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: such an interesting story and UM in such a like 400 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: such a relatively rare product these days that UM, I really, 401 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: I really hope that that more more humans UM in 402 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: the United States get the chance to try try it 403 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: as a grain, as a flower. UM, try sorghum syrup. 404 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 1: Get your hell if if if you, if you drink alcohol, 405 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: will get yourself and buyed you. UM. It's so good. 406 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,719 Speaker 1: So it's so like funky and weird and grassy, and 407 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 1: it's great. Bid you episode in our future, I think, Yeah, Well, 408 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: with that recommendation. In the meantime, I think that's what 409 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: we have to say about sorghum syrup for now. It is. 410 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:26,959 Speaker 1: We do have some listener mail thout for you. We do, 411 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: but first we have one more group break for a 412 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor and we're back. Thank you, sponsored, Yes, 413 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 1: thank you. The snows snows mhm syrup like all my 414 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: syrup because I use it so rarely. It crystallizes and 415 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: it just it looks at through the bottle. You can 416 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: you can like remelt it. You can like just put 417 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: in like a water bath on the stove, water bath, Yeah, 418 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 1: and just melt it back into that decrystallizing Yeah. Usually 419 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: that'll work. Okay, that's good. That's a new hope you've 420 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 1: given me. All right, Vivian wrote. Finally got around to 421 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: catching up on a few episodes while running some tedious 422 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: experiments in lab. Very very much appreciate savor for powering 423 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: me through. I wanted to share with you the multifarious 424 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: world of Taiwanese and mangoes in case you hadn't come 425 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: across it in your reading. Mangoes were first introduced there 426 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: by the Dutch in the seventeenth century. In Taiwan, currently 427 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 1: produces an incredible selection of localized varieties. Yeah, the only 428 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: one I've had the fortune to try is the Haitian 429 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: mango hey black, referring to its dark green skin which 430 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: persists even when it's right Schion fragrant um I tried 431 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: it for the first time in Minnesota a little after 432 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: the prime season of July August, and shipped all the 433 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: way from Vietnam, where it sown simply as the Taiwan 434 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: mango and apparently incredibly popular, at least with the Vietnamese 435 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: American population in the Twin Cities. My first bite was 436 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: a revelation. The flesh was succulent, or q as a 437 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: Taiwanese blog called it, with a godly almost floral aroma. 438 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: People say it has a long and like taste, which 439 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: I personally didn't quite register. Surprisingly indispensable to the experience 440 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: was the skin, which was aromatic itself and surpassingly crunchy. 441 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: It's best when not quite right. When it's very ripe, 442 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: the flesh is still sweet but no longer has the 443 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: floral tones, and the skin becomes bitter. Here's a picture. 444 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: Hard to tell, but they're massive as long as my head. 445 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 1: I gave on the internet for some his tree and 446 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: gleaned this from the Taiwanese Wiki. Despite being around since 447 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: the days of Japanese occupation early twentieth century, it only 448 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: became commercially popular in recent years. It used to take 449 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: two years to bear one crop of fruit, and only 450 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: after many years of cultivation did farmers adapted to the 451 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: local environment. People were confused by its perpetially green skin, 452 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: thinking it unripe and unfit to eat. However, most sources 453 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 1: I found in the Internet credit a farmer named Wong 454 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 1: Chau Kai for planting the first Haitian mango in Really 455 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: hope these get more accessible in the US. I love 456 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: champagne mangoes, but there's so much more out there. May 457 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: the forest be with you. Would love to hear some 458 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: reactions to the Kenobi TV show in a future episode. 459 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: You know, we almost did that for April Fools. We 460 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: almost just did a like Food Star Wars. Yeah, or 461 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: just Annie and Lauren chatting about whatever it is that 462 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 1: we so not out side the remel possibility. Yeah? Absolutely 463 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 1: u um. Also right, thank you for for writing in 464 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: about eating mango skin. That was oh goodness. A couple 465 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: of people wrote in on Twitter to be like, dude, 466 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: you said that the skin of mangoes is inedible. It's 467 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: not inedible, it's delicious. What are you talking about? Um? 468 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: So so good point. I've never done that, but I 469 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: am curious to try it the next time. A good 470 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 1: mango season yes, and also I love um all of 471 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:34,240 Speaker 1: these varieties, and I would very much like to try 472 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: them because I do love. This is something as I'm reading, 473 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: I'm angry that I have not experienced. I had a 474 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: good friend from Taiwan in high school and she would 475 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: get me. She would find me these fruits, and I 476 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 1: can't remember the names of them, so it's possible that 477 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:54,719 Speaker 1: I had tried one. Uh, but they were delicious and 478 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: I'm so eager to try more to expand my palate. 479 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 1: Always always man goes so good, uh, Colleen wrote. Cast 480 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 1: iron has been with me my entire life. Growing up, 481 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 1: my mom used hers, and when I moved out, I 482 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: got my own brand new pan, pot, Dutch oven, griddle, 483 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: and lid. Those were not preseasoned and were a beautiful 484 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: gray silver. It was before Google, and I only had 485 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: the instructions that the manufacturer provided. That was the one 486 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: and only time I ever seasoned. My mother never seasoned either. 487 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: Cast Iron has become something that is causing high levels 488 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: of anxiety for others, but there's no need online cast 489 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: iron instructions are all over the place in contradictory. This 490 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: could be because it's complicated, but it's not What it 491 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: actually means is that cast iron care is whatever works. 492 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: In other words, it doesn't matter. The few cases where 493 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: it matters is with professional cooks, is chefs, people trying 494 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 1: to sell something, and influencers fishing for views. And the 495 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: person who wants to be able to slide a friday 496 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 1: around a dry pan like it's in microgravity might want 497 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: to do all that extra work. That is not me 498 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 1: and it's not necessary. Let's slow down and ponder for 499 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 1: a minute. People have been cooking with iron since the 500 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:14,800 Speaker 1: iron age. Back then, people couldn't be picky about oil 501 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: and they're cooking fire, didn't have a digital display to 502 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 1: show the temperature. They lived a simple life with their 503 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 1: cast iron, and we can too. For cooking. I start 504 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: by coating my cast iron and oil whatever I'm cooking with. 505 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: I then add a splash more of oil for the cooking. 506 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: Iron heats and cools slower than stainless steel, So I 507 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 1: set my burner to where I want it. Turning the 508 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: burner too high does not save any time. I tried 509 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: it once. I was going back and forth with turning 510 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,840 Speaker 1: the heat down, then back up and down again. It 511 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: took an epoch. I ended up eating cereal while I cooked. 512 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: The final product went straight into the fridge is leftovers. 513 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: Cast Iron is slower than stainless, but not too much. 514 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: I went my hands under the faucet, then flicked the 515 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: water drops into the pan. The water will pop and 516 00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: sizzle when the pan is ready. I had onion, sweet pepper, 517 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: and garlic while it's warming. Most of the time, it's 518 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: ready before I have everything chopped. If the food isn't 519 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: cooking fast enough, I turn up the burner. If it's 520 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,000 Speaker 1: too hot, I take it off the burner. If I'm 521 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,799 Speaker 1: actively cooking, not taking a nap, the color, sounds, and 522 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: smells tell me if I need to adjust the heat. 523 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:18,479 Speaker 1: The extra time it takes to heat makes it easy 524 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: to make adjustments before anything gets burned. I only have 525 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 1: trouble when toasting pine nuts. The pan is dry, so 526 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,720 Speaker 1: there's nothing to listen for. After cooking, the pan stays hot, 527 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: so I don't wash it right away. I enjoy my food. 528 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: Iron is porous and it rests, so don't ever soak it, 529 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: except if it's really bad. I fill it with hot, 530 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: soapy water to sit, but I don't leave it for 531 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: too long. If I don't have the spoons to wash 532 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:44,320 Speaker 1: the pan that night. I did manage to cook after all. 533 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,959 Speaker 1: Then I rinse it, shake off the water, and set 534 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 1: it aside. It's just as easy to scrub a pot 535 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,799 Speaker 1: today as it is tomorrow. Who am I getting I've 536 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:56,760 Speaker 1: left that poor pan four weeks cleaning. I hate washing dishes. 537 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: When I get around to it, I scrub in hot 538 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,279 Speaker 1: water with dish soap, using a bore bristle brush and 539 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: a bamboo scraper for tough spots. In the worst case, 540 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,240 Speaker 1: I've used a Brillo pad. Do they make those anymore? 541 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,200 Speaker 1: I haven't needed to do that since I was a 542 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: kid washing my mom's pans. After cleaning, I show my 543 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 1: cast iron some love. I let it dry overnight or longer. 544 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: Then I coated in oil and return it to the rack. 545 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,319 Speaker 1: The oil will partly soak in, partly dry, and some 546 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 1: will drip off. I'll put it away a day or 547 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:26,359 Speaker 1: more later. When my cast iron was young, it would 548 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,720 Speaker 1: occasionally get a layer of rust, giving it a bronze hue. 549 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 1: The rest came off with oil and a paper towel. 550 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: If that wasn't enough, then I used oil and a 551 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: pot scrubber. I've never had to, but I understand the 552 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,399 Speaker 1: bad cases may need sand paper. I used my cast 553 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: iron for everything. For many years. I only had a 554 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: four piece cast iron set pan, a pot, Dutch oven, 555 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:49,800 Speaker 1: the grittle and the lid, and one stainless pot until 556 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:54,840 Speaker 1: my sister gave me a stainless set uh T L 557 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,720 Speaker 1: d R. Don't worry about cast iron, keep it oiled, 558 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: and don't put it in the sink. I love this. 559 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 1: I love this so much. Oh oh, how lovely. Yes, 560 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:15,279 Speaker 1: it's a it's like reclaiming the all of that worry 561 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 1: that I poured into the episode. At least it's like 562 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:24,440 Speaker 1: a nice little It's okay, it's gonna be okay. It is, 563 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 1: it is. It is very forgiving. Um. I have seen 564 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:32,479 Speaker 1: like a completely wrecked cast iron pan be brought back 565 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:37,719 Speaker 1: from the brink um, So it's right, like you don't like, 566 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,880 Speaker 1: don't worry that hard. I feel like we're this is 567 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,920 Speaker 1: good advice. So I think we're ending on a very 568 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:51,399 Speaker 1: hopeful note. I can save my syrup can save. Yeah, 569 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: I mean just in general, like, keep it oiled, don't 570 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,799 Speaker 1: put it in the sank. You'll be fine. Yes, yes, 571 00:36:57,040 --> 00:37:00,120 Speaker 1: I also really enjoy that you were able to is 572 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:03,279 Speaker 1: to have four pots essentially for for a long time. 573 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,120 Speaker 1: I've also been loving that existence for a long time. 574 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:11,120 Speaker 1: It's pretty good. Oh yeah, I use two maybe three 575 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: pans pop pots and pans maybe no four for you're 576 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:19,439 Speaker 1: right for yeah, I think that's about you know, that's 577 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 1: about right. For other people not so much. I have more, 578 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:31,839 Speaker 1: but I essentially only use yeah about three or four? Yeah, yeah, 579 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 1: A good goodness, a good Dutch evan can really take 580 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:36,360 Speaker 1: your places. Now, that's what I don't have, and I 581 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: do want. Well, maybe one day, maybe one day we'll 582 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 1: get a sponsor, because there's no other way I could 583 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 1: do it otherwise. No. Well, thanks so much to these 584 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,399 Speaker 1: listeners for writing in. If you would like to write 585 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:56,840 Speaker 1: two as you can or email as hello at savior 586 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 1: pot dot com. We're also on social media. You can 587 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and we do 588 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 1: hope to hear from you. Savor is a production of 589 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, you 590 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: can visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 591 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Thanks as always 592 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:16,479 Speaker 1: to our super producers Dylan Fagin and Andrew Howard. Thanks 593 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,160 Speaker 1: to you for listening, and we hope that lots more 594 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 1: good things are coming your way.