The Saffron War: Milan

As a brief announcement, this morning we lost a beloved member of the Delicious History family, my dog Worf. He died as he lived: courageously and in the company of loved ones.

We all like to eat, but some of us REALLY like to eat. And some of us like to eat so much that we cause the downfall of an entire imperial dynasty. If that's you, you're in good company: with Roman Emperor Vitellius! Find out more on this episode of Delicious History! 

Now that we've gone well over 10,000 listeners, it's time to take a peak behind the microphone. In this special bonus episode, find out more about the brains (if you can call it that) behind the show, how it came to be, how it's made and where it's going!    Thank you so much for listening and being a part of the growth of this special community! 

This week on Delicious History on Vacation, we take you to the enchanting city of Venice, Italy. But this great city was built on the back of something quite small: spices. Peppercorn trade in particular took paupers and made them into princes, like Romano Mairano, the subject of this week's episode. Find out more on this episode of Delicious History! 

You may not have realized it, but I'm actually an audio professional. Having worked for multiple agencies as an audio engineer and podcast producer, I'm off on my own and accepting clients! For more information, email me at [email protected].

Most people like spice and flavor in their food, but are they willing to kill for it? Saffron is by far the most expensive spice in the world, and although it's fallen in and out of favor in the West throughout history, people have always gone to great lengths to get their hands on it. This week, as we're visiting the historic city of Milan, Italy, find out how much of our modern world we owe to some little flower parts!

For a lot of us, Nestle is a company that's given us chocolate, coffee and other pick-me-ups over the years. But what if something sinister was being planned in their Swiss boardrooms?   This week, we're in Montreux, Switzerland, just one train stop away from Vevey, the world headquarters of Nestle. Find out how infant formula got Nestle in plenty of trouble, while millions of babies lost their lives on this week's episode.

Marie Antoinette is one of the most famous figures in European history and with one of the most famous quotes: Let them eat cake! What exactly did that mean and, more importantly, did she actually even say this at all? Find out while Dave is in the Louvre, getting to the bottom of one of history's mysteries! 

D-Day was the largest and arguably most important military operation in history. The planning, preparation and sacrifice needed to make it a success is almost unimaginable. Despite this, there was one man who played a much bigger role in that victory than he gets credit for.   Juan Pujol Garcia, a failed chicken farmer, made a chance connection with a Duke in a Madrid hotel. Needing some Scotch for his aunts, the Duke offers Pujol something worth its weight in gold: a passport. Find out how this case of Scotch could have been the key to success for all of World War II on this episode of Delicious History!

Have you wondered why bananas are so cheap? Spoiler alert: the answer isn't good. Entities like the United Fruit Company had a nasty habit of taking advantage of low-wage workers, working them under the worst of conditions to sell cheap fruit back in foreign countries. But what happens when the workers fought back? Spoiler alert: the answer isn't good.   In this episode, we talk about the Banana Massacre of 1928 in Colombia. Find out who hurt people for fruit and what effects it had for most of the 20th and 21st centuries.