World History

Mobility of Crops, World History, and Festivals

1. Tomato: The Red Fruit that Changed Humanity’s Dining Table

  • A misfortunate plant rejected by Europeans for 200 years
  • Why did Europeans reject and shun tomatoes?
  • Was the misunderstanding of tomatoes as a poisonous plant due to its “red colour”?
  • The hidden reasons why tomatoes have become a staple food in Italy (Neapolitan pizza)
  • How was ketchup, which changed dining tables worldwide, born?
  • Tomatoes, the number one crop in global production among non-cereal crops  
  • Video: The origins and development of Spain’s tomato festival

2. Chocolate: The Indulgence and Violence for Sweet Chocolate  

  • The history of chocolate longer than the ancient Aztec civilisation
  • The Spanish people transformed “bitter water” chocolate into a sweet one
  • There is no sweetness in chocolate farms and companies
  • Disposable humans
  • Dirty chocolate
  • Moving towards fair trade and distribution
  • Video: Portugal’s international chocolate festival

3. Banana: The Destiny of the Fruit that Changed the World

  • It wasn’t an apple but a banana that Adam and Eve plucked!
  • The first fruit cultivated by humanity
  • The history of bananas starting from Asia
  • Banana, heading towards the Pacific
  • In Africa, bananas are not just fruits but food
  • The birth of giant banana corporations
  • Humble bananas rebuild empires
  • The banana massacre in Colombia
  • The tragedy of “Banana Republic”
  • Video: Colombia’s banana festival