History of Food 2/5: The Agricultural Revolution

Summary

Dans ce script captivant, nous explorons l'histoire humaine à travers la gastronomie, en nous concentrant sur l'importance de l'agriculture et de la domestication des plantes et des animaux. Nous découvrons comment l'agriculture a non seulement transformé nos modes de vie, mais a également influencé la diversité des aliments et les cultures du monde entier. À travers la cuisine mexicaine, particulièrement celle d'Oaxaca, le script nous emmène dans un voyage sensoriel où chaque ingrédient, de la riz à la tortilla en passant par le chorizo et les légumes, raconte une histoire de sélection, d'invention et d'expérimentation qui a façonné notre monde. L'agriculture a non seulement permis la création de surplus et le commerce, mais a également enseigné l'art de la préservation des aliments, grâce à la fermentation et d'autres méthodes, contribuant ainsi à l'exploration et au changement du monde.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Les arômes de la cuisine du monde entier se mêlent dans les rues de ce centre de multiculturalisme, où la nourriture est un reflet de l'histoire humaine et de la révolution agricole.
• 🇺🇸 Aux États-Unis, la cuisine mexicaine est particulièrement populaire, avec plus de 59 000 restaurants à travers le pays.
• 🍽️ Le chef TJ Steele propose une cuisine inspirée des Mohawks, revisitant des classiques avec des ingrédients tels que le riz, les tortillas de maïs, les champignons, le chorizo et le fromage frais.
• 🏔️ Charlotte Lasti, membre de la Global Crop Trust, travaille à Svalbard pour préserver 12 000 ans d'histoire agricole, soulignant l'importance de la domestication des plantes dans l'évolution des sociétés.
• 🌾 L'agriculture a permis aux humains de s'installer et de développer des surplus de nourriture, ce qui a conduit à la croissance de la population et à la spécialisation des activités.
• 🍚 Le riz est une plante cultivée depuis 7 000 avant J.-C. en Chine et est devenu le principal aliment de plus de la moitié de la population mondiale.
• 🌾 La diversité du riz est énorme, avec plus de cent mille variétés distinctes, mais cette diversité est souvent ignorée dans les supermarchés modernes.
• 🌽 Le maïs est une autre plante cultivée qui a joué un rôle central dans l'histoire, en particulier pour les civilisations du Mexique et du Pérou.
• 🥩 L'élevage d'animaux a permis aux humains d'expérimenter de nouvelles formes et saveurs de viande, et la domestication a conduit à la création de nouvelles espèces animales.
• 🧀 Le fromage est une autre invention importante de l'agriculture, avec des méthodes de préparation et de goût variées selon les régions.
• 🥬 Les légumes sont essentiels pour une alimentation saine et ont été cultivés pour enrichir la culture culinaire de chaque région.
• 🍅 La salsa, un condiment simple mais riche en saveurs, est le résultat de l'assemblage de divers légumes, fruits et épices, et remonte à l'époque des Incas, des Aztèques et des Mayas.

Q & A

Combien de restaurants mexicains y a-t-il aux États-Unis ?

Il y a environ 59 000 restaurants mexicains répartis à travers le pays.

Quel est le nom du chef qui a créé le restaurant inspiré par la cuisine mohawkin ?

Le chef est Claro, également connu sous le nom de TJ Steele.

Comment le riz a-t-il influencé les cultures et les civilisations du monde ?

Le riz a été la base de la plupart des cuisines et des civilisations, en particulier en Asie, et est devenu le crop principal et la base de la nourriture pour plus de la moitié de la population mondiale.

Quelle entreprise est dédiée à la culture et à la préservation des grains et des graines d'époques révolues ?

Anson Mills, fondée par Glenn Roberts, est une entreprise qui se consacre à la culture et à la préservation des grains et graines anciens.

Comment le maïs a-t-il été transformé pour devenir un aliment cultivé ?

Le maïs, dérivé d'une herbe appelée teocinte, a évolué grâce à la sélection par les humains qui ont favorisé les plantes à gros grains et à gros épis pour les cultiver.

Quels sont les ingrédients principaux utilisés pour la préparation de la salsa dans le script ?

Les ingrédients principaux pour la salsa incluent les tomates, les oignons, les épices, le chili et le tomatillo.

Comment le maïs a-t-il été considéré par les civilisations anciennes d'Amérique centrale ?

Le maïs était considéré comme la source de vie et la raison d'être pour les civilisations anciennes d'Amérique centrale, telles que les Mayas et les Aztèques. Il était à la fois un aliment, une économie, une source de nutrition et un élément de goût.

Quelle est l'importance du processus de fermentation dans l'agriculture ?

Le processus de fermentation est crucial pour la préservation des aliments, ce qui a permis de stocker et de commercialiser les excédents de nourriture, favorisant ainsi l'exploration et le changement du monde.

Quels sont les aliments que les humains ont commencé à domestiquer en plus des plantes cultivées ?

Les humains ont commencé à domestiquer des animaux tels que les bovins, les chèvres, les moutons, les porcs, les chevaux et les chameaux pour accéder à de la viande et à d'autres sources de protéines.

Comment le maïs a-t-il été intégré dans la culture culinaire oaxaquaise ?

Le maïs est devenu un élément clé de la culture culinaire oaxaquaise, où il est utilisé pour faire des tortillas et des plats comme les tamales, et est souvent associé à des légumes, des fruits et des épices pour créer une variété de saveurs.

Quels sont les défis auxquels les premiers agriculteurs ont dû faire face suite à l'adoption d'une alimentation basée sur des céréales ?

Les premiers agriculteurs ont connu une baisse de leur état nutritionnel en raison d'une alimentation homogène, avec des problèmes tels que les caries et les maladies parodontales, qui étaient rares chez les chasseurs-cueilleurs.

Outlines

00:00

🌮️ La révolution agricole et l'impact du maïs sur la société

Le premier paragraphe aborde le rôle central du maïs dans la culture culinaire et la société américaine. On apprend que le maïs est non seulement une source de nourriture mais aussi un élément clé de l'évolution humaine, ayant permis la création de cités et de civilisations. L'importance de la région de Oaxaca est soulignée, ainsi que l'impact de l'agriculture sur la nutrition humaine et la diversification des activités spécialisées.

05:02

🍚 Le riz, un ingrédient commun au monde entier

Dans le deuxième paragraphe, l'accent est mis sur l'importance du riz dans la culture alimentaire mondiale. On décrit comment le riz, sous forme de variétés infiniment diverses, a été cultivé et sélectionné depuis des milliers d'années. L'impact de la diversité des céréales sur la nutrition et la culture est également examiné, ainsi que le rôle du riz dans la cuisine oaxaquienne.

10:02

🌽 L'évolution du maïs et son importance historique

Le troisième paragraphe explore l'histoire du maïs, depuis son origine en tant que plante sauvage jusqu'à son rôle dans les grandes civilisations d'Amérique centrale. On évoque l'importance du maïs pour les civilisations mayas et aztèques et la manière dont il a été cultivé et sélectionné pour répondre aux besoins des sociétés anciennes.

15:16

🍽️ L'importance du maïs dans l'alimentation et la culture

Le quatrième paragraphe traite de la place centrale du maïs dans l'alimentation et la culture, en particulier en Oaxaca. On décrit le processus de préparation du maïs, y compris l'usage du lime pour améliorer sa digestibilité et sa nutrition. On souligne également les conséquences de la dépendance aux céréales dans l'alimentation des sociétés agricoles primitives.

20:17

🧀 L'évolution de l'élevage et la diversification de l'alimentation

Dans le cinquième paragraphe, on examine l'évolution de l'élevage et la diversification de l'alimentation qui en a résulté. On parle de la domestication des animaux et de la manière dont cela a influencé la nutrition et la cuisine. L'importance de la fermentation et de la conservation des aliments est également abordée, en tant que méthodes permettant de préserver les surplus de nourriture.

25:17

🥑 L'apport des légumes et des fruits dans la nutrition

Le sixième paragraphe met l'accent sur l'importance des légumes et des fruits dans la nutrition et la culture culinaire. On décrit la diversité des légumes et des fruits cultivés dans la région de Oaxaca et leur impact sur la saveur et la texture des plats. La préparation du salsa, un condiment traditionnel riche en épices et en légumes, est également décrite.

30:19

🌶️ La fermentation et la préservation, clés de l'exploration

Le septième et dernier paragraphe conclut le récit en soulignant l'importance de la fermentation et de la conservation des aliments dans l'histoire de l'humanité. On explique comment ces techniques ont permis de préserver les surplus de nourriture et ont ouvert la voie à une ère d'exploration qui a profondément influencé le monde.

Keywords

💡multiculturalisme

Le multiculturalisme fait référence à la coexistence et à l'interaction de différentes cultures dans une même société ou région. Dans la vidéo, il est mentionné comme un élément caractéristique des quartiers où se trouvent de délicieuses cuisines du monde entier, ce qui illustre la richesse et la diversité des influences culinaires.

💡restaurants mexicains

Les restaurants mexicains sont des établissements où l'on sert la cuisine traditionnelle du Mexique. Le script mentionne qu'il y a plus de 59 000 restaurants mexicains aux États-Unis, soulignant la popularité de cette cuisine dans le pays.

💡agricultural revolution

La révolution agricole est un terme utilisé pour décrire le passage de la chasse et de la cueillette à l'agriculture et à l'élevage en tant que modes principaux de subsistance pour l'humanité. Dans le script, cela représente 12 000 ans d'innovation, d'invention, de sélection et de hasard, qui ont transformé la façon dont nous produisons et consommons notre nourriture.

💡cuisine oaxaquaise

La cuisine oaxaquaise fait référence à la cuisine traditionnelle de l'État du Mexique d'Oaxaca, qui est connue pour sa diversité et sa richesse en saveurs. Le chef TJ Steele mentionne son inspiration par cette région, mettant en avant la manière dont la cuisine oaxaquaise est préparée et servie dans le restaurant qu'il dirige à Brooklyn.

💡riz

Le riz est une plante cultivée pour son grain, qui est une source majeure de nourriture pour la majeure partie de la population mondiale. Le script décrit le riz comme un ingrédient central dans de nombreuses cuisines, y compris dans la nourriture oaxaquaise, et comme un exemple de la diversité des céréales cultivées par l'homme.

💡maïs

Le maïs, également appelé maïs, est une plante à grain qui a joué un rôle fondamental dans les empires anciens d'Amérique centrale, y compris les Aztèques et les Incas. Dans le script, le maïs est présenté comme la base de la tortilla et un élément clé de la nourriture mexicaine, avec des liens historiques et culturels profonds.

💡domestication des animaux

La domestication des animaux est le processus par lequel des animaux sauvages sont élevés et modifiés génétiquement pour répondre aux besoins des humains, notamment en tant que source de nourriture. Le script explique comment la domestication a permis aux humains d'expérimenter avec de nouvelles formes et saveurs de viande, contribuant ainsi à la diversité culinaire.

💡fromage

Le fromage est un aliment fabriqué à partir de lait caillé. Dans le script, le fromage est présenté comme un élément important de la nourriture humaine depuis la préhistoire et comme un produit qui a une variété de préparations et de saveurs dans le monde entier. Le restaurant de TJ fait ses propres fromages, ce qui souligne l'importance de la qualité et de la saveur dans la cuisine.

💡légumes

Les légumes sont des plantes comestibles qui fournissent des nutriments essentiels et ajoutent des saveurs à la nourriture. Le script met en évidence l'importance des légumes dans la nutrition et dans la culture culinaire, en particulier dans la préparation du plat principal de TJ, qui comprend divers champignons et épinards.

💡salsa

La salsa est un condiment ou une sauce composée de tomates, d'épices et d'autres ingrédients, souvent mangée avec des tortillas ou des tacos. Dans le script, la salsa est décrite comme un élément clé de la cuisine mexicaine, qui a une histoire qui remonte à travers les âges des Incas, des Aztèques et des Mayas, et qui apporte un équilibre de saveurs à la nourriture.

💡conservation des aliments

La conservation des aliments est la pratique de stocker ou de traiter la nourriture afin de prolonger sa durée de vie. Le script mentionne la conservation des aliments et la fermentation comme des leçons précieuses apprises grâce à la vie agricole, qui ont joué un rôle important dans l'exploration et la transformation du monde.

Highlights

Dans les coins de rue et les quartiers de ce centre de multiculturalisme, les arômes délicieux se répandent, apportant des saveurs culinaires du monde entier.

Il y a environ 59 000 restaurants mexicains répartis à travers les États-Unis, témoignant de l'amour pour cette cuisine.

Le chef TJ Steele de Claro, un restaurant inspiré des Mohawks, propose une touche moderne new-yorkaise à des classiques mohawks.

Chaque ingrédient de la cuisine, des céréales aux légumes, révèle un chapitre de notre histoire commune et symbolise 12 000 ans de révolution agricole.

L'agriculture a permis aux sociétés de se stabiliser et de développer, changeant le cours de l'évolution humaine.

Le succès de l'agriculture a entraîné une augmentation de la population mondiale, passant de 5 millions à plus de 7 milliards de personnes.

L'agriculture a également permis la spécialisation d'activités, donnant naissance à de nouveaux rôles comme les artisans, les artistes et les chefs.

Le chef TJ met l'accent sur la région d'Oaxaca en Mexique, qui est riche en sous-régions et en diversité culinaire.

Le riz est le principal crop et la base de la nourriture de plus de la moitié de la population mondiale.

Le maïs, ou le blé d'Inde, a été la base des grandes empires d'Amérique centrale, y compris les Aztèques et les Incas.

L'agriculture a apporté des surplus de céréales, de légumes et de bétail, contribuant à la croissance de la population.

Les premières expériences en agriculture ont eu des conséquences sur la santé nutritionnelle des humains, avec une baisse de la diversité alimentaire.

La domestication des animaux a permis l'accès facile à la protéine et une diversification des régimes alimentaires.

Le fromage, dont l'amour de l'espèce humaine prédate l'histoire documentée, a une histoire riche et variée dans sa préparation et son goût.

Les légumes, essentiels à la nutrition, ont été le point central de la culture culinaire et ont une histoire qui remonte aux civilisations anciennes.

La salsa, un condiment simple mais riche en histoire, est une combinaison de légumes, de fruits et d'épices qui date des Incas, des Aztèques et des Mayas.

Le processus d'agrément et de conservation des aliments, enseigné par la vie agricole, a alimenté une ère d'exploration qui a changé le monde.

Transcripts

on the street corners

and in the neighborhoods of this

epicenter of multiculturalism

delicious aromas waft into the streets

tantalizing cuisines and flavors from

around the world but there's one cuisine

that is loved above all in the good old

u.s of a

there are no less than 59 000 mexican

restaurants strewn across the country

and in a quiet corner of brooklyn there

is something special

this is claro the chef

tj steele claro is a wahawkin

inspired restaurant we do kind of a

modern new york take on some mohawkin

classics

a side of rice a blue corn tortilla

a bevy of mushrooms homemade chorizo

fresh made cheese

a splash of spicy salsa

[Music]

i know what you're thinking

tacos but

this is not just a classic mexican meal

every mouthful tells the story of

human history each of these ingredients

the grains meats cheeses fruits and

vegetables

reveals another chapter in our shared

story

together they symbolize 12 thousand

years of innovation

invention selection and serendipity

known as the agricultural revolution

for the vast majority of human existence

we were nomads

in pursuit of the next meal our ancient

ancestors

roamed the earth seeking ample game and

bountiful flora

we harnessed the power of fire to cook

our meals

[Music]

then for a hundred centuries we endured

and survived a global ice age

so how did we get from this

frozen world to taco tuesday

charlotte lasti is a member of the

global crop trust

working in svalbard to preserve the last

12

000 years of agricultural history

in the early years of agriculture there

were people who were understanding and

learning how to cultivate

wild plants and in doing that they

cultivated plants that were delicious to

eat

in sufficient amounts that allowed them

to develop

cities and towns and and civilizations

whether you're talking in the far east

or egyptian greek roman

aztec inca they were all based on

brilliant farmers who were producing

enough food

to allow society so

it was a fundamental part of our

evolution as humans

to become great farmers this

fertile crescent of the middle east

would come to be known

as the cradle of civilization and is

regarded as the birthplace

of writing trade

math and organized religion

and all of this springs from the advent

of agriculture

[Music]

the success of farming meant we finally

had a reason to stop our perennial

wanderings

and begin to settle down and try to make

an honest species of ourselves

as a society becomes totally dependent

on agriculture that really does change

the game

agriculture is a tremendous blessing in

the sense that it enables societies to

reduce a lot more food

and therefore to sustain a lot more

population

where it had taken five thousand acres

to support each member of a

hunter-gatherer community

the same amount of land could feed 5

000 people in an agrarian society

agriculture provided us with a surplus

of grains

vegetables and livestock and the

population of the planet

went from 5 million people 10 000 years

ago

to more than 7 billion today

[Music]

agriculture also makes possible a wider

range of specialized

activities that's something you couldn't

have had

and you can't have in a pre-agrarian or

non-agrarian

society people did not have to be

directly involved in producing food

instead they could become craftsmen

artists religious leaders

or chefs

cooking is something that there was

never really another choice for me it

was

the only thing i ever thought that i

would do or wanted to do and

really enjoyed doing

i think it's hard to get authentic

regional

mexican food in new york even in the

states in general i think people

kind of clump all of mexico's greatest

hits into one

what we do here is a little different

because we focus on the region of oaxaca

which in itself has many different

sub-regions and lots of different kind

of

cuisine that come together there

i think one of the things that i found

when i went to mexico was a lot more

soul on the food

i felt an emotional attachment to

mexican food

i think that it spoke a lot more to

my soul and what i was feeling towards

food

i can take all the relationships

ideas food experiences

everything from my time in oaxaca and

kind of

just bring it here in new york and kind

of share it with everyone

tj's oaxacan meal begins with a side of

rice

the staple accompaniment to many a

mexican meal

the cuisines and civilizations of the

world were shaped most influentially

by the magical transformations of their

native grasses

[Music]

one of the great kinds of food magic

is the transformation of grasses because

that's really what we're talking about

of the great staples of the world wheat

maize

barley rice all the other food sources

that started as wild grasses and which

humans

turned into edible food and drink

by cultivation by selecting

by breeding and have consumed now for

thousands of years

our journey through agricultural history

begins

in asia where one ingredient has always

dominated the cuisine

rice it is believed that humans have

been selecting and

influencing rice evolution since the

chinese first started cultivating it

around 7000 bce

today rice is the primary crop and

staple of more than half the world's

population

while rice is our side dish for many

rice is at the heart of every meal

[Music]

i knew that was gonna happen hey what's

up i'm jj

johnson and i love to cook rice

if i had to define culture through food

i would say culture is rice

it's really at the center of the table

regardless where you go in the world

rice is the common ingredient and then

develop that flavor profile how you want

it to be

based off who you are where you're from

in the world

i'm all about the mother grains of the

world there's all these rices that fuel

the world

that have like all these amazing stories

to it that everybody forgot about

despite its enduring popularity today

rice is nowhere near as varied as it

once was

most supermarkets are limited to white

rice brown rice

long grain short grain jasmine

and that's about it but rice is

infinitely more diverse than that

[Music]

we have over a hundred thousand distinct

varieties of rice

that would be the highest diversity of

any of the plant kingdom

and almost no one gets to experience it

if you're

into flavor like i am the more diversity

the better

glenn roberts is the founder of anson

mills

a company dedicated to the cultivation

and preservation of grains and seeds

from bygone eras

from the black tribute rice used to pay

taxes to chinese emperors

all the way to the grandfather of long

rice and the americas

carolina gold

we are first and foremost rice people

what i have here this is a ton of

carolina gold rice seed

and this is our production rice and our

main

thing that we do

bottom line is extraordinary rice one of

the most beautiful foods you can imagine

[Music]

we have lots of different rices we only

grow heirloom grains

all of our plants are from eras all the

way back to the donna civilization

one of the grains we work with is 22 000

years old supposedly on carbon dating

those foods are spectacular and part of

what we've been doing

is trying to bring them back it's hard

work and it's really exacting work

but it's also very very rewarding

glenn has spent the last two decades

working with scientists

to bring heirloom and ancient grains

back to our dinner tables

there's a big cognition now in modern

times

of the fact that heirlooms are important

because in old crops land race and

heirloom crops

flavor equals nutrition so you're

looking for the highest flavor

this might not even fit in here rice is

everything

it is truly what i feel is the most

casual common ingredient in the world

and i think since it's so casual

we all forget that it really fuels our

soul

at the end of the day it doesn't matter

if you're a king a president

a maid a chef

rice is just something that we all know

this beautifully engineered grain of

grass

remains the staple of dinners around the

world

on to the main course today we're going

to be cooking

some mamela's on the kamal

the base of our historic meal the

tortilla

is made of another grass which has

towered in importance throughout

central american history maize

or corn

[Music]

one of the first things that i noticed

getting to oaxaca was

the quality of the corn and the masa

even just a tortilla is like

super satisfying it's kind of how people

would talk about like a great

french baguette or a croissant or

something you're like wow if you haven't

had that corn before i don't know that

you've ever had

the proper experience with that tortilla

[Music]

maize was the foundation of the great

empires of central america

including the aztecs of mexico and the

inca

of peru the oldest remains left from a

meal of maize

were found in the tawakan valley of

mexico

the tiny ears had been gnawed on over 5

000

years ago

when farmers took wild plants and

developed

things that they could eat in large

quantities they had to leave behind

certain aspects of the wild species that

weren't so helpful

so they had to keep selecting plants

until they had

what was useful to them it's a similar

thing that's happened in

in human evolution because human

diversity is

not very great and what is absolutely

astounding is there's probably more

genetic diversity

in a field of traditional maze varieties

than there is in the entire human race

maize is derived from a grass called

tiocinte

which is indigenous to central mexico

the difference between teosinte and

modern mace

is remarkable with human help

this humble plant evolved as bigger ears

with fatter kernels were selected and

planted

and corn or maize has never waned

in its importance to

[Music]

is

[Music]

familiar

to the civilizations of central america

maize was both the source of life

and the reason for living it was food

economy nutrition and flavor

all in one the mayans didn't just

subsist on maize

they came from maize

the aztecs and their gods exchanged

their most

precious possessions human hearts

for the heart of corn

the basic rule i think it's very easily

understood the food which which feeds

you most

say so that becomes your god that's the

that's the food that you

you have to acknowledge you have to be

grateful to

since corn oaxaca has always been such a

staple part of the diet and the culture

here there might be a little bit more

respect

for it

[Music]

i haven't been able to find any corn in

the states that comes close to anything

that's going on down here in mexico

as far as flavor and starch content and

even aroma

everything that we're looking for at the

restaurant is in the corn that we find

down here

[Music]

the ancient practice of soaking and

boiling corn with white lime

releases amino acids and vitamin b

and makes it easier to grind

[Music]

this difficult process is necessary in

the quest for the building block of

every great mexican meal

masa and from masa

the tortilla especially

para pores

tj is making a thick and hearty mamela

but for the common taco the tortilla is

king

[Music]

and in a year the average mexican

consumes

around 185 pounds of them

the difference between something you

would buy at a store and something that

we're making here with

no preservatives or additives to it is

is huge like you can smell the

difference feel it taste it

everything across the board

it can be fried it can be cooked dry in

a kamal it can be

finished on a grill you can see it in

all different shapes from tortillas

clyoudas

mamelas all kinds of things the

possibilities are endless masa's

life

thanks to millennia of progress we now

have a steaming side of rice

and a blue corn mamela

stable food sources rich in

carbohydrates and vitamins

changed the game but the grass wasn't

necessarily greener

at first when ancient people diverged

from their hunter-gatherer diets

and became dependent on a stable diet of

great grasses

they began to pay a devastating

biological price

there's no progress without a kickback

from

fate i mean that's life strange and in

the case of

agriculture within every early

case of a society it made them dependent

on a single staple a very limited range

of staples

they're more rickety they were shorter

they were feebler

than their paleolithic predecessors who

had relied on wild

food the fossil record reveals that

humans nutritional health declined

as a direct result of this homogenized

diet

eating only grains every day gave early

farmers cavities

and periodontal disease conditions

rarely found in hunter-gatherers

despite their challenges people didn't

want to give up their new lifestyle

the diets of early farm dwellers

diversified

as the art of cultivation and

domestication was honed

grains were not agriculture's only gift

as we settled hunters became herders

herd animals like cows goats

sheep pigs horses and camels

provided easy access to protein through

meat

not only are people using these animals

for food

they're creating new species by

selecting

from the wild varieties keeping them

together in one place breeding from them

producing ever bigger

specimens for more food more nutritional

value and that's what changes the

pattern of evolution

humans are beginning to produce

species that would not have existed

and could not survive without human

intervention

cattle were first domesticated in the

early neolithic period

simultaneously in both the middle east

and parts of eastern europe

wild chickens indigenous to india and

east asia

were domesticated around 7 000 years ago

and pigs descended from the eurasian

wild boar

domestication led to culinary

experimentation

allowing our love of meat to take on new

forms

and flavors

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grilled meat's really popular in oaxaca

you'll see traveling through the markets

and stuff there'll be a lot of little

stands set up but it might be

a little old lady on the corner grilling

up some meat and putting it on top of

tortillas

you'll see a lot of stews or tacos de

cozuela

these like beautiful earthenware pots

that are full of stews and kind of pick

what you want and they'll fill tortillas

with it

ocho pieces right now we're looking at

some chorizo

wahken style this tree so has tons of

flavor

tj takes inspiration from the markets of

oaxaca

and brings it to the tables of brooklyn

using better quality meats here has

yielded us a product that

reminds me more of food in oaxaca

because

i think that they're all one step closer

to the farm

so here i'm stirring up our house made

chorizo

and basically it's heritage pork meat

which is like a heirloom

pork meat that we grind in house and

then we're adding in guajillos from

mexico

which is what it gets all of its nice

red color from

and then for spices it's getting mexican

oregano

thyme allspice a little bit of cumin

some white vinegar a little sugar and

salt and that's it

this spicy mexican favorite will be the

centerpiece of tj's mamela

but there are more stories to be told by

this dish

as a species our love affair with cheese

pre-dates recorded human history

now we're going to add a little bit of

farm cheese that we make in-house

basically it's um

a fresh cheese or almost like a ricotta

style cheese

and this is also something that's very

typical to mexico or oaxaca

cheese is thought to have originated

when milk curdled

while being transported in bladders made

of the ruminant stomachs of cattle

it was love at first bite

introduced to europe by travelers from

asia

and to the new world by the pilgrim

settlers today

cheeses from around the world differ

wildly in their preparation

and flavor it comes

aged stinky

creamy soft

hard and moldy

we make all of our own cheeses in-house

i think that you can taste the

difference you can taste the love and

the carrot in it and

it really shows this is a chorizo

mamella

with some aciento bean paste and then a

house made chorizo and potato

with some fresh cheese on top and

cilantro

our first dish is up but this oaxacan

feast

isn't done yet

as tasty as they are we cannot survive

on meats and cheeses alone

there's a reason your parents always

told you to

eat your vegetables not only are they

delicious

they're the cornerstone of nutrition

from apples to mangoes onions

to avocados peppers

to chilies cultivation of regional

fruits and veggies

was essential to culinary culture

going to oaxaca and seeing the food down

there kind of blew my mind how much

flavor you can get out of something like

a mushroom these flavors can take you

back to the earth

for the veggie lovers tj is preparing

his famous mushroom and pea shoot mamela

i think mushrooms are fun because they

kind of have the meatiness without

having meat in them

these are all wild mushrooms now that

are in season

i like these mushrooms too because they

all have a different texture and color

pink oyster the blue foot some of the

cauliflower

the piopinis and

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and it wouldn't be complete without the

spicy

crowning glory salsa

all these different vegetables come

together as one

it's always a balance of sweet salty

savory

acidic really can bring a dish together

though salsa is a seemingly simple

condiment

this mix of veggies fruits and spices

actually dates back through the ages of

the incas

aztecs and mayans

aztec lords combined tomatoes with chili

ground squash seeds and legumes

and the spaniards first encountered

salsa in the 15th century

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first on the shopping list for our salsa

tomatoes

this is a zapotec tomato the first time

i ever had this tomato was in oaxaca and

i thought that it was just a

weird-looking little

funky tomato but just like we have

heirloom tomatoes back home

this is basically what that is here

this species of the fruit family

originated here

in central america tomatoes were first

exported in the 1500s

these colorful fruits were introduced

across the continent of europe

and notably italy

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it's hard to imagine italian food

without

tomatoes but they didn't become a staple

of the cuisine

until around 1880 with the invention of

the margherita pizza

in naples this heirloom tomato

will be the base the next ingredient for

our salsa

onions these are knob onions or

in the states we call them spring onions

but basically it's like an onion before

it develops it's like

harder skin on the outside so it's much

sweeter and has a

lighter flavor i guess and they're

really good to like cook on the grill

and serve on the side of some tacos or

i like to just kind of munch them on

their own once they're grilled they're

really awesome

onions are rich in vitamin c mineral

salts and antioxidants

their beneficial effects were understood

as early as the building of the pyramids

egyptian mummies were even accompanied

into the afterlife

with stalks of onions wrapped in

bandages

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most of the work is done but a good

oaxacan salsa needs one

last very important thing

a kick the stand is pretty cool it's a

lot of different

herbs and spices and a lot that you

would see in um traditional walking food

some dry oregano and

some cumin and allspices also

a stall like this is really cool because

you can really smell all the spices and

stuff and

i don't know it kind of takes you back

in time if you want to think about like

a spice trade or something like that

piles of cool ingredients it's awesome

kind of making a freestyle salsa today

and just taking some ingredients i like

and mixing them together

one of the things i really enjoy coming

down here is like how these tomatoes are

always super sweet and

ripe and super amazing and i think it's

one of the things that makes

all the salsas and things here really

special

i just want a little bit more char in

them and then also as you see like how

they're bubbling here

and kind of shrinking up what's

happening is the water is cooking out

and that's intensifying the flavors

almost like a sun dried tomato would be

and i'm basically going to mash up the

tomatoes with a little bit of this

chili paste which is made from wax

pastilla chili which is a nice smoky

chili kind of like a chipotle

so it's going to add a little bit of

acid from the tomatillo and some

smokiness and heat from the chili

i think this might be done

yeah i'm just getting a little salt to

this that's kind of perfect

in every little bite tj tells a great

big story

it took 12 000 years

but our meal is finally complete

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okay let's eat each taco

represents the story of agricultural

selection

invention experimentation

and hard work

from antiquity to modern day humans have

bent the environment to our will

and overseen the evolution and

domestication of plants and animals

it was the ingredients provided by

agriculture

that inspired appreciation of flavors

but what good was producing a surplus of

food

if it couldn't all be consumed or traded

we needed to preserve or die

and agrarian life taught us another

valuable lesson

the alchemy of fermentation and food

preservation

methods that fueled an age of

exploration that would change the world

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forever

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you