C is for Caraway, Curry & CinnamonIn this episode of A is for Apple, we turn to aromatics and ask what these ingredients carry with them beyond flavour. From the binding qualities of caraway in early modern folklore to the layered histories of curry and its place in Britain, and the enduring warmth of cinnamon, we explore how spices move, adapt, and settle. Along the way, we think about trade, migration, memory, and the ways in which taste is shaped over time. And somewhere along the line… did we get a little carawayed? What we discussCinnamon What is the difference between cinnamon and cassia, and does it matter? Why is cinnamon so strongly associated with comfort and memory? How has it been used historically, both in cooking and in medicine? Curry If one dish tells the story of Britain, is it chicken tikka masala? Can food ever belong to one place once it starts to travel? What do curry houses reveal about adaptation and taste? Is “authenticity” a useful concept, or does it obscure more than it reveals? We also draw on insights from Allie’s previous conversation with Mallika Basu on A Curious Appetite with Dr Alessandra Pino, her new podcast, particularly around migration, flavour, and the politics of naming. Caraway From comfits to cupboards, how has caraway been used in cooking? Why was it once believed to prevent loss, theft, or even wandering lovers? What does this tell us about the symbolic life of everyday ingredients? Useful links amd further reading Caraway Anderson, I. (2023). The History and Natural History of Spices: The 5,000 Year Search for Flavour. The History Press. Brears, P. (2012). Cooking & Dining in Medieval England. Prospect Books. Davidson, A. (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. Hieatt, C. B., & Butler, S. (1985). Curye on Inglysch: English culinary manuscripts of the fourteenth century. Oxford University Press. Mason, L. (1988). Sugar-Plums and Sherbert: The Prehistory of Sweets. Prospect Books. Curry Collingham, Lizzie. Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Dickson Wright, Clarissa. A History of English Food. London: Random House, 2011. Glasse, Hannah. The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. 1803. Huxley, Aldous. Jesting Pilate. 1926. Panayi, Panikos. Migrant City: A New History of London. 2020. Panayi, Panikos. Spicing Up Britain. 1995. Sukhadwala, Sejal. The Philosophy of Curry. 2023. Empire Podcast – “Inventing Curry: The British Taste for India” Cinnamon https://www.britannica.com/plant/cinnamon How cinnamon is harvested: https://youtube.com/shorts/4LINdKpRmpM?si=dYt_TS0Ny9KqJQo- https://youtu.be/fNguphwF_hI?si=1jS0qWsyseRQGVFR Get in touchIf there’s something you’d like us to think with, a food, a memory, a question, do write in. We’d love to hear what you’re curious about. You can get in touch with us via Bluesky @AisforApplepod. You can also Tweet us at A is for Apple Pod and we’re on Instagram at A is for Apple Pod_ and you can find a group dedicated to the podcast on Facebook. Or you can email us at 📩aisforapplepod@gmail.com.
