Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez-Rejón

What do sacred crops and chips have in common? Turns out, more than you’d think! In this episode, Eva and Maite uncover how Latin America’s native ingredients - corn and potatoes - went from offerings to the gods to the cornerstone of billion-dollar snack industries. They talk about how the Mexican American company Siete Foods is redefining what it means to “know your worth” in the snack aisle, and why honor...

In part two, Eva and Maite dig into peanut-related idioms as they follow the legume into the modern age where it became a symbol of innovation, resilience, and identity. They talk peanut farming in the American South, George Washington Carver, and the rise of peanut butter as an American obsession. From Southern gardens to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, the globetrotting peanut transformed economies, culture, and the way we snac...

In part one, Eva and Maite explore the peanut’s journey through Latin America, from its origins in Indigenous food traditions in South America to its spread into Mexico, the Caribbean, and eventually Asia and Africa. The tiny but mighty peanut became a key ingredient in local dishes wherever it landed, finally making its way to the American South and sparking a national obsession: peanut butter. Along the way, they talk ...

Eva and Maite kick off season three by cracking open the tiny but mighty oyster: a once democratic delicacy, ancient symbol, natural water filter, and cornerstone of coastal economies. They dive into food idioms and the oyster’s reputation as an aphrodisiac. Plus, they welcome actor Demián Bichir to the show.

For more on oyster farming check out: https://www.billionoysterproject.org/

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Whether forced or by choice, our dishes and culinary traditions are constantly being adapted due to migration. This week, Eva and Maite discuss the Sephardic Jewish roots in some of their favorite Mexican dishes, including cabrito (roasted kid goat) and albondigas (meatballs). They welcome medieval scholar, chef and author of Matzah and Flour: Recipes from the History of the Sephardic Jews, Hélène Jawha...

In this episode, Eva and Maite continue their exploration of the South Texas lands they grew up in. They share stories of hunting and digging for arrowheads and welcome chef and Texas food historian Adán Medrano to the show. Together they reflect on how the land can tell stories about the daily lives of the people who have lived on it, the animals that have inhabited it, and the changes it has undergone over time.

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In this episode Eva and Maite talk Guatemalan comfort foods with Guatemala born and raised actor and host of the new podcast, Greatest Escapes, Arturo Castro. They talk about the rich history of the region and uncover how some staple ingredients - like bananas and coffee - have been tied to political instability and conflict. Maite visits the Guatemalan Night Market in Los Angeles with food writer Bill Esparza.

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In the wake of the LA Wildfires, Eva and Maite welcome Antonio Diaz, an Emmy-award winning and James Beard Award-nominated filmmaker and founder of Life & Thyme to the show. They discuss the restaurant as the soul of a community, how the LA restaurant industry has come together to help those in need, the precarious nature of the restaurant business, and what we can do to help.

Life & Thyme: https://lifeandthyme.com + I...

Black Seminoles were led to freedom in Northern Mexico where they settled in El Nacimiento in the 1800s. Their Mexican descendants, the Mascogos, have a transnational history that spans borders. Eva and Maite explore this rich history, the cookbook Recetario Mascogo de Coahuila, and Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the U.S. since 2021 that has been celebrated in El Nacimiento since 1865.

They welcome Dr. Maria Hammack, a sch...

In the years before the Civil War, many enslaved people found freedom in Mexico, where slavery was abolished 36 years before the Emancipation Proclamation. In the first of a two-part series on Freedom Fighters, Eva and Maite explore the Southern route of the Underground Railroad and meet Silvia Webber, often referred to as the Harriet Tubman of Texas. They welcome Dr. Maria Hammack, a scholar and historian whose work bridges histor...