African Rice in the Amazon: A History of Slavery and Resilience in the Rainforest

Join Dr. Quave as she chats with Dr. Tinde van Andel, an ethnobotanist that studies the traditional uses of crops and medicinal plants from Africa to South America. She shares the incredible story of how enslaved African women hid special rice varieties and other crop seeds in their hair braids in their escape from plantations to the forest, where thriving Maroon communities were established and persist today in Suriname. Prof. van Andel explains how her team and collaborators used interdisciplinary tools from the examination of historic records, herbarium samples, ethnobotanical interviews and genomics approaches to unravel this fascinating history of this important African crop.  

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ABOUT OUR GUEST

Professor Tinde van Andel (1967) is a Dutch ethnobotanist, working for Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands and affiliated to Wageningen and Leiden University. Her research includes wild plants used for food and medicine, traditional rice cultivation in the Guianas, and historical collections of useful plants buried in treasure rooms of herbaria and libraries. Listening to the stories behind useful plants helps her to discover people’s unwritten history. By documenting traditional knowledge on wild food plants and local crop landraces she tries to understand how people have survived on hunter-gathering and self-sufficient agriculture in the past centuries.

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LINKS TO MORE RESOURCES

Information on Dr. van Andel and links to her publications:

Information on the Maroons:

Video showing how the Maroon ancestors hid rice grains in their hair:

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ABOUT FOODIE PHARMACOLOGY 

Now in Season 2 with more than sixty episodes! Tune in to explore the food-medicine continuum with Dr. Cassandra Quave as she meets with award-winning authors, chefs, scientists, farmers and experts on the connections between food and health. New episodes release every Monday! Like the show? Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts and share your favorite episodes with your friends! 

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PODCAST DESCRIPTION:

Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? Not just where it’s grown today, but where it originally popped up in the world? Have you ever bit into a delicious ripe fruit and wondered, hey – why is it this color? What’s responsible for this amazing flavor? Is this good for my health? Could it even be medicinal? Foodie Pharmacology is a science podcast built for the food curious, the flavor connoisseurs, chefs, science geeks, plant lovers and adventurous taste experimenters out in the world! Join American ethnobotanist Dr. Cassandra Quave on this adventure through history, medicine, cuisine and molecules as she explores the amazing pharmacology of our foods. 

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW: 

Subscribe to Foodie Pharmacology on Apple Podcasts for audio and the TeachEthnobotany YouTube Channel to see full video of new episodes. You can also find more than 50 episodes of the show at https://foodiepharmacology.com/ Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @foodiepharma or on Facebook at "Foodie Pharmacology with Cassandra Quave" 

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PODCAST REVIEWS: 

“You are what you eat — and what you listen to. Dr. Quave combines science with food, culture and history in this enjoyable, educational podcast.”--Carol on Facebook Page Reviews 

“We have needed this podcast for a long time. Dr. Quave's willingness to share her knowledge of plant usage and history make these podcasts interesting and helpful. The interviews from around the world are always loaded with information. Waiting on a new episode every week.”--Alan on Apple Podcasts Reviews 

“Great podcast about favorite foods! If you love food, you will love this podcast! Dr. Quave makes the science behind the food approachable and easy to understand. Love it!”--Liz on Apple Podcasts Reviews 

“Dr Quave is amazingly informative. I could listen to her talk all day. And thanks to these podcasts I can! Thank you!”-- Wendy on Facebook Page Reviews 

“Fascinating and entertaining! Dr. Quave is not just one of the foremost experts on the subject, she is also an incredibly gifted teacher and storyteller. I highly recommend Foodie Pharmacology to anyone with any interest in the subject.”-- John on Facebook Page Reviews 

“Dr. Quave is a brilliant scientist and storyteller, which makes this program both entertaining and accessible!”-- Ernest on Facebook Page Reviews 

“Dr. Quave is my go to source for all things Ethnobotany. Her new podcast is a great way to learn about plants and their many uses, ranging from food to medicine and so much more. I can’t wait for the newest episode!”--Paul on Apple Podcasts Reviews