Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez-Rejón

Eva and Maite trace the evolution of the fair from holy day marketplaces to the grand World’s Fairs of the 19th and 20th centuries, where visitors encountered sensational visions of the future. Think electricity and dishwashers, but also popcorn machines, ice cream sundaes, and even tequila! Yet these spectacles were far from democratic: intellectual, artistic, and technological contributions from non-Western societies were often minimized or erased. Their influence eventually waned with the rise of the internet. Today, state fairs continue to gather communities around agriculture and tradition, while modern global expos increasingly focus on sustainability and the future of the planet. The Current War: Director’s Cut (the final scene takes place at the Chicago's World's Fair) https://www.amazon.com/Current-War-Directors-Cut/dp/B0833VRPDPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite continue their burger series with the invention of the Happy Meal and the powerful marketing of fast food to families. Along the way, they spotlight the often overlooked contributions of women and trace the evolution of the burger from fast food staple to gourmet icon, including the rise of the smashburger. As the burger crosses borders, it transforms, absorbing local flavors and traditions. This episode reveals how one of the world’s most recognizable foods continues to evolve, reflecting the tastes, histories, and creativity of the people who make it their own. Eva’s cookbook in Part 2 of Burgers: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739587/my-mexican-kitchen-by-eva-longoria/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite kick off a two-part series on burgers by tracing their roots long before the bun. They begin with the global history of minced meat, follow its path to the United States, where the hamburger starts to take shape, find its perfect match in the bun, and win the heart of America. From early 20th century fears around contaminated beef to the rise of drive-ins and drive-thrus, they explore how car culture transformed the burger into a symbol of freedom, youth, and modern American life, ushering in the age of fast food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dinnerware tells a story far beyond the table—it’s a history of technology, aesthetics, trade, empire, and everyday life. In this episode, Eva and Maite begin with a simple question: what came first, the dish or the bowl? From humble clay vessels to fine porcelain and paper plates, they trace how what we eat from is a reflection of how we live, how we dine, and how we connect with one another. Sevres Porcelain Manufactory: https://www.sevresciteceramique.fr/en.html Heath Ceramics: https://www.heathceramics.com/ HACHA ceramica: https://hacha.com.mx/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Eva and Maite sip the history of Mexico’s aguas frescas, from pre-Columbian fruit waters to the sweet, creamy evolution of horchata. Explore how these refreshing drinks traveled across continents, transformed with local ingredients, and became beloved in markets from Mexico to Central America and beyond. Maite’s Horchata Recipe: https://www.artbites.net/recipes/mexicanhorchata See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite head to the kitchen to prepare a deconstructed bacon wrapped hot dog recipe from Eva’s new cookbook. And they share lots of history of course! From the earliest references to sausages in antiquity, to how said sausage found two warm pieces of bread to snuggle into, how immigrants transformed it into our favorite baseball food and how the humble sausage found bacon and chiles in Mexico. This episode is all about creativity! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite explore how cooking shifted from open flames to enclosed heat, tracing ovens from communal hearths and clay domes to cast-iron and white enamel ranges, Easy-Bake Ovens, microwaves, and the sleek stainless-steel kitchen aesthetic. Once sites of ritual and gathering, ovens migrated into private homes, reshaping daily life and defining who controlled heat, food, and time. These changes cast fire as clean, modern, orderly (and feminine), while new technologies redefined expectations around care, labor, and domestic responsibility, revealing dynamics of gender, power, and the meaning of progress. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/sapiens-yuval-noah-harari?variant=44475655421986 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Industrial Revolution didn’t just remake factories and cities, it transformed how the world eats. In this episode, Eva and Maite trace its origins in England and its uneven spread across the United States and Latin America, shaping labor, extraction, and global trade in very different ways. They explore how these industrial systems laid the groundwork for today’s climate crisis, then zoom in on tuna and tinned fish. From mass production to fancy cans, it’s a story of how industrial systems turned ocean life into shelf-stable commodities, and how we’re now rebranding them as luxury. Food Chains Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vw-qTCW8fo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breakfast hasn’t always been sweet, crunchy, or aimed at children. In this episode, Eva and Maite trace the surprisingly strange history of cereal: from its origins as a moral prescription and digestive aid in the 19th century, to the rise of sugary cartoon mascots, toys in boxes, the nostalgia of Saturday-morning cartoons, and the modern return to ancient grains. Join them for a crunchy look at how breakfast reflects our shifting ideas about health, pleasure, and what it means to eat “right." Perfect Granola Recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/eleven-madison-park-granola-salty-recipe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do arepas, gorditas, and pupusas have in common? Each is a golden pocket of corn masa — crisp on the outside, tender within — stuffed with everything from beans and cheese to meats and vegetables. In this episode, Eva and Maite explore the histories behind the Venezuelan and Colombian arepa, the Mexican gordita, and the Salvadoran pupusa, and ask a bigger question: why do stuffed foods taste so good? Along the way, they talk migration, identity, and how corn-based foods carry memory across borders. They also tap into a timely conversation: California recently passed a law requiring folic acid to be added to corn masa products like tortillas — a move intended to improve public health, but one that has sparked debate about tradition, nutrition, and how food policy intersects with culture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Butter is so ordinary we barely notice it — until you stop and ask how it’s made, who made it first, and why it once symbolized power, wealth, and even ritual life. In this episode, Eva and Maite trace butter’s story from its accidental invention to its central place in religious and ceremonial traditions. They explore how butter became one of the earliest globally traded foods, prized for its portability, shelf life, and value long before refrigeration, and how it signaled status across cultures. Along the way, they break down the simple alchemy of turning cream into butter and pause at butter’s most controversial rival: margarine! They travel to France, where butter reshaped baking and regional identities and speak with baker Clémence de Lutz of Santa Monica’s Petitgrain Boulangerie and learn how laminated dough turns butter into edible architecture. Link to Petitgrain Boulangerie: https://www.petitgrainboulangerie.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva and Maite opened the season with a series on revolutions, asking a simple but urgent question: what does it take for people to finally say, enough? This week, Maite talks with Clémence de Lutz of Santa Monica’s Petitgrain Boulangerie about bread, strikes, and social responsibility. A baker and activist, Clémence reflects on food as a political act and how our everyday choices carry real weight. It’s a reminder that bread has always carried meaning beyond the oven, especially in moments of social tension. If you are able, consider donating to: Coalition for Human Immigrant RightsNational Immigrant Law CenterImmigrant Law Center of MinnesotaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Eva and Maite toss up the surprisingly juicy history of salads—from the invention of the Caesar salad on the U.S.–Mexico border to the rise of the Asian chicken salad. They dig into where the word salad comes from, the origins of France’s vinaigrette ratio, and how ranch dressing became America’s most beloved condiment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spoiler: mushrooms aren’t plants, they’re fungi! Eva and Maite dig into the history of mushrooms and why they exist on every continent on Earth. From the sacred mushroom ceremonies of María Sabina in Oaxaca to the ritual significance of huitlacoche, the Mexican corn fungus, and the global obsession (and hunt for) truffles, they uncover how fungi have shaped food, medicine, myths, and culture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From its origins in Indigenous South America to its rise as a global symbol of wealth and migration, Eva and Maite explore the surprising history of the pineapple. They trace its journey across the Atlantic, where it became a prized status symbol among European aristocrats—so rare it was sometimes rented for dinner parties instead of eaten! The story then moves to Hawaii, where plantation agriculture turned the pineapple into a mass-market product and reshaped the islands’ economy and landscape. Along the way, they dig into one of the most debated foods ever: Hawaiian pizza, invented in Canada by a Greek immigrant. To bring the fruit home, Maite visits Leo’s Tacos in the heart of Hollywood with food writer and Taqueando host Bill Esparza for a tasting of tacos al pastor, where pineapple plays a crucial role in balancing spice, fat, acid, and heat. Listen to more of Bill Esparza's food adventures on his podcast, Taqueando! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Aztec mythology the fertility goddess, Mayahuel, is the personification of the agave plant - the source of some of the most delicious spirits in Mexican culture. Eva and Maite talk about the ritual significance of pulque, a fermented drink, to the introduction of distillation techniques post-conquest and the first mezcal, all while drinking margaritas! Ivan Vasquez, owner of Madre Restaurant in Los Angeles, shares his thoughts on mezcal. Learn more about Ivan Vasquez and Madre Restaurant here. Click here to try Chica Salte! Maite’s Margarita Recipe Ingredients: Instructions: Try Casa Del Sol. Check out Rejon Tequila. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ring in the New Year with Eva and Maite as they explore the story behind the classic “hair of the dog.” They trace where the phrase comes from, how it became a go-to hangover remedy, and why the Bloody Mary earned its place as the ultimate morning-after cocktail. From the rituals and traditions people lean on to recover from last night’s celebrations to the science of why hangovers happen (and whether “hair of the dog” actually works), join Eva and Maite in greeting 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Christmas, Eva and Maite celebrate how bread—and the people who bake it—keep family, tradition, and community alive, even as this season looks different for many immigrant communities. They explore the bakery as a window into history, tracing the journeys of the baguette, pretzels, bagels, and pan dulce, and how immigrant communities shaped neighborhood bakeries in the U.S. Along the way, they reflect on the history of posadas, highlight bake sales as an expression of community, and uncover the roots of beloved bread idioms—from “putting bread on the table” to “breaking bread.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who first decided that food deserved a critic? This week on Hungry for History, Eva and Maite dig into the origins of food criticism. From the earliest French tastemakers and the rise of the Michelin Guide to the influence of trailblazers like Duncan Hines, Barbara Hansen, and Jonathan Gold, this episode explores how food writing transformed from simple taste-testing into a rich, cultural conversation. Discover how critiques of what’s on the plate became reflections of identity, community, and the world around us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurant history tells the story of who we are, what we value, and how culture moves. In this week’s episode of Hungry for History, Eva and Maite explore the impact the French Revolution played in the birth of restaurants and why French Cuisine became the culinary standard. They dive into the contributions of key figures like Auguste Escoffier, who organized the kitchen and standardized culinary techniques, the cultural significance of brasseries, and the role chefs play in shaping restaurant culture. We also sit down with Chef Rico Torres of Mixtli, the groundbreaking Michelin-starred restaurant in San Antonio, known for turning Mexican culinary history into an elevated, narrative-driven experience. Together, we explore how menus become archives, how tradition becomes innovation, and how the restaurant world is shifting as more diverse culinary voices take center stage. Learn more about Mixtli: https://restaurantmixtli.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.