Madre Chocolate with Dr. Nat Bletter

05/24/21 • 52 min

This stimulant ingredient has captured the imaginations (and taste buds) of humans over the centuries! You may be surprised at all of the steps that it takes to transform cacao seeds from the chocolate tree into the chocolate bars and beverages we love. This week, I speak with Dr. Nat Bletter about the history and chemistry of chocolate. He also gives us a unique walk through all of the steps to processing chocolate—including some fascinating insights on the fermentation and tempering stages. Learn more about Nat’s work with chocolate or order some tasty bars to sample at Madre Chocolate (@madrechocolate on Instagram and Facebook). You can also check out is YouTube channel or follow him on Instagram and Facebook at @NattyByNature808 for more for more info on ethnobotany and gardening.

#chocolate #cacao #ethnobotany

#chocolate #cacao #ethnobotany

Previous Episode

Plants, people, & Jaguar in the Amazon with Dr. Glenn Shepard

Did you know that in some cultures, humans are believed to transform into forest animals as a part of the hunting tradition? Or that the elderly may transform into the fierce jaguar in the last phases of life? This week, I speak with Dr. Glenn Shepherd about topics ranging from medicinal plants and poetry, to the life cycle and different cosmologies that shape the ways that humans perceive the processes of aging and death. We also explore how certain psychoactive plants and fungal endophytes (including ergot alkaloids cultivated in sedges!) are used by Indigenous groups in medicine. Learn more about Glenn’s work in the Amazon on his blog Notes from the Ethnoground, and follow him on Twitter @TweetTropiques or on Facebook and Instagram @ethnoground_photography

#ethnobotany #Amazonas #psychoactive

Next Episode

Lessons from Plants with Dr. Beronda Montgomery

What lessons can we learn about human behavior from the plant kingdom? I chat with Dr. Beronda Montgomery, a writer, professor, and science communicator. Her research focuses on how organisms (primarily plants) maintain a sense of self, where they are, and what behaviors they should pursue to support their success. Dr. Montgomery is author of a new book Lessons from Plants. Learn more about her work at her website at berondamontgomery.com or follow her on Twitter: @BerondaM and @PlantLessons or Instagram: @Beronda_M and @PlantLessons

#Plants #Botany #garden