A Dark History of Chocolate

A Dark History of Chocolate

Author: Rachel Mosses October 5, 2021 Duration: 1:01:35

In this bonus episode I talk with Emma Kay about her new book The Dark History of Chocolate.

Firstly, may I say that this is a fantastic book. I constantly alternated between being ashamed of ever eating chocolate to being seduced by the idea of this rich, darkly magical substance. I was left at the end not sure whether I could ever look a chocolate digestive in the face again and equally wanting to rush off and make intensely dark chocolate truffles with smoky whisky & sea salt and indulge in every one! 

Emma Kay is a museum professional who has worked in major institutions including The National Maritime Museum, The British Museum and the University of Bath. She is qualified in History and Conservation and numerous areas of Heritage Management and Archaeology. 

She is now a food historian, author and prolific collector of Kitchenalia and lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and young son. Her articles have appeared in publications including BBC History Magazine, The Daily Express, Daily Mail and Times Literary Supplement. She has contributed historic food research for a number of television production companies and featured several times on Talk Radio Europe, BBC Hereford and Worcester, BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, BBC Humberside, BBC Gloucestershire and LifeFM.

In 2018 she appeared in a ten-part series for the BBC and Hungry Gap Productions, ‘ The Best Christmas Food Ever’ and on BBC Countryfile, co-presenting a feature exploring the heritage of the black pear.

At the end of 2019 Emma was filmed for a new Channel 5 series, exploring the food from some of Britain’s greatest battles. She is also the author of 9 published books.

You can order this book direct from the publishers Pen and Sword, Bookshop.org or other good booksellers. You can find out more about Emma at her website  or on Twitter @museumofkitchen or Instagram @museumofkitchenalia . Emma also has a Youtube channel .

You can also find out more about Folklore, Food and Fairytales at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.


Rachel Mosses hosts Folklore, Food and Fairytales, a podcast that sits at the comfortable, worn-in table where narrative and nourishment meet. Each episode begins with a story-a piece of folklore, a fairytale, or a lesser-known myth-and then delves into the culinary world hidden within its lines. The discussion isn't just about whether the porridge in a tale is symbolic or simply a relatable detail; it's about unearthing the real food history and traditions that those fictional meals echo. You'll hear about the rituals of both eating and storytelling, and how each feeds a different kind of hunger. This podcast naturally explores how recipes are themselves stories passed down, and how the history of a dish can be as compelling as the plot of a legend. Listen for a thoughtful blend of narration and analysis, where a great story is always served with a side of fascinating context, leaving you to ponder the deep, savoury connections between the tales we tell and the food we share.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 92

Folklore, Food and Fairytales
Podcast Episodes
Love Magic, Divination & Folklore with Icy Sedgwick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:42
Guest: Icy Sedgwick — folklorist, author, and host of The Fabulous Folklore Podcast Topic: Love magic, divination, and the rituals people used to find (or keep) love.Book: ⁠Bring Me Love: Finding and Keeping Love Using D…
An Ending and a Beginning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:36
So, some big news about changes to the podcast plus a wonderful story: Davey & The King of the Fishes. You can find out and get updates about my new podcast at my new website: A Question of Death You can find more about…
Tales of Frost and Snow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:23
A collection of wintery and festive tales for the season: Why the Sea is Salt, The Christmas Bear and Twelve Brothers. The first is 'Why the Sea is Salt' a Norwegian tale adapted from Christmas Fairytales colled by Neil…
The Widow & Her Daughters or the Kale Conspiracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:57
In which we discover that strange food stealing horses don't always have your best intentions at heart, that you should always be kind to cats, rowan is good for protection and that kale has its very own folklore. The St…
Slightly Scary Story Special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:18
The ⁠Stories⁠ in this episode are: Golden Hair, The Lass & her Good Stout Blackthorn Stick and The Tailor in the Church adapated from Sorche nic Leodhas and Ruth Manning Sanders This is another just the stories episode,…
An All Hallows Feast - Menus, Symbolism & Folklore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:55
In which I explore a completely different direction, have fun with food symbolism and folklore at this interesting time of year and make a realisation about how I really feel about good food. I hope you enjoy this bonus…
The Kitchen Witch Companion: An Interview with Sarah Robinson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:39
In this episode I interviewed the wonderful Sarah Robinson about the fabulous book she has created with Lucy H Pearce: The Kitchen Witch Companion: Recipes, Rituals & Reflections If you are reading this on or before 19 O…
The Beekeeper and the Hare or The Hot Honey Horror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:19
In which we discover that everything is not always as it seems, that you should take advice from helpful travellers, that bees can be excellent as a home protection system and that the taste of honey can make you cross w…
Slavic Kitchen Alchemy - An Interview with Zuza Zak [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:10
I met with Zuza Zak and we talked about her wonderful new book Slavic Kitchen Alchemy: Nourishing Herbal Remedies, Magical Recipes & Folk Wisdom. Zuza is also the author of ‘Polska: New Polish Cooking’, ‘Amber & Rye: A B…