Episode
The Rice Empire Slaves Built, and a President Almost Hanged For!
- Podcast
- Family Tree Food Stories
- Published
- Apr 30, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1935
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Summary
The 9,000-year story of rice, the enslaved Africans whose genius built a fortune, and the US President who smuggled it into the country. But wait, there's more! Believe it or not, half of everyone in the world eats rice every single day, and most of us have a bag sitting of it sitting somewhere in our kitchen pantry. If this is you, we're guessing that you don't know that it also holds over 9,000 years of history and has nearly 120,000 varieties! We didn't! This week on Family Tree Food & Stories , Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely share some surprising facts and the history of rice. From Chinese rice paddies - which Nancy swears could be similar to cranberry bogs of the Northeast, to how enslaved African farmers created the famous "Carolina Gold" empire, and more. They even learned and share how Thomas Jefferson, the third US President, intentionally smuggled rice seeds out of Italy under threat of execution. Nancy and Sylvia dish out some more history and tradition about rice and how it feeds nearly half the world, and that Carolina Gold rice nearly disappeared. You might be surprised to learn what wild rice actually is (hint: not rice). This episode of Family Tree Food & Stories is comfort food for the brain . No anxiety, no doom-scrolling, just history, tradition, food, and stories, and a little Southern-meets-Yankee banter fun. Nancy and Sylvia guarantee that they'll start a different type of conversation around your dinner, or breakfast table at least one day this week. Key Takeaways Things You'll Learn: Why rice, not corn or wheat, so many people every day The hidden history of "Carolina Gold": How the brilliance of southern African slaves from the "Rice Coast" built one of America's first great food fortunes, and why the world almost lost the secrets to keep…