Read This Tragic Story of the 12-Year Old Enslaved Boy Who Launched the Vanilla Industry

Read This Tragic Story of the 12-Year Old Enslaved Boy Who Launched the Vanilla Industry

I love reading about the history of food. It feels like the best of history by bringing together social, political, cultural, and economic histories into one story. It’s fascinating to see how common, everyday items like tea or vanilla were once rarities and only available to the ultra-rich. Or also seen as dangerous substances that could lead people astray. But one thing I’ve realized reading all these food histories there’s a common thread, wh…