Follow the old Silk Road and the spice trade on this six-episode series, Silk Road Food and Wine. With hosts Sonya Rhee and David Schleifer, you’ll learn about ancient trade routes, rare grape varieties and the fine art of spice blending. First, Tom Standage, author of An Edible History of Humanity explains how the search for spices shaped global history. Then, Yale historian Paul Freedman tells us about the surprisingly piquant cuisine of medieval Europe. Modern spice-blender Lior Lev Sercarz reveals how he creates unique combinations of flavors for professional chefs and home cooks at La Boîte à Epice. A genetic sleuth explains how he tracked down the ancient grape varieties of the Silk Road and a vintner from Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars in New York’s Finger Lakes region discusses growing those nearly forgotten grapes today. Finally, Layne Mosler the Taxi Gourmet takes you on a ride to taste the flavors of the Silk Road in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

Sonya Rhee is a documentary filmmaker and ethnographer whose work has been shown on PBS and at The Library of Congress. When she’s not documenting bison ranch hands in Wyoming or factory workers in Cambodia, she’s obsessing over making the perfect mool naeng-myun.

David Schleifer writes about food, science, technology and medicine. His work has been published N+1, Post Road, Ars Medica, and Time Out New York as well as in academic journals including Technology and Culture and Sexualities.

Music by Djinn.