About the author

Chelsea Sarg

Chelsea is a Fulbright recipient and current masters student at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy. She is focusing her studies on the intersection of food and social justice with a particular focus on labor and the wine industry. Chelsea is originally from Sonoma County, California, and has spent most of her career working in nonprofits specializing in food access programs and culinary-focused business development. Chelsea is interested in finding solutions for including labor as an essential part of sustainability models in the food and wine sector. Corn is one of her favorite foods because it connects her to her Guatemalan heritage, and is both beautiful and delicious.

Ethics
Origins

Polenta, Vampires & Colonization

ChatGPT said: Vampires, polenta, and colonization? Turns out a bowl of cornmeal hides a dark secret. When maize came to Europe without its sacred prep method, it sparked a disease so intense it inspired vampire myths. Behind the myths lies a history of stolen knowledge and systemic neglect.

If your brain is filled with obscure food facts, historical bites, and culinary debates, welcome home.