麻豆社

We sometimes forget that vegetables that we see as common-place today in all their varieties have wild origins.

The potato for example is a name given to a tuber that both comes from Africa and South America - and the history of their discovery and export into our European markets can be traced by examining how those first explorers named the plants.

Sir David Attenborough traces the discovery of some common vegetables to their wild beginnings - and the fascinating natural history of their use as food.

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on 麻豆社 Radio 4 in March 2011.