Hi, I’m Sonia Gregor.
As an ecologist I studied oceans and forests, and as a cultural nomad I’ve lived on 3 continents. I enjoy finding the connections between humans and food and landscapes, tracing them back through biology and history. That’s also the driving force behind my day job – I work in chocolate and cacao.
Places, Food, People
For me, investigating new places is all about finding stories, and telling stories is all about helping people imagine someplace they've never been.
Food is a way to connect people with culture and with landscapes. Once you start to research why we eat something, you unravel the whole history of us.
Eating off the beaten plate
What I Write About
Origins of Crops
Where did we get the food we eat? What different varieties are there in different places? How is this food suited to grow in its landscape?
Fermentation
Sourdough bread, wines, koji, pickles, and anything else that gets transformed into something more delicious by microbes.
Cultures of Eating
"Did you eat rice yet?" is how people greet each other in Vietnam. Meanwhile in Japan it is rude to eat snacks as a guest.
My Co-Conspirator
Many of the blog posts were co-written with Martin Zorrilla, my partner in travel, eating, and thinking. We continue to bounce ideas off of each other, but he takes a less active role now that he is working full-time.