When seeds first evolved, hundreds of millions of years ago, they not only revolutionised the plant world, but they also eventually sowed the path for human civilisation.

Today, it’s nearly impossible to eat a meal without consuming a plant embryo—or many. But how did seeds come to play such a critical role in human history? Why might one seed in particular, the lotus seed, hold the secret to immortality? And, perhaps just as importantly, how does this magical seed taste?

Find out in this special episode of Gastropod, sponsored by McCormick.