Gastropod

Gastropod

Food with a side of science and history. Every other week, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley serve up a brand new episode exploring the hidden history and surprising science behind a different food- or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, from cutlery to chile peppers, and from microbes to Malbec. We interview experts, visit labs, fields, and archaeological digs, and generally have lots of fun while discovering new ways to think about and understand the world through food. Find us online at gastropod.com, follow us on Twitter @gastropodcast, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/gastropodcast.

Episodes

Title Duration Published Consumed
Dishwashing Debates: The Soapy Science Behind Everyone's Favorite Chore 00:55:02 2024-11-19 17:46
V is for Vitamin (encore) 00:43:31 2024-11-12 17:29
Bringing Salmon Home: The Story of the World's Largest Dam Removal Project 01:02:50 2024-11-05 00:56
Potatoes in Space! (encore) 00:47:56 2024-10-29 18:42
Absinthe: The World's Most Dangerous Drink? 00:45:14 2024-10-15 17:32
From Trash to Treasure: Why's It So Hard to Save Restaurant Leftovers From the Dumpster? 00:48:56 2024-10-01 22:25
Smashing Pumpkin Myths: What's Big, Orange, and Having an Identity Crisis? 00:47:15 2024-09-17 19:01
Meet the Queen of Kiwi: The 96-Year-Old Woman Who Transformed America's Produce Aisle (ENCORE) 00:48:00 2024-09-10 15:00
Deli is Short For Delicious—But Are Your Pastrami and Bologna Sandwiches Giving You Cancer? 00:53:19 2024-09-03 15:00
What's the Buzz on Eating Bugs? Can Insects Really Save the World? 00:57:25 2024-08-20 19:32
The Billion Dollar War Behind U.S. Rum (Planet Money) 00:42:48 2024-08-06 22:32
The Interstitium (Radiolab) 00:59:55 2024-07-23 22:57
Are Hush Puppies Racist? Is A2 Milk Really Healthier? And What's Up With Wedding Cake? Ask Gastropod! 00:47:37 2024-07-09 20:50
Why Does Everyone Have Food Allergies These Days? 00:55:46 2024-06-25 20:00
The Bagelization of America (encore) 00:56:04 2024-06-18 22:08
The Birth of Cool: How Refrigeration Changed Everything 00:53:15 2024-06-11 19:24
Omega 1-2-3 (encore) 00:49:30 2024-06-04 18:40
Sugar's Dark Shadow 00:56:20 2024-05-28 16:05
(Guest) Are Fast Food Jingles Pop Music? 00:45:48 2024-05-21 21:53
Why Are Restaurants So Loud? Plus the Science Behind the Perfect Playlist 00:48:28 2024-05-14 20:35
The Food Explorer (encore) 00:46:57 2024-05-07 19:51
Meet the Most Famous American You’ve Never Heard Of: His Legacy is Excellent French Fries and Monsanto 00:56:48 2024-04-30 20:00
All You Can Eat: The True Story Behind America's Most Popular Seafood 00:45:21 2024-04-16 21:43
The World Is Your Oyster: How Our Favorite Shellfish Could Save Coastlines Worldwide 00:50:22 2024-04-02 18:44
Eat This, Not That: The Surprising Science of Personalized Nutrition (encore) 00:57:30 2024-03-26 20:43
Bam! How Did Cajun Flavor Take Over the World? 00:50:01 2024-03-19 20:11
Anything's Pastable (Guest Episode) 00:48:30 2024-03-12 16:07
Can You Patent a Pizza? 00:50:58 2024-03-05 15:00
Super Fry: The Fight for the Golden Frite (encore) 00:44:31 2024-02-27 15:00
Dining at the (Other) Top of the World: Hunger, Fruitcake, and the Race to Reach the South Pole 00:44:33 2024-02-20 22:29
Dining at the Top of the World: Arctic Adaptation, Abundance, and...Ice Cream 00:52:41 2024-02-06 19:35
Cork Dork: Inside the Weird World of Wine Appreciation (encore) 00:45:58 2024-01-23 15:00
It's Tea Time: Pirates, Polyphenols, and a Proper Cuppa (encore) 00:45:21 2024-01-09 15:00
The Case of the Confusing Bitter Beverages: Vermouth, Amaro, Aperitivos, and Other Botanical Schnapps 00:51:11 2023-12-19 20:53
Rice, Rice Baby 00:51:47 2023-12-05 19:01
Ask Gastropod: White Chocolate, Jimmies, Chile vs. Mustard Burns, and Asparagus Pee 00:45:16 2023-11-21 18:07
Pumpkin Spice Hero: The Thrilling But Tragic True Story of Nutmeg 00:41:58 2023-11-07 22:07
Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit 00:49:28 2023-10-24 20:21
Raised and Glazed: Don’t Doubt the Doughnut 00:48:25 2023-10-10 22:18
We'd Like to Teach The World to Slurp: The Weird and Wonderful Story of Ramen's Rise to Glory 00:48:33 2023-09-26 20:00
First Foods: Learning to Eat (encore) 00:50:09 2023-09-19 16:43
All Aboard the Tuna Rollercoaster! Join the King of Fish for a Wild Ride that Involves Ernest Hemingway and (of course) Jane Fonda 00:45:39 2023-09-05 15:58
The Keto Paradox: Fad Diet *and* Life-Saving Medical Treatment 00:43:15 2023-08-22 17:00
Secrets of Sourdough (encore) 00:48:29 2023-08-08 17:40
Watch It Wiggle: The Jell-O Story (encore) 00:49:06 2023-07-25 22:16
Where's the Beef? Lab-Grown Meat is Finally on the Menu 00:54:51 2023-07-11 19:34
The Incredible Egg (encore) 00:44:56 2023-06-27 17:21
Good Shit: How Humanure Could Save Agriculture—and the Planet 00:51:03 2023-06-20 16:56
Gettin' Fizzy With It (Encore) 00:40:35 2023-06-13 13:00
Who's Eating Who: Pineapples and You 00:39:39 2023-06-06 21:31
You've Lost That Hungry Feeling 00:55:22 2023-05-23 19:43
Fish & Chips: Uncovering the Forgotten Jewish and Belgian Origins of the Iconic British Dish 00:44:28 2023-05-09 18:57
What Connects Bones, Bird Poop, and Toxic Green Slime? Hint: Without It, Half of Us Wouldn't Be Alive Today 00:46:18 2023-04-25 20:21
All the Feels: How Texture Makes Taste 00:52:07 2023-04-11 19:46
The Fruit that Could Save the World 00:38:58 2023-03-28 16:59
Meet Taro, the Poke Bowl's Missing Secret Ingredient 00:42:32 2023-03-14 21:34
Always Coca-Cola: Coca, Kola, and the *Real* Secret Formula 00:48:40 2023-02-28 18:47
Here Comes Truffle 00:51:09 2023-02-14 17:05
Museums and the Mafia: The Secret History of Citrus (encore) 00:42:41 2023-01-31 17:59
The End of the Calorie (encore) 00:48:01 2023-01-17 19:13
Champagne Wishes: The Tastes of Celebration 00:50:23 2022-12-20 16:43
Caviar Dreams: The Tastes of Celebration 00:47:48 2022-12-06 14:00
What Is Native American Cuisine? (Encore) 00:46:23 2022-11-22 17:27
That Old Chestnut: A Nutty Tale, of Love, Loss, and Reconnection 00:51:07 2022-11-08 22:23
Prescription Dinner: Can Meals Be Medicine? 00:45:29 2022-10-25 23:36
Trouble in Paradise: Coconut War Waters and Coconut Oil Controversies 00:47:47 2022-10-11 20:54
Does the Western Megadrought Mean the End of Cheap Cheese and Ice Cream? 00:51:12 2022-09-27 18:00
Lunch Gets Schooled (encore) 00:53:38 2022-09-21 19:48
What Do Aliens Eat? Food in Sci-Fi and Fantasy 00:46:54 2022-09-13 18:56
Guest Episode: The Umami Mama by Unexplainable 00:41:25 2022-08-30 16:22
Gut Feeling 00:51:31 2022-08-16 19:32
Green Gold: Our Love Affair With Olive Oil (encore) 00:52:54 2022-08-02 22:30
How Ketchup Got Thick 00:46:39 2022-07-20 02:00
Delivery Wars 00:38:05 2022-07-05 17:18
The Milk of Life 00:53:57 2022-06-21 20:17
Poultry Power: The Fried Chicken Chronicles (encore) 00:48:41 2022-06-07 21:34
Guest episode: Montréal by Not Lost 00:52:33 2022-05-31 22:12
Reinventing the Eel 00:48:52 2022-05-16 23:20
Monsanto or MonSatan? How—and Why—a St. Louis Startup Became a Hated Herbicide Giant 00:52:45 2022-05-03 19:52
The Way the Cookie Crumbles 00:53:03 2022-04-19 16:53
Black Gold: The Future of Food...We Throw Away 00:52:28 2022-04-05 16:42
Gum's the Word: A Sticky Story 00:51:50 2022-03-22 21:18
Déjà-Brew: How Coffee Got Bad, Then Worse, and, Finally, Good Again 00:55:47 2022-03-08 20:44
Grounds for Revolution: the Stimulating Story of How Coffee Shaped the World 00:49:14 2022-02-22 02:31
The Fortune Cookie Quest 00:42:27 2022-02-08 17:07
Guest Episode: Graveyard Cookies and Dollhouse Crimes 00:34:18 2022-01-25 23:15
Mango Mania: How the American Mango Lost its Flavor—and How it Might Just Get it Back (encore) 00:41:10 2022-01-18 16:07
Guest Episode: Scents and Sensibility 00:44:35 2022-01-11 19:28
Your Mystery Date 00:50:59 2021-12-21 20:39
The Most Interesting Oil in the World 00:50:42 2021-12-08 00:22
Are Plant- and Fungus-Based Meats Really Better than the Real Thing? 00:55:55 2021-11-24 02:44
Guest Episode: The Doorbell by Nice Try! 00:46:39 2021-11-17 01:28
Balls *and* Brains: The Science and History of Offal 00:51:12 2021-11-09 23:19
Trick or Treat: Soul Cakes, Candy Corn, and Sugar Skulls Galore! 00:51:54 2021-10-26 22:55
Buried Treasure: Weeds, Seeds, and Zombies 00:49:36 2021-10-11 23:24
The Barrel That Could Save A Forest 00:51:01 2021-09-28 22:11
Tofu for You: Meet the Cult Leader, the Spy, and the Pioneering Woman Chinese Doctor Who Brought Tofu to the West 00:51:13 2021-09-14 19:44
The Great Gastropod Pudding Off (encore) 00:57:11 2021-08-30 21:00
It's All Going to Pot: the Science and Economics of Edibles 01:01:59 2021-08-17 21:05
Baked: How Pot Brownies and Pate de Fruits Fueled an Edible Cannabis Revolution 00:56:53 2021-08-03 21:07
The Bottle vs. Tap Battle Finale: Alkaline H2O, Lead Pipes, and, Yes, Water Sommeliers 00:49:05 2021-07-20 16:21
Bottled Vs. Tap: The Battle to Quench Our Thirst 00:47:36 2021-07-07 01:36
Chocpocalypse Now! Quarantine and the Future of Food 00:53:42 2021-06-22 19:34
Guest Episode: Immune Boosting, Is It a Bust? | Science Vs 00:36:54 2021-06-08 16:46
Guest Episode: How Much Water Do You Actually Need a Day? 00:37:54 2021-06-01 16:38
First Class Fare 00:48:54 2021-05-25 22:52
Guest Episode: How To Save a Planet 00:49:43 2021-05-18 18:29
You're Wrong About Prohibition 00:54:38 2021-05-11 23:22
So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile Pepper 00:50:17 2021-04-27 20:53
Easy A: The SuperRad Story of Home Economics 00:53:20 2021-04-13 22:32
Where There's Smoke, There's ... Whiskey, Fish, and Barbecue! 00:52:59 2021-03-30 22:20
Phage Against the Machine 00:50:32 2021-03-16 21:40
Guest Episode: Mission: ImPASTAble from The Sporkful 00:30:40 2021-03-09 23:10
Why Thai? 00:45:17 2021-03-02 23:55
Hot Tips 00:56:01 2021-02-16 20:28
TV Dinners 00:53:55 2021-02-03 01:43
The Brightest Bulb 00:52:22 2020-12-22 22:36
Like Water in the Desert 00:55:22 2020-12-08 23:09
The Magic Cube 00:51:15 2020-11-24 21:05
The Big Apple Episode 00:53:02 2020-11-10 23:24
The Hangover: Part Gastropod 00:41:47 2020-10-27 19:23
Snack Attack! 00:52:46 2020-10-14 01:05
This Spud's For You 00:44:21 2020-09-29 23:05
Moo-Dunnit: How Beef Replaced Bison on the American Plains—and Plate 00:46:42 2020-09-15 20:57
What the Shell? Cracking the Lobster's Mysteries 00:47:19 2020-08-31 23:49
Guest Episode: Rocky Road with Science Diction 00:20:06 2020-08-25 17:16
Shatter-Proof: How Glass Took Over the Kitchen—and Ended Child Labor 00:52:04 2020-08-18 01:53
The Most Dangerous Fruit in America 00:46:47 2020-08-03 20:54
Dig for Victory 00:53:12 2020-06-17 01:51
Shared Plates: How Eating Together Makes Us Human 00:45:49 2020-06-03 05:36
Pizza Pizza! 00:50:29 2020-05-19 20:40
Eating the Wild: Bushmeat, Game, and the Fuzzy Line Between Them 00:44:42 2020-05-05 23:10
Eating the Rainbow: Or, the Mystery of the Orange Oranges, the Red M&Ms, and the Blue Raspberry 00:49:22 2020-04-22 00:40
A Tale To Warm The Cockles Of Your Heart 00:40:42 2020-04-07 22:43
White vs. Wheat: The Food Fight of the Centuries 00:54:38 2020-03-24 22:36
Licorice: A Dark and Salty Stranger 00:45:23 2020-03-10 19:58
To Fight Climate Change, Bank on Soil 00:48:28 2020-02-26 00:49
Move Over Gin, We’ve Got Tonic Fever 00:43:17 2020-02-11 06:45
The United States of McDonald’s 00:54:20 2020-01-28 02:00
Dinner Plate Invasion: Lionfish, Tiger Shrimp, and Feral Pigs, Oh My! 00:46:18 2020-01-13 20:21
Meet the Queen of Kiwi: the 96-Year-Old Woman Who Transformed America’s Produce Aisle 00:44:33 2019-12-17 15:39
Are Insect Guts the Secret to the Most Delicious Kimchi? 00:42:57 2019-12-03 22:05
Menu Mind Control 00:52:05 2019-11-19 00:21
Of Ghost Foods and Culinary Extinction 00:53:53 2019-11-05 02:31
Tiki Time! 00:45:57 2019-10-22 15:22
What’s CRISPR Doing in our Food? 00:50:17 2019-10-08 04:12
Happy Birthday to Us: Gastropod Turns Five 00:46:04 2019-09-24 20:40
Celebrate Mexico’s True National Holiday with the Mysteries of Mole 00:47:54 2019-09-10 22:27
Running on Fumes: Strawberry’s Dirty Secret 00:47:01 2019-08-27 19:19
Omega 1-2-3 00:46:43 2019-08-13 04:52
Meet Sharbat, the Ancestor of Sorbet, Syrup, Shrub, Sherbet, and Pretty Much Everything Else Cool 00:23:45 2019-08-06 07:42
Super Fry: The Fight for the Golden Frite 00:45:53 2019-06-19 02:50
Eat This, Not That: The Surprising Science of Personalized Nutrition 00:58:57 2019-06-10 07:18
Guts and Glory 00:48:10 2019-05-21 15:44
BONUS: Introducing Science Rules! with Bill Nye 00:05:18 2019-05-16 15:23
The Great Gastropod Pudding Off 00:55:59 2019-05-07 00:44
Potatoes in Space! 00:49:03 2019-04-23 21:20
The Curry Chronicles 00:43:59 2019-04-09 20:47
The Bagelization of America 00:53:25 2019-03-26 09:12
Can Diet Stop Alzheimer’s? 00:43:40 2019-03-11 21:41
Seeds of Immortality 00:28:30 2019-03-04 22:22
Pick A Pawpaw: America’s Forgotten Fruit 00:44:18 2019-02-26 21:03
Eating to Win: Gatorade, Muscle Milk, and… Chicken Nuggets? 00:41:15 2019-02-12 22:36
The Secret History of the Slave Behind Jack Daniel’s Whiskey 00:45:37 2019-01-29 00:51
Sweet and Low (Calorie): The Story of Artificial Sweeteners 00:44:40 2019-01-15 20:54
Dirty Tricks and Data: The Great Soda Wars, Part 2 00:47:05 2018-12-18 05:13
Souring on Sweet: The Great Soda Wars, Part 1 00:48:07 2018-12-04 22:01
Listener Survey 2018-12-01 20:29
The Truth is in the Tooth: Braces, Cavities, and the Paleo Diet 00:38:09 2018-11-19 23:47
Who Invented Mac and Cheese? 00:30:52 2018-11-13 18:15
How the Carrot Became Orange, and Other Stories 00:40:12 2018-11-06 04:28
The Incredible Egg 00:44:22 2018-10-24 00:48
Espresso and Whisky: The Place of Time in Food 00:40:25 2018-10-09 05:06
Why These Animals? 00:47:09 2018-09-25 04:58
Mango Mania: How the American Mango Lost its Flavor—and How it Might Just Get it Back 00:40:08 2018-09-11 06:49
Keeping it Fresh: Preservatives and The Poison Squad 00:49:23 2018-08-28 05:59
Watch It Wiggle: The Jell-O Story 00:50:21 2018-08-14 05:01
Out of the Fire, Into the Frying Pan 00:43:41 2018-06-19 20:51
Hotbox: The Oven From Turnspit Dogs to Microwaves 00:50:44 2018-06-05 09:38
Feed the World: How the U.S. Became the World’s Biggest Food Aid Donor—And Why That Might Not be Such a Great Thing 00:47:56 2018-05-22 06:19
Ripe for Global Domination: The Story of the Avocado 00:48:28 2018-05-08 05:00
Meet the Man Who Found, Finagled, and Ferried Home the Foods We Eat Today 00:44:01 2018-04-24 05:18
Who Faked My Cheese? 00:52:20 2018-04-10 04:36
Marching on our Stomachs: The Science and History of Feeding the Troops 00:49:43 2018-03-27 02:35
Cooking the Books with Yotam and Nigella 00:47:41 2018-03-13 01:15
Cutting the Mustard 00:48:12 2018-02-27 04:18
Remembrance of Things Pasta: A Saucy Tale 00:45:29 2018-02-13 05:04
We’ve Lost It: The Diet Episode 00:51:24 2018-01-30 23:46
We’ve Lost It: The Diet Episode 00:52:31 2018-01-30 03:12
Meet Saffron, the World’s Most Expensive Spice 00:41:39 2018-01-16 04:45
Secrets of Sourdough 00:47:40 2017-12-18 21:16
Green Gold: Our Love Affair with Olive Oil 00:49:39 2017-12-05 04:07
Women, Food, Power … and Books! 00:41:38 2017-11-21 16:58
Crantastic: The Story of America’s Berry 00:38:37 2017-11-07 04:34
Cannibalism: From Calories to Kuru 00:46:22 2017-10-24 19:32
Eataly World and the Future of Food Shopping 00:39:32 2017-10-10 02:41
What the Fluff is Marshmallow Creme? 00:37:44 2017-09-26 03:33
Lunch Gets Schooled 00:53:09 2017-09-11 23:50
Sour Grapes: The History and Science of Vinegar 00:44:07 2017-08-29 05:15
The Birds and The Bugs 00:43:36 2017-08-15 13:32
It’s Tea Time: Pirates, Polyphenols, and a Proper Cuppa 00:44:03 2017-08-01 04:51
Peanuts: Peril and Promise 00:42:51 2017-06-20 10:25
Fake Food 00:40:16 2017-06-06 14:12
Here’s Why You Should Care About Southern Food 00:47:13 2017-05-22 23:58
Better Believe It’s Butter 00:36:10 2017-05-09 14:58
Meet Koji, Your New Favorite Fungus 00:39:35 2017-04-25 03:12
V is for Vitamin 00:43:18 2017-04-10 23:23
Hacking Taste 00:45:59 2017-03-14 14:10
Cork Dork: Inside the Weird World of Wine Appreciation 00:45:04 2017-02-28 18:15
To Eat or Not to Eat Meat 00:46:50 2017-02-14 20:23
We Heart Chocolate 00:43:27 2017-01-31 02:16
Inventing the Restaurant: From Bone Broth to Michelin 00:44:01 2017-01-17 02:12
Gettin’ Fizzy With It 00:39:46 2016-12-13 02:52
The Spice Curve: From Pepper to Sriracha with Sarah Lohman 00:41:26 2016-11-29 15:28
The Buzz on Honey 00:41:36 2016-11-15 14:17
What is Native American Cuisine? 00:42:21 2016-11-01 13:51
Oysters: History and Science on the Half Shell 00:41:57 2016-10-18 19:12
Counting Fish 00:43:45 2016-10-04 07:43
Seaweed Special 00:27:33 2016-09-13 08:51
The Salt Wars 00:41:07 2016-08-23 03:09
Kombucha Culture 00:41:36 2016-08-08 23:22
Keeping Kosher: When Jewish Law Met Processed Food 00:43:00 2016-07-26 03:18
Poultry Power: The Fried Chicken Chronicles 00:45:33 2016-07-12 14:32
Outside the Box: The Story of Food Packaging 00:44:09 2016-06-28 02:17
Who Invented the Cherry Tomato? 00:36:25 2016-06-14 03:12
Everything Old is Brew Again 00:43:57 2016-05-31 02:35
Museums and the Mafia: The Secret History of Citrus 00:42:44 2016-04-19 02:14
Grand Theft Food 00:38:59 2016-04-05 02:59
Caffeine: The World’s Most Popular Drug 00:42:15 2016-03-21 19:15
The Maple Boom 00:37:28 2016-03-08 02:20
First Foods: Learning to Eat 00:49:27 2016-02-23 01:50
The Food of Love 00:40:12 2016-02-09 01:22
The End of the Calorie 00:47:25 2016-01-26 03:54
End-Of-Year Feast 00:33:56 2015-12-15 07:23
States’ Plates 00:36:32 2015-12-01 05:13
The Mushroom Underground 00:40:40 2015-11-17 03:34
Peak Booze 00:35:46 2015-11-03 03:24
Mezcal: Everything but the Worm 00:45:39 2015-10-20 02:40
The Good, The Bad, The Cilantro 00:33:46 2015-10-06 03:25
The Bitter Truth 00:46:23 2015-09-22 03:09
Inside the Food Lab with Kenji López-Alt 00:21:49 2015-09-07 18:58
The United States of Chinese Food 00:45:14 2015-08-25 05:23
The Whole Hog 00:30:32 2015-08-11 03:11
The Scoop on Ice Cream 00:47:13 2015-07-28 03:28
Crunch, Crackle, and Pop 00:28:27 2015-07-14 02:45
Field Recordings 00:31:44 2015-06-30 02:43
The Cocktail Hour 00:52:43 2015-05-26 02:33
Gastropod on Gastropods 00:30:17 2015-05-05 01:58
Savor Flavor 00:55:38 2015-04-21 16:28
DNA Detectives 00:22:34 2015-04-07 16:02
Say Cheese! 00:57:43 2015-03-23 02:46
Extreme Salad and Crazy Potatoes 00:26:12 2015-03-03 03:50
No Scrubs: Breeding a Better Bull 00:38:24 2015-02-17 01:56
Enhanced Eating with Dan Pashman 00:22:11 2015-02-02 23:31
Breakfast of Champions 00:45:04 2015-01-20 03:49
Night of the Living Radishes 00:25:41 2015-01-02 19:27
Kale of the Sea 00:38:56 2014-12-09 04:43
Bite: Smoked Pigeon and Other Subnatural Delights 00:17:24 2014-11-25 13:44
The Microbe Revolution 00:40:48 2014-11-11 03:56
Bite: Forgotten Fruits & the Future of Food? 00:19:52 2014-10-28 03:12
Dan Barber’s Quest for Flavor 00:46:57 2014-10-14 06:14
Bite: What America Could Taste Like 00:14:12 2014-09-30 05:25
Episode 1: The Golden Spoon 00:45:35 2014-09-07 01:50