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.
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Episodes (304)
So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile Pepper
Aug 18, 2026
Salad Days: A Story of Science, Sexism, and Jell-O
Aug 4, 2026
Where There's Smoke, There's...Whiskey, Fish, and Barbecue!
Jul 21, 2026
America's Forbidden Fruit and Forgotten First Soda: Ask Gastropod
Jul 7, 2026
Bringing Home the Bacon: From Shakespeare to the Baconator
Jun 23, 2026
What the Shell? Cracking the Lobster's Mysteries
Jun 9, 2026
A Dog's Dinner: What Should We Really Be Feeding Our Pets?
May 19, 2026
Feel the Beet: The Most Fascinating Woman You've Never Heard Of
May 5, 2026
White vs. Wheat: The Food Fight of the Centuries
Apr 21, 2026
Protein, Pyramids, and Politics: The Forgotten Stories and Controversial Science Behind Government Dietary Advice
Apr 7, 2026
Sushi's Extraordinary Evolution: From Pickle to Primetime
Mar 24, 2026
SNAP To It! Why Food Stamps Matter To All of Us—And Why They're Under Threat
Mar 10, 2026
When is a Pancake Not a Pancake?
Feb 24, 2026
OXO, Cuisinart, and Julia Child: The Secret (Accessible) History Behind Your Kitchen
Feb 10, 2026
Ripe for Global Domination: The Story of the Avocado
Jan 27, 2026
Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San Marzano
Jan 13, 2026
Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!
Dec 16, 2025
Forget Plain Vanilla: You'll Never See The World's Favorite Flavor the Same Way Again
Dec 2, 2025
From Fountain of Youth to Fruit on the Bottom: How Yoghurt Finally Made it Big in America
Nov 18, 2025
Yes, You Really Can Make Food From Thin Air—And We Tried It
Nov 4, 2025
Pizza Pizza!
Oct 21, 2025
Everything You Know About Metabolism Is Wrong
Oct 7, 2025
Durian Delight and Feijoa Fun: Adventures in Banned, Forgotten, and Unusual Fruit
Sep 23, 2025
Talking Taco
Sep 9, 2025
Tomatoes: A Love Story
Aug 19, 2025
The Most Dangerous Fruit in America
Aug 5, 2025
The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain
Jul 22, 2025
Should You Be Eating Poison Oak?
Jul 8, 2025
Ask Gastropod: Bubblegum, Meal Kits, and the Real Truth About Rooibos
Jun 24, 2025
Feasting With Montezuma: Food and Farming in a Floating City
Jun 10, 2025
Bananageddon! Say Goodbye to *the* Banana, and Hello to the Weird and Wonderful World of Bananas, Plural
May 27, 2025
Going Bananas: How a Tropical Treat Became the World's Favorite Fruit
May 13, 2025
Do We Really Have Beer to Thank for the First Writing and Cities?
Apr 22, 2025
Seed Oil Scare: The Curious Case of Canola
Apr 8, 2025
Nutrition Advice Decoded: What Foods Are Actually Good For Us, What Should We Avoid, and Why Is It All SO Confusing?
Mar 25, 2025
The Rise and Fall of Quinoa: From Incan "Superfood" to Buddha Bowl Basic
Mar 11, 2025
The Shocking True Story of the World's First Seed Bank—And The Scientists Who Sacrificed Their Lives to Save It
Feb 25, 2025
No Buzz Booze: The History and Science of Going Low- or No-Alcohol
Feb 11, 2025
Moon Rocks Wanted (guest episode)
Jan 28, 2025
Is My Dentist Scamming Me? (guest episode)
Jan 14, 2025
Why Are Kids Dipping Cookies in Ranch, Are Food Comas Real, and What's Inside the Mummy's Stomach?
Dec 17, 2024
Hacking Taste (encore)
Dec 10, 2024
The Curiously Strong Story of Mint
Dec 3, 2024
Dishwashing Debates: The Soapy Science Behind Everyone's Favorite Chore
Nov 19, 2024
V is for Vitamin (encore)
Nov 12, 2024
Bringing Salmon Home: The Story of the World's Largest Dam Removal Project
Nov 4, 2024
Potatoes in Space! (encore)
Oct 29, 2024
Absinthe: The World's Most Dangerous Drink?
Oct 15, 2024
From Trash to Treasure: Why's It So Hard to Save Restaurant Leftovers From the Dumpster?
Oct 1, 2024
Smashing Pumpkin Myths: What's Big, Orange, and Having an Identity Crisis?
Sep 17, 2024