Food Non-Fiction
Episodes
Big News! We're Launching on YouTube.
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hey foodbuffs! It's time for a new beginning - we're moving this channel to YouTube. Please support the channel by going to YouTube and subscribing to...
#73 Ignacio Nicknamed Nacho
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction episode tells the incredible true story of nachos. This snack was created by and named after Ignacio Anaya who's nickname was Na...
#72 When Impossible Burgers Became Possible
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction episode tells the incredible true story of meat alternatives. We talk about the early history of meat alternatives and then we t...
#71 Pass the Tofurky
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is an in-depth interview with the wonderful person who created Tofurky. Seth Tibbott founded Turtle Island Foods which is still a family owned co...
#70 Craft Beer Beginnings
24 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is the story of the beginnings of craft beer. We tell you how this "craft beer" concept emerged. In this episode, we interviewed John Holl - a be...
#69 The Oreo Story
24 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is the story of where Oreo came from, how it got its name, and who designed the cookie.
#68 Kombucha: The Tea of Immortality
18 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kombucha has been referred to as the tea of immortality. So where did it come from and what are the actual health benefits? In this episode, we talk t...
#67 Nutella Since Napoleon
31 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk about the origins of Nutella - starting from when cocoa met hazelnut!
#66 The Monastery Breweries
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk to one of the authors of Trappist Beer Travels. Caroline Wallace and her two co-authors visited the ...
#65 And This Led to Corn Flakes
31 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of people know the story of how cornflakes were created - this is the story of why. Thank You To Our Interviewee: Dr. Brian Wilson Thank You To L...
#64 How Fondue Became Popular
02 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This is the origin story of fondue and how it became a popular dish. Thank You To Our Interviewee: Belinda Hulin Thank You To Looperman Artists: Poppy...
#63 Tony the Tiger
22 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode is about the famous cereal mascot - Tony the Tiger. Thanks to Looperman Artists for the Music: Apollo by SANTIAG...
#62 - The Palace Kitchen
06 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction episode, we talk to Peter Brears about what it was like to work in King Henry VIII's kitchen. Thank you to our interviewee:...
#61 - Turnspit Dogs
29 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This is the incredible true story of Turnspit Dogs. The turnspit dog is an extinct breed of dog. This breed was used in kitchens to turn roasting sp...
#60 The Carrot Myth
01 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Did your parents ever tell you that carrots improve your night vision? Have you ever heard that this is a myth? So what is the real story? Thank You t...
#59 Trick Or Treat!
31 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the history of Halloween and the vague beginnings of trick or treating! Thank You To Our Interviewee: Professor Nick Rogers Than...
#58 All Your Favorite Chocolates
12 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by the book, "Chocolate Wars", by Deborah Cadbury, today we're telling you the incredible true story of how how the biggest chocolate compani...
#57 What Came First - the Cadbury or the Egg
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk about the beginning of Cadbury. We go right back to a time before Cadbury even existed. Thank You to...
#56 Waffle Frolic
10 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction episode is about waffles! We talk about the beginning of waffles and the rise of waffles. Thank You to Looperman Artists for the...
#55 The Sriracha Story
26 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is the story of the extremely popular and iconic Huy Fong Foods hot sauce - Sriracha. The company, Huy Fong Foods, is an American success story. ...
BONUS Ep - Interview with Kyleena
15 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Hey Food Buffs - This one is a bonus episode. Fakhri has a pizza place she loves - it's called Secret Stash - and she collected an interview with the ...
#54 Vending Machines - Past to Present
23 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about vending machines. The first reference to a vending machine is from the 1st century AD in Egypt. The reference is in a book call...
#53 How Jell-O Became Popular
09 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This episode tells the story of Jell-O from when it was first introduced in 1897. Because gelatin desserts like Jell-O used to be a food that only wea...
#52 The Price of Vanilla
20 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode is about vanilla! We explain the causes behind the rise and fall of the price of vanilla. It is a product that h...
#51 The Original Chocolate Chip Recipe
11 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about the creation of the original chocolate chip cookie recipe by Ruth Wakefield in 1938. Ruth, along with her husband, was the owner...
#50 Hershey, Pennsylvania
25 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to the Hershey community archivist, Pam Whitenack and her colleagues about what it is really like to live in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hershey is...
#49 Temple Grandin and The Slaughterhouse Revolution
13 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is a very special Food Non-Fiction podcast episode. We had the immense pleasure of interviewing one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the ...
#48 The Poison Squad
07 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell the incredible true story of The Poison Squad. Thanks to Looperman Artists for the Music: SynCato by...
#47 The Life of Heinz
26 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell the incredible true story of Henry John Heinz - the founder of the H.J. Heinz Company and the maker ...
#46 Ketchup Before Tomatoes
18 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell the incredible true story of ketchup. Thank you to this Looperman Artist for the Music: 1950s Rock N...
#45 Tupperware Parties
10 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction episode, we tell the incredible true story of the Tupperware Party. Every few seconds, someone somewhere in the world is host...
#44 California Roll Creators
25 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode investigates the question - who created the California Roll? Thank You to Our Interviewees: Hidekazu Tojo Trevor...
#43 Packing Food For A Hobbit
17 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction episode, we go nerdy and cover a paper titled "Simply Walking into Mordor: How Much Lembas Would the Fellowship Have Needed?"...
#42 Noodles For The Hungry
11 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell the rollercoaster story of the birth of instant noodles. On March 5, 1910, Momofuku Ando was born i...
#41 How An Accountant Created Bubble Gum
04 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell you how the accountant, Walter Diemer, ended up creating the world's first commercially available bu...
#40 The Surprising Inventor of the Spork
28 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk about the spork. Thank you to the Looperman artist BradoSanz for the music! We used these wonderfu...
#39 How to Spot A Food Trend
21 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first Food Non-Fiction episode of 2016, so we are going to talk about food trends. This episode will cover how to spot food trends, how to...
#38 Can Man Dan
16 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast is all about Can Man Dan. This is the story of how Dan Johnstone became Can Man Dan. Thank you to the following artis...
#37 So Called Doomsday Vault
09 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
1300 km past the Arctic Circle, nestled in the permafrost, amongst inhabitants like polar bears and reindeer, lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. In ...
#36 Who Created Rice Krispies Treats?
03 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk about the creation of the Rice Krispies Treats. In 1928, Kellogg’s introduced the Rice Krispies c...
#35 The Business of Casino Food
26 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell the story of how Las Vegas became a destination market for gambling, how the nature of destination m...
#34 How Bacon Became Breakfast
19 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we reveal how bacon became a breakfast food. In 1925, the Beech-Nut Packing Company asked Edward Bernays to ...
#33 Ice Cream Sundae Fight Song
12 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we look into the origins of the ice cream sundae. About a dozen towns claim to be the birthplace of the ice ...
#32 Eaten to Extinction: The Passenger Pigeon
05 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This is the incredible true story of passenger pigeons. There used to be an estimated 3-5 billion passenger pigeons. People killed them for food, then...
#31 Halloween Candy Horror
28 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we find out the truth behind Halloween candy poisonings. Our guest, Dr. Joel Best, is the world's leading ex...
#30 Birth of Betty Crocker
22 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode reveals the creation of Betty Crocker. In 1921, the Washburn-Crosby (now General Mills), created a non-existent ...
#29 Sailing with Scurvy and Lemons
15 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk about scurvy and its Vitamin C cure. Although the cure for scurvy was discovered a long time ago, ch...
#28 Space Food Part 2 - Chris Hadfield, Dr. Louisa Preston, Chris Patil
08 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode of Food Non-Fiction, we continue our discussion of Space Food from part 1. This episode features Dr. Louisa Preston, an astrob...
#27 Space Food with Chris Hadfield and Andy Weir
05 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we begin our interview with astronaut Chris Hadfield (concluded in part 2 of the space episode). We also spe...
#26 The First Luau
01 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode is the story of the first ever luau. Hawaii's second king, Kamehameha II was only around 22 years old when his f...
#25 Some More Marshmallows!
24 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk about marshmallows! Marshmallows used to be made with marshmallow plants (Althaea Officinalis). When...
#24 Ancient Egyptian Honey
16 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell you about ancient Egyptian honey. Did you know that honey that archaeologists have uncovered from to...
#23 BONUS! BBQ Boat with Friends
10 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This is a Food Non-Fiction bonus episode! Lillian the host went on a BBQ boat with her friends today and recorded the experience to share. Thanks to...
#22 Meat Becomes Fruit Flies
09 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode is about fruit flies. They seem to appear out of nowhere. In fact, people used to believe that small organisms l...
#21 BONUS! Gigantopithecus and Bamboo
08 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we talk about giant apes and bamboo. In a National Geographic article, we read that perhaps giant apes...
#20 Pandas Only Eat Bamboo?
02 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode is all about pandas and bamboo. We tackle the question - why do giant pandas only eat bamboo? The 2015 answer is...
#19 How To Run A Blind Restaurant
27 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, Lillian visits Dark Table in Vancouver and Fakhri visits O'Noir in Montreal. We speak to the founder of Cana...
#18 Deep Fried Desserts
06 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This is a mini episode from Food Non-Fiction. Because Lillian is getting ready for her Master's defence! This episode is a brief look at deep fried de...
#17 Designing the Milk Carton
29 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode talks about milk cartons. We speak to patent attorney, Matt Buchanan, about the inventor of the milk carton and ...
#16 Popcorn from the Beginning
15 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode of Food Non-Fiction, we are talking about popcorn! Popcorn is made out of any variety of corn that can be popped. Corn was sel...
#15 Sumo Wrestler Stew
07 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode of Food Non-Fiction, we speak with world champion sumo wrestler, Byamba. He is 6'1'' and 350lb but he has gotten his body fat ...
#14 When Paris Ate Their Zoo
30 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell the insane but true story of when Parisians ate zoo animals to survive the 1870-1871 Siege of Paris....
#13 China's Bone Chopsticks
23 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Food Non-Fiction podcast episode, we tell the origin story of chopsticks. During a 1993-1995 excavation of Neolithic ruins in North China, arc...
#12 A Baker's Dozen
16 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode of Food Non-Fiction, we talk about the baker's dozen. When someone says "a baker's dozen" they mean 13. But why is it 13 when ...
#11 Thomas Jefferson's Garden
09 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode is about the founding foodie, Thomas Jefferson. More specifically, we talk about his gardens at Monticello. Jeff...
#10 All About Mangos
02 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode is all about mangos! This is our first listener requested episode so thank you Spencer! Looking at fossils, we c...
#9 History of Food Trucks
26 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode tells the history of food trucks. The forerunners to food trucks are the chuckwagons of the cowboy cattle drives...
#8 Soylent & Ambronite
18 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode takes a look at the trending food alternatives - Soylent and Ambronite. These 2 liquid meal replacements were both created in 20...
#7 The World's Greatest Food Fight
10 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This episode starts with the true story of Ryan Shilling and the huge food fight in his UK school, Jarrow, in the town of Jarrow. We then piece togeth...
#6 Save the Salmon - Part 2
03 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In "Save the Salmon Part 2" we explain why environmentalists talk about the drastic loss in salmon populations even though salmon seems to be abundant...
#5 Save the Salmon - Part 1
24 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a timely look at California's drought and how it has affected salmon runs. Specifically, we look at the Chinook salmon, also called th...
#4 Benjamin Franklin the Foodie
18 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers Benjamin Franklin’s love of food. Benjamin Franklin was a very conscientious eater. At around the age of 16, he became a vegetar...
#3 Michelin Stars Restaurant Rating System
09 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Intro 0:00 John lying to his Mom 0:17 Undercover Restaurant Reviewers 0:29 Michelin Guide Restaurant Reviewers 1:31 How the Michelin Guide began 2:14 ...
#2 Eating Insects - Part 2
02 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Intro 0:00 Recap of last episode 0:12 The ick factor 0:49 Six Foods story 1:27 Chirps 1:46 Harvard Innovation Lab pitch competition with mealworm t...
#1 Eating Insects - Part 1
25 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Intro 0:00 Eating insects as a hot topic 00:26 Edible Insects - Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security 00:48 Time Magazine names insects one of...
Awaiting Itunes approval of our podcast!
13 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Promo Episode
13 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Hello from Food Non-Fiction. This episode introduces the hosts of this podcast, Lillian Yang and Fakhri Shafai. Through this podcast, we will take you...