Gastropod
Episodes
Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The season for holiday baking is upon us, and before you spice up your cookies and pies, you’ll probably want to know: is most of the cinnamon on gr...
Forget Plain Vanilla: You'll Never See The World's Favorite Flavor the Same Way Again
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, 'vanilla' often means boring, and yet the edible seedpod of this Central American orchid is one of the most expensive spices in the world, not ...
From Fountain of Youth to Fruit on the Bottom: How Yoghurt Finally Made it Big in America
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yoghurt is the most diverse section of the dairy case: from Icelandic skyr to creamy Australian, and fruity French Yoplait to full-fat Greek. With som...
Yes, You Really Can Make Food From Thin Air—And We Tried It
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every second of every day, plants on earth do something miraculous: they take the carbon dioxide from air and turn it into food. With very few excepti...
Pizza Pizza!
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At last, an episode on pizza! But that raises a tricky question: what exactly is pizza? As it turns out, the original pizzas from eighteenth-century N...
Everything You Know About Metabolism Is Wrong
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve heard of metabolism, you’ve probably heard endless tips and tricks to boost it, from working out to drinking green tea. The idea is that...
Durian Delight and Feijoa Fun: Adventures in Banned, Forgotten, and Unusual Fruit
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Gastropod, a feast of fruits! Specifically, feijoa and durian—and, if you haven’t heard of either, you’re not alone. Unlike the ubi...
Talking Taco
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whether or not it's Tuesday, tacos pretty much always hit the spot—and not just in their homeland in Mexico. These days, the taco can be found all o...
Tomatoes: A Love Story
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The tomato is Gastropod’s favorite flavor of summer, and we’re not alone: today, it’s the most popular vegetable on the planet, despite the fact...
The Most Dangerous Fruit in America
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the epitome of summertime: there’s nothing like a cold, juicy slice of red watermelon on a swelteringly hot day. But, once upon a time, waterme...
The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This might sound corny, but the relationship between maize and humanity is essential. We rely on corn—globally, more maize is grown than wheat or ri...
Should You Be Eating Poison Oak?
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try it anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line t...
Ask Gastropod: Bubblegum, Meal Kits, and the Real Truth About Rooibos
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do bubblegum, rooibos tea, and meal kits have in common? They’re all topics that puzzle and fascinate you, dear Gastropod listeners. This episo...
Feasting With Montezuma: Food and Farming in a Floating City
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Five centuries ago, before Spanish conquistadors arrived, what's now Mexico City was the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan—and it took the European inva...
Bananageddon! Say Goodbye to *the* Banana, and Hello to the Weird and Wonderful World of Bananas, Plural
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, it's true: the banana we know and love is going the way of the dodo bird. An incurable strain of the fungal Panama disease known as TR4 is curren...
Going Bananas: How a Tropical Treat Became the World's Favorite Fruit
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1870, a strange fruit arrived on the docks in New Jersey, starting an industry that would change the world. That fruit was a banana, and, although ...
Do We Really Have Beer to Thank for the First Writing and Cities?
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Humanity's love affair with beer goes *way* back: 5,000 years ago, the civilization that arose in Mesopotamia invented writing, and one of the very fi...
Seed Oil Scare: The Curious Case of Canola
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you've been hearing that canola is a killer, you're not alone. It's one of the so-called "hateful eight" seed oils: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says it'...
Nutrition Advice Decoded: What Foods Are Actually Good For Us, What Should We Avoid, and Why Is It All SO Confusing?
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are eggs going to give you high cholesterol, or are they the base of a great protein-rich meal? Will coffee give you cancer, or will it help you live ...
The Rise and Fall of Quinoa: From Incan "Superfood" to Buddha Bowl Basic
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Quinoa is everywhere these days, the base for a million salads and grain bowls. But, until recently, barely anyone outside the nutritious seed's ancie...
The Shocking True Story of the World's First Seed Bank—And The Scientists Who Sacrificed Their Lives to Save It
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During World War II, the Soviet city of Leningrad was surrounded, cut off from food supplies for nearly two and a half years. People were desperate: t...
No Buzz Booze: The History and Science of Going Low- or No-Alcohol
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dry January may be over, but, for many people, drinking less alcohol or none at all is an increasingly common choice year-round. And, unlike in the pa...
Moon Rocks Wanted (guest episode)
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
(Guest episode) On September 18, 1998, an unusual ad ran in USA Today — a company called John's Estate Sales was looking to buy a moon rock. But the...
Is My Dentist Scamming Me? (guest episode)
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
(Guest episode) Matt wants to know how to tell if he’s being scammed by his dentist. To find the answer, we open up the surprising history of dentis...
Why Are Kids Dipping Cookies in Ranch, Are Food Comas Real, and What's Inside the Mummy's Stomach?
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for the holidays, Ask Gastropod is back with a plate full of listener questions for your listening delight! You came to us with mysteries...
Hacking Taste (encore)
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Taste is the oldest of our five senses, and yet perhaps the least understood. It's far more complicated than salty versus sweet: new research is dr...
The Curiously Strong Story of Mint
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the coolest flavor of the holiday season? It's peppermint, obviously, and it’s showing up in everything from coffee to chocolate and cook...
Dishwashing Debates: The Soapy Science Behind Everyone's Favorite Chore
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Next week, the US celebrates the dishwashing Olympics—also known as Thanksgiving. But how best to tackle the washing-up after the big meal can cause...
V is for Vitamin (encore)
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
They're added to breakfast cereal, bread, and even Pop-Tarts, giving the sweetest, most processed treats a halo of health. Most people pop an extra do...
Bringing Salmon Home: The Story of the World's Largest Dam Removal Project
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Klamath River on the California-Oregon border was once the third largest salmon river in the continental U.S. There were so many fish, indigenous ...
Potatoes in Space! (encore)
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, a half century after Neil Armstrong took one small step onto the surface of the Moon, there are still just ten humans living in space—the cre...
Absinthe: The World's Most Dangerous Drink?
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To painters and poets in late-1800s France, absinthe was "the green muse" or the "green fairy," an almost magical potion that promised vivid dreams, w...
From Trash to Treasure: Why's It So Hard to Save Restaurant Leftovers From the Dumpster?
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every day, at the end of service, restaurants throw away tons of entirely edible food: heaps of pastries and whole loaves of bread, vegetables chopped...
Smashing Pumpkin Myths: What's Big, Orange, and Having an Identity Crisis?
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s already begun: that time of the year now known across the land as Decorative Gourd Season. Squash are everywhere—carved into jack o’lantern...
Meet the Queen of Kiwi: The 96-Year-Old Woman Who Transformed America's Produce Aisle (ENCORE)
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The produce section of most American supermarkets in the 1950s was minimal to a fault, with only a few dozen fruits and vegetables to choose from: per...
Deli is Short For Delicious—But Are Your Pastrami and Bologna Sandwiches Giving You Cancer?
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
School’s back in session, and kids are boarding the bus with lunchboxes in tow. Many of them contain sandwiches stuffed with turkey and ham slices, ...
What's the Buzz on Eating Bugs? Can Insects Really Save the World?
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
About ten years ago, insects were constantly being hyped as the future of food. Headlines proclaimed that, within the decade, everyone would be eating...
The Billion Dollar War Behind U.S. Rum (Planet Money)
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you buy a bottle of rum in the United States, by law nearly all the federal taxes on that rum must be sent to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Isl...
The Interstitium (Radiolab)
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest episode: In this episode we introduce you to a part of our bodies that was invisible to Western scientists until about five years ago; it’s ca...
Are Hush Puppies Racist? Is A2 Milk Really Healthier? And What's Up With Wedding Cake? Ask Gastropod!
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You asked, and we’re answering—again! Ask Gastropod returns to answer some of our listeners’ most pressing culinary queries: how did elaborate, ...
Why Does Everyone Have Food Allergies These Days?
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's not your imagination, food allergies are really on the rise. One recent study found that severe allergic reactions to food have increased by more...
The Bagelization of America (encore)
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, it’s a breakfast staple, but, as recently as 1960, The New York Times had to define it for readers—as “an unsweetened doughnut with rig...
The Birth of Cool: How Refrigeration Changed Everything
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For as long as we’ve been making Gastropod, co-host Nicky has also been working on another project: writing a book all about refrigeration. Well, ti...
Omega 1-2-3 (encore)
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Based on all the hype, you'd be forgiven for believing that the fish oils known as omega-3s are the solution to every problem. Heart disease, dementia...
Sugar's Dark Shadow
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your pantry's sweetest ingredient has an extremely bitter history. The sap-producing grass known as sugarcane has been grown and enjoyed by humans for...
(Guest) Are Fast Food Jingles Pop Music?
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From our friends at Switched on Pop: Where were you when you learned that the McDonald's jingle "I'm lovin' it" was originally part of a full-fledged ...
Why Are Restaurants So Loud? Plus the Science Behind the Perfect Playlist
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you go out for a meal, it’s not just what's on your plate that matters, it's what's in your eardrums, too. From dining rooms so loud you have t...
The Food Explorer (encore)
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You've probably never heard of David Fairchild. But if you've savored kale, mango, peaches, dates, grapes, a Meyer lemon, or a glass of craft beer lat...
Meet the Most Famous American You’ve Never Heard Of: His Legacy is Excellent French Fries and Monsanto
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In his day, Luther Burbank was a horticultural rock star: everyone from opera singers to movie stars and European royalty to an Indian guru traveled t...
All You Can Eat: The True Story Behind America's Most Popular Seafood
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Americans eat more shrimp than any other seafood: on average, each person in the US gobbles up close to six pounds of the cheap crustaceans every year...
The World Is Your Oyster: How Our Favorite Shellfish Could Save Coastlines Worldwide
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we at Gastropod were asked to name a perfect food, the oyster would be at the top of our list. Oysters are pretty much always our answer to the que...
Eat This, Not That: The Surprising Science of Personalized Nutrition (encore)
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, we've got the exclusive on the preliminary results of the world's largest personalized nutrition experiment. Genetic epidemiologist Tim ...
Bam! How Did Cajun Flavor Take Over the World?
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If "Cajun-style" only makes you think of spicy chicken sandwiches and popcorn shrimp, you need to join us in the Big Easy this episode, to meet the r...
Anything's Pastable (Guest Episode)
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After Dan’s pasta shape, cascatelli, was launched, people everywhere were cooking with it and sending him photos of what they were making. As exciti...
Can You Patent a Pizza?
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Close your eyes and imagine this: a world without stuffed crust pizza. We know!—but that was the dismal state of the Italian flatbread scene before ...
Super Fry: The Fight for the Golden Frite (encore)
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shoestring, waffle, curly, or thick-cut: however you slice it, nearly everyone loves a deep-fried, golden brown piece of potato. But that's where the ...
Dining at the (Other) Top of the World: Hunger, Fruitcake, and the Race to Reach the South Pole
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In contrast to the abundance of the Arctic, in Antarctica, "once you leave the coast, you're basically heading to the moon." Jason Anthony, who spent ...
Dining at the Top of the World: Arctic Adaptation, Abundance, and...Ice Cream
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You may feel like it's cold where you live, but in the Arctic, the average temperature is well below freezing all year round. In winter, it's also pit...
Cork Dork: Inside the Weird World of Wine Appreciation (encore)
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“There’s the faintest soupçon of asparagus and just a flutter of Edam cheese,” says Paul Giamatti in the movie Sideways. Believe it or not, he...
It's Tea Time: Pirates, Polyphenols, and a Proper Cuppa (encore)
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Gastropod tells the story of two countries and their shared obsession with a plant: Camellia sinensis, otherwise known as the tea bush. Th...
The Case of the Confusing Bitter Beverages: Vermouth, Amaro, Aperitivos, and Other Botanical Schnapps
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to booze, it’s fun to be bitter: an Aperol spritz has been the drink of summer for about five years, vermouth and soda was apparently...
Rice, Rice Baby
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Though rice might not feature in a hit 1990s Vanilla Ice rap, this grain tops the charts in other ways: it's the staple food for more than half the gl...
Ask Gastropod: White Chocolate, Jimmies, Chile vs. Mustard Burns, and Asparagus Pee
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is white chocolate really chocolate? What causes asparagus pee? Sprinkles or jimmies—which do you call them, and is the term ‘jimmies’ racist? W...
Pumpkin Spice Hero: The Thrilling But Tragic True Story of Nutmeg
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No pumpkin spice latte, cookie, candle, or seasonal can of Spam (yes, really) would be the same without one of its key flavors: nutmeg, a warm, woody ...
Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Botanically, bean pods are indeed fruits, and, honestly, they are also pretty magical. And we’re clearly not the only ones to think that: beans are ...
Raised and Glazed: Don’t Doubt the Doughnut
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Doughnuts are ubiquitous in the United States: whether you're at party, a coffee shop, or the break room at work, you’re likely to find a box of ice...
We'd Like to Teach The World to Slurp: The Weird and Wonderful Story of Ramen's Rise to Glory
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Savory, chewy, and, above all, slurp-able, a delicious bowl of ramen is one of the triumphs of Japanese cuisine. That's also a bit odd, because, for m...
First Foods: Learning to Eat (encore)
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do we learn to eat? It may seem like an obvious question, but it's actually quite a complicated process. Who decided that mushed-up vegetables w...
All Aboard the Tuna Rollercoaster! Join the King of Fish for a Wild Ride that Involves Ernest Hemingway and (of course) Jane Fonda
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A bluefin tuna can grow to the size of a car, weigh twice as much as a grand piano, swim as fast as a running lion, and keep its muscles at human body...
The Keto Paradox: Fad Diet *and* Life-Saving Medical Treatment
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do some epilepsy patients have in common with tech bros, bodybuilders, and Joe Rogan? The high-fat, carb-shunning diet known as keto, whose histo...
Secrets of Sourdough (encore)
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, you can find a huge variety of breads on supermarket shelves, only a few of which are called "sourdough." For most of human history, though, an...
Watch It Wiggle: The Jell-O Story (encore)
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been described as the ultimate status symbol for the wealthy, as the perfect solution for dieters and the sick, and, confusingly, as a liquid tra...
Where's the Beef? Lab-Grown Meat is Finally on the Menu
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can we really have our burger, eat it—and never need to kill a cow? Growing meat outside of animals—in a lab or, these days, in shiny steel biorea...
The Incredible Egg (encore)
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We love eggs scrambled, fried, or poached; we couldn't enjoy a quiche, meringue, or flan without them. But for scientists and archaeologists, these pe...
Good Shit: How Humanure Could Save Agriculture—and the Planet
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For most of us, when we sit on the porcelain throne to drop the deuce, priority number one is flushing and never having to think about it again. But i...
Gettin' Fizzy With It (Encore)
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
'Tis the season for a refreshing glass of bubbly—but this episode we're not talking wine, we're talking seltzer. America is in the throes of a serio...
Who's Eating Who: Pineapples and You
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What was the hottest accessory for late 1600s European dining rooms? The pineapple! Explorers had recently brought this spiky tropical fruit over from...
You've Lost That Hungry Feeling
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it's via TikTok or the morning news, you’ve probably heard the recent hype (and hand-wringing) about new prescription weight-loss medication...
Fish & Chips: Uncovering the Forgotten Jewish and Belgian Origins of the Iconic British Dish
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fish & chips: a golden hunk of battered cod, accompanied by thick-cut French fries, lightly sprinkled with malt vinegar, and wrapped up in a newspaper...
What Connects Bones, Bird Poop, and Toxic Green Slime? Hint: Without It, Half of Us Wouldn't Be Alive Today
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the 13th element on the periodic table, it glows in the dark, and it spontaneously combusts if it gets any hotter than 80 degrees Fahrenheit; l...
All the Feels: How Texture Makes Taste
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The squish of bananas, the squeak of mushrooms, the pop of a grape: for some people, these textures are a delight—but for others, they’re a total ...
The Fruit that Could Save the World
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can bread really grow on trees? This episode, meet the all-star, super productive, low-maintenance, gluten-free carbohydrate of the future. Did we men...
Meet Taro, the Poke Bowl's Missing Secret Ingredient
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Polynesians first arrived in Hawai'i some 1,500 years ago, they found islands that were lush, beautiful...and nearly devoid of anything to eat. L...
Always Coca-Cola: Coca, Kola, and the *Real* Secret Formula
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coca-Cola's red and white logo is so iconic that supposedly nine out of every ten people on Earth know it on sight. Nearly two billion servings of C...
Here Comes Truffle
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, join us on a hunt for buried treasure at a super-secret location in North Carolina. We follow a million-dollar dog wearing adorable slip...
Museums and the Mafia: The Secret History of Citrus (encore)
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A slice of lime in your cocktail, a lunchbox clementine, or a glass of OJ at breakfast: citrus is so common today that most of us have at least one lu...
The End of the Calorie (encore)
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For most of us, the calorie is just a number on the back of the packet or on the display at the gym. But what is it, exactly? And how did we end up wi...
Champagne Wishes: The Tastes of Celebration
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We pop it at weddings and pour it for the holidays, gift it to congratulate and sip it to celebrate—but, if we're being honest, Gastropod will seize...
Caviar Dreams: The Tastes of Celebration
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yachts, private jets, caviar, champagne—all standard ingredients in the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But, every so often, at parties and speci...
What Is Native American Cuisine? (Encore)
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pasta, sushi, tacos, samosas, and pad thai: In the U.S., enthusiastic eaters will likely be able to name traditional dishes from a wide variety of cui...
That Old Chestnut: A Nutty Tale, of Love, Loss, and Reconnection
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Just a little over a hundred years ago, eastern forests were studded with what was called "America's perfect tree": 100-foot giants with straight-grai...
Prescription Dinner: Can Meals Be Medicine?
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've all heard that what you eat affects your health—but doctors prescribing dinner? It's real: Medically tailored meals are specifically designed ...
Trouble in Paradise: Coconut War Waters and Coconut Oil Controversies
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether enrobed with chocolate in a candy bar or sucked up through a straw on the beach, coconut has become shorthand for the good life: clear blue wa...
Does the Western Megadrought Mean the End of Cheap Cheese and Ice Cream?
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a summer's day without the jingle of the ice-cream truck, a pizza without its bubbling layer of melted cheesy goodness, or even a bowl of cere...
Lunch Gets Schooled (encore)
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Across the United States, school lunch is being transformed, as counties and cities partner with local farms to access fresh vegetables, as well as hi...
What Do Aliens Eat? Food in Sci-Fi and Fantasy
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’re an adorable, candy-loving alien, a lost hobbit, a Federation starship captain, or the King in the North, you still need to eat. This ...
Guest Episode: The Umami Mama by Unexplainable
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gastropod is excited to present this guest episode of Unexplainable. For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultu...
Gut Feeling
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you get butterflies in your stomach when you’re excited? Feel nauseated when you’re nervous? Get a knot in your gut when you're worried somethi...
Green Gold: Our Love Affair With Olive Oil (encore)
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Olive oil is not what you think it is. According to Tom Mueller, author of Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, an olive is...
How Ketchup Got Thick
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ketchup is the crowd-pleaser of condiments—a ubiquitous accessory on dinner tables throughout the United States, and, increasingly, the world. But t...