Savor
Episodes
Why Do We Eat Three Meals a Day?
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Many cultures, especially Western ones, eat three meals a day -- by why? Have we always done that? We explore the history (and etymology) of breakfast...
The Fully-Baked Episode on Cannabis Edibles
21 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
History: How people have infused cannabis into food and drink for millennia, but recent stigma rendered edibles illicit and illegal. Science: Why the ...
Hot Tamales!
18 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tamales are an ancient food imbued with limitless possibilities, tastiness, and... chemistry-based nutritional benefits? Anney and Lauren get wrapped ...
James Beard: A Giant of the Kitchen
13 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
James Beard is called the dean of American cooking for good reason -- he was a prolific pioneer of local, sustainable food that's celebratory, indulge...
Tempting Tempeh
11 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This textured vegetarian protein is fairly new to a lot of the world, but tempeh's history goes way back. Anney and Lauren dig in, plus explore the am...
Bonus Episode: A Salty Interview
10 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In researching our previous episode, we spoke with salt expert Suzi Sheffield about where different salts come from, and how they can provide a palate...
Salt: What's Shaking?
07 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Salt -- necessary for human life yet easy to overeat -- has sparked wars and innovations alike. We dig into the complex history and science behind thi...
FoodStuff Brings Home the Bacon
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The same things that make bacon delicious also made it safer to eat in the era before refrigeration -- but they're also the same things that make it l...
Cocktail Hour: The Martini
30 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The martini (and its glass) are American icons -- but why? How? And should you order it shaken or stirred? Anney and Lauren dip into the shaky history...
Don't Kale Us, We'll Kale You
28 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nutrient dense and easy to grow, kale was a culinary staple long before it was labeled a superfood. Anney and Lauren go behind the trend to explore ka...
The Craft of American Cheese
23 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Process cheese (aka American cheese) is an innovation that's affordable, reduces factory waste, and melts like a dream -- but is it really food? Anney...
Lights. Camera. FoodStuff!
22 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On film, many foods are made of non-food items and many non-food items are made of food. Movie magic! We speak with SFX technician Vii Kelly about ine...
Corned Beef and Baggage
16 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Irish don't eat much corned beef, but it's a staple of American St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Anney and Lauren explore how this happened and why...
A Prepper on Black Pepper
14 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Black pepper is ubiquitous these days, but throughout history it was a prized commodity, traded like gold and responsible for family fortunes. Anney a...
Getting Figgy With It
09 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Figs aren't actually a fruit -- they're an inside-out cluster of flowers -- but they're one of humanity's oldest food sources. Anney and Lauren dig in...
The Take-Away History of Food Delivery
07 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of having food delivered to your home is centuries old, but technology and culture are constantly changing what -- and how -- we order. An...
Spam Uncanned
02 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Spam is one of war and peace, nostalgia and necessity, all-American innovation and greed. Anney and Lauren explore the history and scienc...
Cocktail Hour: The Margarita
28 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Frozen, on the rocks, or straight up, there's science behind every sip of margarita -- and some seriously muddled history. Anney and Lauren explore in...
The Everything Bagel Episode
23 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For what seems on the (toroid) surface to be a humble bread product, bagels can inspire a lot of nostalgia -- and strong opinions. We explore the hist...
Fictional Foods: 'Star Trek' Edition
21 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is an episode of the podcast FoodStuff. Its continuing mission: to explore strange (blue) beverages, to seek out new foods and new replications. ...
Mushrooms: Not to Be Truffled With
16 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mushrooms are a delicious, nutritious part of our diets, but they’ve more traditionally been a medicine -- and you definitely shouldn't eat wild mus...
The Saucy History of Ketchup
14 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
That stuff you probably dip your fries in descended from Chinese fermented fish sauce, and it had a hand in creating the FDA. We explore the non-Newto...
Artificial Flavors: Fake It Till You Make It
09 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Added flavors feature in as much as 90% of our groceries, so the science of creating them is a serious business. We unpack the difference between natu...
The Edible Puns of Lunar New Year
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Lunar or Chinese New Year celebration, also known as the Spring Festival, is a 15-day marathon of family, friends, food -- and puns. We share some...
Candy Hearts: Recipe for Love
02 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chalky candy hearts printed with sweet (or salty!) messages are apparently the most prolific candy of Valentine's Day. Anney and Lauren explore the pa...
This Episode Is Bananas
31 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S. The most popular fruit in the world has driven food technology and military coups alike. It's also in danger of being wiped out. We pee...
FoodStuff Takes the Cupcake
26 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The cupcake caused quite a culinary kerfuffle in the early 2000s. Anney and Lauren explore how cupcakes (and their cousins, muffins) became what they ...
Absinthe: The FoodStuff Green Hour
24 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Banned for a century throughout the Western world, absinthe is officially back on the market. But was it ever dangerous in the first place? Come drink...
Garlic: A Stinking Rose By Any Other Name
19 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Garlic has millennia of history with cultures all over the world -- but mostly as a medicine and vampire deterrent, not a food. Anney and Lauren explo...
The McDonald's McEpisode
17 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
McDonald's is the biggest fast food chain in the world, but this behemoth has humble beginnings. We explore the ambitions and intrigue that made the M...
Sweet Nothings: The Science of Artificial Sweeteners
12 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sugar substitutes boast the ability to satisfy your sweet tooth with low or no calories. But how can such wonder-compounds exist? Are they hazardous? ...
The Lasting Power of Fad Diets: Part Deux
10 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this, the second half of our conversation about fad diets, we head into the modern era of calorie counting and curious trends spreading at broadban...
The Lasting Power of Fad Diets: Part 1
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Since before the word 'diet', there have been fad diets. And egad, some of them were bad ideas. Anney and Lauren unearth and demystify some of history...
The Jumbled Story of Jambalaya
03 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jambalaya really is a melting pot of a dish, influenced by all of the native populations, settlers, and enslaved peoples of the American South. Anney ...
Licorice: Heard It Through the Red Vines
29 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is red licorice really licorice? Can you overdose on licorice?? Anney and Lauren answer these and other burning licorice questions. Learn more about ...
New Year’s Food Traditions: Eating for Luck and Money
27 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
All around the world, people ring in the New Year with foods said to bring good fortune. Anney and Lauren talk through traditions from their own homes...
Cheddar: Insert Cheesy Title Here
22 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This quintessential British cheese has a history cut with myth, fraud, and war. Anney and Lauren dig in, plus explain the science and process behind m...
The Not-So-Gratuitous Tipping Episode
20 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tipping at restaurants can be stressful for all parties involved. How much is enough? How much is based on actual quality of service? How did we start...
A Hard Look at Soft Drinks
15 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Soda, pop, coke, or plain ol' carbonated water: We dive into the sometimes explosive science and history of all agua that sparkles, from natural miner...
Stop and (Don't) Smell the Durian
13 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The durian fruit is famous for its rich custardlike flavor and infamous for its staunch corpselike scent. Anney and Lauren dig into the history and sc...
Raise a Glass to Toasting
08 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Toasting can be an art, an honor, or an excuse to drink a lot. Anney and Lauren explore, from ancient toasting traditions to how people do it around t...
Chock Full of Chocolate
06 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
That chocolate bar you're craving contains some 5000 years of history and more than a couple psychoactive substances. Learn how a tropical seed change...
Cocktail Hour: Mai Tai
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For a rum punch designed with escapism in mind, the mai tai has a lot of controversy swirling around it. Anney and Lauren explore. (Plus, cocktail umb...
We Are All Jelly Doughnuts
29 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sufganiyot, pączki, Berliners, bismarcks, or jambusters: Whatever you call 'em, we love jelly doughnuts. Anney and Lauren explore how this treat beca...
Popcorn: Insert Corny Episode Title
24 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
America's favorite movie theater snack involves at least 7,000 years of history and fascinating physics. We explore everything from how popcorn pops t...
The Not-So-Vanilla Vanilla Episode
22 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The history and science behind vanilla is anything but bland. Anney and Lauren explore how the fruit of a rare orchid captured the world's fancy, and ...
Fictional Foods: Lembas
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Lembas is the one bread to rule them all from J.R.R. Tolkien's world of 'The Lord of the Rings.' We delve into the real-world inspirations and Elvish ...
Stick a Fork in It
15 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This everyday utensil is a relative newcomer to the table -- eating with a fork was considered scandalous and even sinful for centuries. Anney and Lau...
Turkey Talk
10 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The turkey is a study in contradictions: majestic yet ridiculous, ridiculous yet aggressive, prized for feasts yet often poorly cooked, and definitely...
Flavor Tripping with the Miracle Berry
08 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The miracle berry is a fruit that can make sour foods taste incredibly sweet. We explore the science behind flavor tripping, plus the strange, conspir...
Ramen: Oodles of History
03 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
From a Chinese side dish to a Japanese staple to an international phenomenon, we slurp through the history and science of ramen. Learn more about you...
Rice Rice Baby
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It's just a staple food for over half the population of the planet, and has been for long enough that it shaped our languages, religions, and maybe ev...
Vegemite: Fright or Delight?
27 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A savory spread with a divisively strong flavor, Vegemite earned its place in Australian culture through decades of clever marketing. We explore the h...
The Quiche of Death
25 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Quiche, the simple baked custard that took the '70s by storm, has a winding history involving some weird gender issues. We serve forth the ins and out...
Space Food: Ground Control to Major Nom
20 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We owe so many innovations in food safety and technology to the simple fact that astronauts need to eat. We dig into the history (and sometimes questi...
The Julia Child Episode
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Although she didn't even start cooking until her late 30s, Julia Child is known for bringing the art of French cuisine into American home kitchens. We...
Cocktail Hour: The Whiskey Sour
13 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Despite (or perhaps due to) its simplicity, the whiskey sour is one of the most popular cocktails on the planet. We walk through the history and scien...
Cranberries from Bog to Table
11 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This North American winter staple has sprouted crazes, battles, and bitter scares. Let's linger just a little on the cranberry. Learn more about your...
Aspirational Aspics
06 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of savory, broth-based gelatin molds may sound strange to the modern palate, but they were posh for centuries. Tune in to learn about hist...
Leggo Eleven's Eggo: A Tale of Frozen Waffles
04 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Waffles have been around in more or less their modern form since the 1400s, but we have three 20th-century brothers to thank for the technology behind...
Cinnamon: The Tastiest of Tree Barks
29 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Cinnamon's heat drove hundreds of years of intrigue before becoming the kitchen staple it is today. We dig into spicy history and culture of this deli...
Pumpkin: Jack-of-all-Foods
27 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You knew we had to do a pumpkin episode. This squash and its pie spice blend have a rep for being basic, but we go behind the gourd to explore pumpkin...
Sour Beer: Don't Call it a Comeback
22 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Humans may have invented agriculture to make beer, and for millennia that beer was kinda sour. We explore the science and history of sour beer, plus t...
Expiration Dates: Best If Listened By
15 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Expiration dates cause confusion and food waste -- Lauren and Anney do some demystifying (and talk about how a notorious gangster may have been involv...
The World Is Your Oyster
08 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Oysters were one of humanity's first foods, and they've remained ragingly popular ever since. We dive into the biology, culinary history, and bloody p...
Chuck E. Cheese's: Pizza, Intrigue, and Entertainment
01 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A pizza-loving rat, a live band of animatronic animals, and beer on tap: We explore how a scheme to make more money off of arcade games became an inte...
You Butter Believe It’s a Two-Parter: Part 2
25 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What the heck is margarine, and how does it play in butter's history? Is it healthier to eat one versus the other? We wrap up our butterganza with the...
You Butter Believe It’s a Two-Parter: Part 1
18 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Since before written history, humans have been mad about butter. (Er, sometimes literally angry.) We explore the slippery physics and surprising strif...
You Say Tomato, I Say Wolfpeach
11 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Once considered deadly, the tomato has a fascinating history as a tax evader, protest device, and potential hallucinogen! GASP. There's also a lot of ...
Fictional Foods: Butterbeer, from Book to Mug
04 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Once a mere fantasy from the pages of "Harry Potter," butterbeer is now very real, very popular, and very delicious. In this new segment, we discuss t...
Tofu: The Cheese of the Bean World
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tofu's multi-millennia history may or may not include an attempt at making an immortality elixir. Anney and Lauren take on the history, science, healt...
A Graham Cracker A Day to Keep Sin Away
21 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Graham crackers, one-third of delightful campfire s'mores, originated as a bland health food peddled by a temperance preacher. We explore how they bec...
How Did French Cuisine Become King?
14 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
French cuisine has a reputation as the best the culinary world has to offer, but why is that? Anney and Lauren trace the history of haute cuisine (and...
Marshmallows: A Cure for Your Ills
07 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Marshmallows in one form or another (hearts, stars, and horseshoes included) have been enjoyed for thousands of years and involve some serious science...
Life of (Apple) Pie
29 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The saying goes, "as American as apple pie," but why? Anney and Lauren dig into the historical events that made apple pie a cultural icon. And talk pi...
A Starter Guide to Sourdough
23 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Beyond San Francisco, beyond Paris, sourdough bread has a long, rich history closely connected to beer and one of our old friends, fermentation. Anney...
Cocktail Hour: Gin and Tonic
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This simple, refreshing staple cocktail wouldn't be here if it weren't for heart disease and malaria. We trace the history of gin and tonic water, bot...
Sweetbreads: Neither Sweet nor Bread
09 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Not exactly sweet and definitely not a bread, sweetbreads are a type of offal with a pedigree among gastronomes. We explore how people treated this od...
May I Rent Your Pineapple?
02 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout its history, the much-sought-after pineapple has symbolized friendship, luxury and royalty. Anney and Lauren look into the pineapple's past...
Could Honey Save Us All?
26 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have been eating honey since before recorded history -- and it may be the oldest medicine known to humankind, too. From ancient remedies to cut...
Honey, a History
19 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Join Anney Reese and Lauren Vogelbaum as they dive into the history of honey in this two part series. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www...
A Spork by Any Other Name
12 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How has the spork captured so much attention? Who designed such a questionably useful utensil? Anney and Lauren explore the surprisingly rich history ...
The Troubled, Tasty Story of Fried Chicken
05 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Physics makes fried chicken delicious, and human prejudice makes its connotations problematic. We delve into the history and science behind (specifica...
The (Non)Science Behind Juice Cleanses
28 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do juice cleanses actually deliver on their promises? How did commercial juices become a thing anyway? Anney and Lauren extract the truth from the myt...
Much Ado About Brunch
21 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Brunch has always been a meal of excess and leisure, and it's therefore associated with some ugly classist, racist, and sexist ideals. But waffles are...
FoodStuff Is Moving to Fridays
19 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This is not a full episode, but a quick notice: FoodStuff will be publishing on Fridays from now on! Yes. See you Friday! Learn more about your ad-ch...
Bloody Marys: Dubious Historically and Hangoverly
12 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
History is as unsure about where the Bloody Mary came from and how it came to be named as science is about its status as a hangover cure. Anney and La...
Yogurt: More Than Just Bacteria Poop
05 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have been enjoying yogurt and its health benefits for millennia. From prehistory to bizarre sanitarium treatments to modern marketing campaigns...
Defrosting Frozen Food
29 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What technologies have brought us the convenience of frozen foods? Is frozen really as nutritious as fresh? Learn what it takes scientifically to brin...
The Unsweetened History and Technology of Sugar
22 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The demand for sugar has driven over a thousand years of greed, tragedy, political power shifts, and technological innovation. We won't sugarcoat it. ...
Sugar and Your Health
15 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cauliflower: Fractaliscious and Nutritious
08 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This seemingly humble member of the cabbage family has been prized for thousands of years by chefs, nutritionists, and mathematicians alike. Learn abo...
Champagne (and Sparkling Wine)
01 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In just 400 years, sparkling wines have gone from a dangerous mistake (the famous Dom Perignon was hired to get RID of bubbles in wine) to a symbol of...
FoodStuff: Episode Zero
23 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.