The Plants We Eat
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Jackfruit
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I know, it doesn’t sound tasty at all, but if you’re a vegetarian looking for BBQ then this big guy is about as good as it gets!
Tamarind
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s great to be back! Let’s start with a sticky little (okay, big) legume with a big flavor profile!
Silkworm Pupae
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cows provide us with leather and meat, but use a lot of grass, grain, and water. Silkworms provide us with silk and silkworm pupae, and all it costs a...
Black Soldier Fly
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
No meal is complete without maggots…
Mealworms
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beetles…not just for breakfast anymore!
Crickets
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first in a short series that we’re calling The Bugs We Eat. Sure it seems gross, but they’re actually pretty good!
Marsh Mallow
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, Marsh Mallows are a real thing — and no, those fluffy white clouds you are placing into your hot cocoa are not real marshmallows.
Durian
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How did it take us so long to get to The King of Fruits?
Holly
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t eat the berries! But the leaves….well, as long they’re from the proper holly they’re not bad at all!
Prickly Pear
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A delicious snack once you get past the sharp bits!
Passion Fruit
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The most amazing flower you will ever see, and a tasty fruit too!
Sesame
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It makes your muscles big….kinda.
Millet
21 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Gluten Free means Flat Cookies
Soy
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An Asian plant that isn’t really grown in Asia that much anymore.
Coconut
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is it a seed or a sports drink?
GMOs
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For our 50th podcast — Should we care whether a food is genetically modified? The short answer is yes. The long answer is quite a bit more compl...
Papaya
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If it weren’t for genetically modified papaya we might not have papaya at all.
Lychee
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A tasty little fruit that takes dozens if not hundreds of children’s lives every year.
Spikenard
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
And for our last podcast of season 2, a (very) oldie but goodie!
Paw Paw
27 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What fruit is native to the United States, tastes oddly tropical, and is about as popular as eating mud? Yep, you got it — the Paw Paw.
Rhubarb
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Pies…and poison?
Comfrey
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t eat it. Ever.
Hazelnut
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is it a hazelnut…or a filbert?
Pomegranate
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What does this attractive fruit have to do with nasty parasites? Listen and find out!
Mustard
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s not kid ourselves, this stuff is a weed…..but what a tasty weed it is!
Sassafras
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sassafras is best known as the source of the flavor for rootbeer, except that it isn’t anymore — because it’s potentially quite dang...
Rutabaga
18 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What do you get when you cross a turnip with a cabbage?
Dates
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An amazing fruit picked from a palm tree.
Cattails
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you were stranded on a desert island with only one plant, this is the one you should be stuck with!
Cinnamon
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tree bark never tasted so good!
Pineapple
04 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With many flowers that fuse to become a single fruit, this South American native is a truly unique plant.
Hops
25 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you like your beer hoppy then you’ve got to know this little gem of a flower!
Capers
29 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Not daring robberies or clever thefts, capers are little pickled….no wait, that would be telling! Listen to the podcast and find out. And if you...
Saffron
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is the most expensive spice in the world. Who would have thought it would have such a huge following in central Pennsylvania?
Clove
10 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
‘Tis the season to find out what cloves really are!
Vanilla
03 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The title says vanilla, but you can’t discuss vanilla without discussing the 12 year old orphaned slave who made vanilla production possible.
Peach
26 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the term “Georgia Peach” the peach isn’t really a southern crop naturally, it became one out of necessity.
Cranberries
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s almost Thanksgiving! Time to pay homage to a sour native with a cult following.
Wasabi
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had wasabi? Really?
Oregano
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like some strawberry leaves with that?
Paprika
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Paprika: Sometimes it’s dried, powdered peppers, and sometimes there’s a little something extra.
Bananas
22 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Why the heck are banana seedless? And what is the difference between a banana and a plantain?
Rose Hips
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
High in vitamin C, tasty, and readily available in backyards across America, this just might be the perfect scavenger food!
Pecans
08 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pecans are an American original, but not all of them are eaten here. Just ask the Chinese.
Coffee
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
From a beautiful shrub with stunning red berries to the roaster and finally your mug, coffee is as interesting as it is delicious.
Tomato
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
To the uninitiated tomatoes seem like an amazing addition to any menu, but it isn’t that simple. Over the centuries tomatoes have been a part of...
Chocolate
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody loves chocolate, but where does it really come from?
Stevia
10 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The sweetest plant you’ll ever meet.
Strawberry
22 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The story of the modern strawberry is really the story of a French spy and a brilliant teenager.
Garlic
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Garlic is one of those rare plants that just doesn’t like to make seeds very much.