Podcast · 30 episodes
Gastropod
by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley · English
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.
Latest episodes
Eat Bison to Save BisonA field trip and history of American bison—how they shaped Indigenous life and prairie ecology, how they were nearly wiped out, how they were restored, and whether bison can regain their former…22 Sep 2026 · 49 min
Plant Milk Proliferation: Oat, Soy, Almond, and More, But Which Is Best?The episode explores why “plant milk” (oat, soy, almond, rice, hemp, pea, cashew, macadamia, pistachio, coconut, etc.) proliferated, how “milk” became a cultural default, and whether plant milks are…8 Sep 2026 · 49 min
So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile PepperWhy chili peppers are hot and how capsaicin shaped human taste, cuisine, and global spread—from South America to Europe, China, and the U.S.—plus the biology of the burn and modern “superhot” trends.18 Aug 2026 · 48 min
All episodes
Eat Bison to Save BisonA field trip and history of American bison—how they shaped Indigenous life and prairie ecology, how they were nearly wiped out, how they were restored, and whether bison can regain their former…22 Sep 2026 · 49 min · 15 chapters
Plant Milk Proliferation: Oat, Soy, Almond, and More, But Which Is Best?The episode explores why “plant milk” (oat, soy, almond, rice, hemp, pea, cashew, macadamia, pistachio, coconut, etc.) proliferated, how “milk” became a cultural default, and whether plant milks are…8 Sep 2026 · 49 min · 12 chapters
So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile PepperWhy chili peppers are hot and how capsaicin shaped human taste, cuisine, and global spread—from South America to Europe, China, and the U.S.—plus the biology of the burn and modern “superhot” trends.18 Aug 2026 · 48 min · 11 chapters
Salad Days: A Story of Science, Sexism, and Jell-OThe episode traces what “salad” has meant over time—starting as salted greens and banquet “kitchen sink” dishes, then becoming feminized and “scientific” (including gelatin salads), and finally…4 Aug 2026 · 45 min · 14 chapters
Where There's Smoke, There's...Whiskey, Fish, and Barbecue!The science and history of smoke in food, with a focus on smoked fish and an “encore” segment on American barbecue—what smoke is, why it tastes good, and how barbecue developed and became culturally…21 Jul 2026 · 51 min · 21 chapters
America's Forbidden Fruit and Forgotten First Soda: Ask GastropodThe episode compares blackcurrants vs grape “purple” flavors across the US/UK, explains why blackcurrants were banned in the US (white pine blister rust), and then pivots to root beer’s origins and…7 Jul 2026 · 50 min · 18 chapters
Bringing Home the Bacon: From Shakespeare to the BaconatorThe history of bacon—why people crave it, why it was banned or stigmatized, and how it evolved from preserved staple to modern “Bacon Mania,” including links from Shakespeare to the Wendy’s Baconator…23 Jun 2026 · 48 min · 14 chapters
What the Shell? Cracking the Lobster's MysteriesThe science and history of American lobsters—whether they mate for life, how they became a luxury food, and “mysteries” of lobster biology (aging, eyes, urine communication, sex anatomy) plus modern…9 Jun 2026 · 44 min · 16 chapters
A Dog's Dinner: What Should We Really Be Feeding Our Pets?Gastropod episode “A Dog’s Dinner” asks what to feed pets (kibble vs wet vs fresh), whether “premium” diets are healthier, and the environmental impact of pet food choices.19 May 2026 · 50 min · 23 chapters
Feel the Beet: The Most Fascinating Woman You've Never Heard OfWhy people dislike beets, how beets became major crops (especially sugar beets), and the story of abolitionist/author Lydia Maria Child—plus modern beet breeding to improve flavor and even create…5 May 2026 · 45 min · 17 chapters
White vs. Wheat: The Food Fight of the CenturiesThe long-running “white vs. wheat” debate over refined white flour and industrial white bread—how it became elite, then mass-market, then controversial, and how modern wheat breeding aims to make…21 Apr 2026 · 53 min · 15 chapters
Protein, Pyramids, and Politics: The Forgotten Stories and Controversial Science Behind Government Dietary AdviceGastropod episode “Protein, Pyramids, and Politics” traces how U.S.7 Apr 2026 · 55 min · 25 chapters
Sushi's Extraordinary Evolution: From Pickle to PrimetimeThe episode explains how sushi evolved from a Chinese fermented-fish preservation method into modern rice-and-fish dishes worldwide, then how it became popular in the U.S. and changed there.24 Mar 2026 · 45 min · 12 chapters
SNAP To It! Why Food Stamps Matter To All of Us—And Why They're Under ThreatGastropod episode “SNAP To It! Why Food Stamps Matter To All of Us—And Why They’re Under Threat” argues that SNAP (food stamps) reduces hunger and poverty but doesn’t fully solve food insecurity.10 Mar 2026 · 47 min · 14 chapters
When is a Pancake Not a Pancake?Gastropod episode “When is a Pancake Not a Pancake?” explains what qualifies as a pancake and how pancakes became American.24 Feb 2026 · 45 min · 25 chapters
OXO, Cuisinart, and Julia Child: The Secret (Accessible) History Behind Your KitchenHow kitchen design and cooking tools became more accessible, tracing ideas from early 20th-century efficiency and disability rehabilitation to modern products like OXO and Cuisinart, plus personal…10 Feb 2026 · 51 min · 22 chapters
Ripe for Global Domination: The Story of the AvocadoHow avocados became a global “aspirational” food—via history, breeding, marketing (including avocado toast), NAFTA-driven trade, and impacts in Mexico and China.27 Jan 2026 · 47 min · 12 chapters
Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San MarzanoHow canned tomatoes became a pantry staple, why they taste better than many fresh tomatoes out of season, and whether “San Marzano” is a reliable myth—plus a behind-the-scenes look at modern…13 Jan 2026 · 50 min · 19 chapters
Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!Gastropod “Ask Gastropod” episode answers three food questions: why citric acid is in so many products, where kefir comes from and whether it can be made in a lab, and whether most cinnamon in the…16 Dec 2025 · 43 min · 16 chapters
Forget Plain Vanilla: You'll Never See The World's Favorite Flavor the Same Way AgainThis Gastropod episode explains why vanilla—despite being the world’s most popular ice-cream flavor—has a complex origin and many “not boring” varieties.2 Dec 2025 · 51 min · 12 chapters
From Fountain of Youth to Fruit on the Bottom: How Yoghurt Finally Made it Big in AmericaThe history and science of yogurt—how milk fermentation spread from the Middle East/Balkans to global popularity, including why yogurt microbes work, how ants can “seed” fermentation, and how Western…18 Nov 2025 · 51 min · 20 chapters
Yes, You Really Can Make Food From Thin Air—And We Tried ItWhether “food from thin air” is possible—making edible products using captured CO2 and other inputs instead of growing plants or raising animals—plus the science history behind it and two modern…4 Nov 2025 · 48 min · 12 chapters
Pizza Pizza!The episode debates what counts as “pizza” and traces pizza’s history and regional styles.21 Oct 2025 · 46 min · 17 chapters
Everything You Know About Metabolism Is WrongIn this episode of *Gastropod*, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley explore the misconceptions surrounding metabolism.7 Oct 2025 · 48 min