Gastropod cover art
Podcast · 30 episodes

Gastropod, page 2

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.

All episodes, page 2

Durian Delight and Feijoa Fun: Adventures in Banned, Forgotten, and Unusual FruitGastropod episode about unusual fruits that are beloved locally but hard to find (and polarizing) elsewhere: feijoa/pineapple guava and durian.23 Sep 2025 · 51 min · 14 chapters
Talking TacoGastropod episode “Talking Taco” is about what a taco is, where the word and food came from, and how tacos spread and changed from Mexico to the world.9 Sep 2025 · 43 min · 12 chapters
Tomatoes: A Love StoryThe history and science of tomatoes—why they were initially disliked, how they spread from the Andes to Europe and North America, and why modern industrial tomatoes often taste bland; includes a look…19 Aug 2025 · 51 min · 15 chapters
The Most Dangerous Fruit in AmericaThis encore Gastropod episode revisits watermelon: where it came from, how it became sweet/red, how to choose a ripe one, and why it became “the most dangerous” and “most racist” fruit in America.5 Aug 2025 · 45 min · 16 chapters
The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing GrainThe evolution and cultural importance of corn (maize) in Mexico and beyond—how teosinte became domesticated corn, why nixtamalization made it nutritious, how corn shaped civilizations and diets, and…22 Jul 2025 · 51 min · 18 chapters
Should You Be Eating Poison Oak?Whether eating poison oak (and thus urushiol) can build tolerance/desensitization, and why no reliable “poison oak pills” exist.8 Jul 2025 · 31 min · 11 chapters