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Gastropod

Gastropod

By: Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
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About this listen

 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.2021 Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley Art Cooking Food & Wine Science World
Episodes
  • Should You Be Eating Poison Oak?

    Should You Be Eating Poison Oak?
    Jul 8 2025
    Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try it anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line to answer a seemingly straightforward question: Is it possible to build up a tolerance to poison oak by eating it? (Guest episode) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Ask Gastropod: Bubblegum, Meal Kits, and the Real Truth About Rooibos

    Ask Gastropod: Bubblegum, Meal Kits, and the Real Truth About Rooibos
    Jun 24 2025
    What do bubblegum, rooibos tea, and meal kits have in common? They’re all topics that puzzle and fascinate you, dear Gastropod listeners. This episode, we're getting to the bottom of your most pressing culinary questions! Such as: Are meal kits really better for the planet than buying and cooking dinner from scratch? Can all the rooibos tea in the world reallycome from one mountain range in South Africa? And what the heck is bubblegum flavor, anyway? Join us this episode for the scoop on meal kits, a tale of tea-drinking babies, and a peek behind the scenes at the Willy Wonka world of bubblegum flavor development from a real-life bubblegum scientist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Feasting With Montezuma: Food and Farming in a Floating City

    Feasting With Montezuma: Food and Farming in a Floating City
    Jun 10 2025
    Five centuries ago, before Spanish conquistadors arrived, what's now Mexico City was the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan—and it took the European invaders' breath away. It was built on an island threaded with canals; it was one of the largest cities in the world; and the Spanish could hardly believe the sheer volume of food sold in the city's main market, let alone the quantity and variety of dishes enjoyed by the Aztec leader, Montezuma. But how did a city built in a lake—and located in a part of the world without cows, sheep, pigs, or chicken—grow enough to feed quarter of a million people? What does it mean to eat like an Aztec, and can you still do it today? This episode, we're time traveling (and real traveling) to find out! Join us on a trip to taste the flavors of Tenochtitlan, and explore the endangered “floating islands” that fed the city—with a menu that included insect eggs, blue-green algae, and some adorable salamanders that just might hold the secret of eternal youth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins

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