Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchThe Science and History of the Bagel: Boiling, Unions, and Rivalries
Episode 12063
Do you toast your bagels? This episode explains why some purists call that a crime, starting with the physical science behind a true bagel: low-hydra…
4 days, 1 hour ago
How the Tin Can Changed War, Food Safety, and Everyday Survival
Episode 12062
In 1974, scientists opened canned food recovered from the steamboat Bertrand, which sank in 1865, and found no microbial growth. This episode tells t…
4 days, 1 hour ago
Olive Oil Fraud, Smoke Point Myths, and the History of Liquid Gold
Episode 12061
The olive oil in your pantry may not be what the label claims. This episode traces olive oil from Neolithic wild olive collection and the Minoan econ…
4 days, 1 hour ago
The Strange Science of Chewing Gum: Birch Bark, Plastics, and Your Gut
Episode 12060
Does swallowed gum really stay in your stomach for seven years? This episode debunks that playground myth and digs into the surprising story of chewi…
4 days, 1 hour ago
The Controversial History of Tipping: From Thieves' Slang to Tipflation
Episode 12059
Why does the tablet spin at the coffee counter feel so awkward? This episode traces tipping from 17th century thieves' cant and the 'drink money' cus…
4 days, 1 hour ago
The Science and History of Soy Sauce: Koji, Umami, and Regional Styles
Episode 12058
European chefs in the 18th century tried to copy soy sauce with mushrooms and spices, and failed, because it has to be fermented rather than simply c…
4 days, 1 hour ago
How Sake Is Made: Koji, Polishing Ratios, and a Brewing Revival
Episode 12057
Sake is usually called rice wine, but it is brewed more like beer, and its unusual method lets it reach 18 to 20 percent alcohol naturally. This epis…
4 days, 1 hour ago
Fugu Pufferfish: Tetrodotoxin, Master Chefs, and Poison-Free Farming
Episode 12056
In 1975, a kabuki actor who had been named a Living National Treasure ate four portions of banned pufferfish liver in Kyoto and died hours later. Thi…
4 days, 1 hour ago
The Great Irish Famine: Blight, Economics, and Political Failure
Episode 12055
Between 1845 and 1852, ships left Irish ports loaded with grain, butter and livestock while more than a million people starved. This episode explains…
4 days, 1 hour ago
White Castle: How One Name Became Castles, Towns, Books and Burgers
Episode 12054
What do a Welsh fortress, a Nobel laureate's novel, a Mongolian stone building and a stoner comedy have in common? The name White Castle. This episod…
4 days, 1 hour ago