logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2014
45m 57s

Dan Barber’s Quest for Flavor

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
About this episode
In this latest episode of Gastropod, chef and author Dan Barber takes listeners on a journey around the world in search of great flavor and the ecosystems that support it, from Spain to the deep South. You’ll hear how a carefully tended landscape of cork trees makes for delicious ham, and about a squash so cutting edge it doesn’t yet have a name, in this dee ... Show More
Up next
Feb 24
When is a Pancake Not a Pancake?
We aren't afraid to ask the big questions here at Gastropod, such as: what exactly is a pancake? If you think you know the answer, prepare to have your mind blown. It turns out the sweet, syrup-covered stack of American breakfast fame are far from the only members of the pancake ... Show More
45m 15s
Feb 10
OXO, Cuisinart, and Julia Child: The Secret (Accessible) History Behind Your Kitchen
For many people with disabilities, the kitchen can seem a deeply unfriendly place. From counters that require users to stand and cabinets that are often out of reach, to ovens that can’t be opened in mobility chairs and tools that are hard to grip or difficult to read—cooking can ... Show More
51m 12s
Jan 27
Ripe for Global Domination: The Story of the Avocado
We’re coming up to AvocadoFest 2026, otherwise known as the Super Bowl, when Americans get fully a fifth of their annual avocado allocation. But how did this humble fruit, originally named after testicles, get from its Mexican forest home to a tattoo on Miley Cyrus's upper arm? T ... Show More
46m 47s
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
Dan Barber: My life in five dishes
In an illustrious career spanning three decades, there’s little that booking-writing, seed-breading, ‘philosopher chef’ Dan Barber has not put his hands to. Celebrated as the poster child of the ‘farm to fork’ movement, he tells Graihagh Jackson how a visit to a wheat farm called ... Show More
28m 3s
Nov 2023
Endangered Foods
Drawing on Slow Food's Ark of Taste, a list of endangered foods throughout the world, culinary historian Sarah Lohman decided to look closer at the American local culinary traditions and rare, cherished foods that are in peril of becoming lost. She shares the stories of her trave ... Show More
36m 51s
Jan 2010
Bird-shaped Pestle
Neil MacGregor continues his retelling of human history using 100 selected objects from the British Museum. This week he explores the profound changes that humans experienced at the end of the Ice Age. By this period, humanity is reconsidering its place in the world and turning i ... Show More
13m 53s
Jun 2019
Global Food Security, Reactive Use-By Labels, Origins of the Potato
On the day that the UK government launches a year long “food-to-Fork” review of food production in the UK, we present a food themed special edition.Global Food Security Maia Elliot is an analyst and writer for Global Food Security, who recently held a competition for young food r ... Show More
32m 8s
Nov 2022
Eating With Our Ears: The Sound of Food
How does sound influence the way we eat, drink and taste? We discover our hearing makes a bigger contribution to flavour than we think. Mike Johnson explores the concept of 'sonic seasoning' - the idea that different sounds can accentuate the sweetness, bitterness or spiciness of ... Show More
26m 28s
Jun 2021
How learning about indigenous foods can open up your worldview (with Sean Sherman)
What’s your favorite dish — and what culture originated that recipe? Whether you’re thinking about grilled cheese, burritos, curry, pho… (we would go on but we are getting too hungry) trying something delicious opens you up to new experiences and conversations. Sean Sherman, Ogla ... Show More
29m 52s
Oct 2019
Episode 338: American Cuisine and How It Got This Way
What is American cuisine? Is there an American cuisine? It’s probably one of the most debated questions in food circles, certainly by food writers. Historian Paul Freedman, author of the recent best-selling book, Ten Restaurants that Changed America, explores the question in his ... Show More
48m 3s
May 2022
Food in the Ancient World
<p>When we think of the modern Mediterranean, delicious and vibrant food is one of the first things that come to mind. But how much has the regional food changed over the last two millennia? In this episode, Tristan is joined by the host of&nbsp;<em>'The Delicious Legacy'</em>&nb ... Show More
36m 24s
Feb 2024
How to Cook Like a Medieval Chef
<p>Preparing, serving and sharing food has always played a critical role in human history. But what did people in the Middle Ages like to eat and what did their food say about their social status? What was the haute cuisine of medieval Bagdad or Moorish Spain?&nbsp;Victoria Flexn ... Show More
32m 2s
Jul 2020
180. Ricardo Salvador talks Science Advocacy
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ricardo Salvador, Director of the Food and Environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists joins the podcast to talk about experience with research and advocacy, and the importance of evidence-based policy in U.S. food policy.</span></p ... Show More
36m 25s