logo
episode-header-image
May 2015
29m 17s

Gastropod on Gastropods

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
About this episode
Finally, Gastropod is tackling gastropods! In this episode, Cynthia visits one of America’s first and only snail farms. Though Gastropod is, as regular listeners know, a podcast about the science and history of all things gastronomical, we do share a name with Gastropoda, the taxonomic class that includes slugs and snails. And, as it turns out, the history ... Show More
Up next
Jan 13
Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San Marzano
Canned tomatoes are a perfect winter food. As you'll know from our tomato episode, the beautiful fruits in fresh aisle of the supermarket are mostly flavorless outside of the summer season—but the tomatoes that get packed in a can are cheap, readily available, and, most important ... Show More
50m 16s
Dec 16
Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!
The season for holiday baking is upon us, and before you spice up your cookies and pies, you’ll probably want to know: is most of the cinnamon on grocery store shelves actually fake? That’s one question we’re investigating this week on behalf of you, dear listeners, in the latest ... Show More
42m 33s
Dec 2
Forget Plain Vanilla: You'll Never See The World's Favorite Flavor the Same Way Again
Today, 'vanilla' often means boring, and yet the edible seedpod of this Central American orchid is one of the most expensive spices in the world, not to mention one of the most popular flavors globally. So how did this coveted bean get such a ho-hum reputation? Listen in this epi ... Show More
50m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2012
Fecal Fossils: The Cave of Forgotten Poops
<p>You can learn a lot from an animal's scat, even if that animal hasn't walked the Earth since prehistoric times. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the fascinating world of coprolite and ponder just what ancient humans and creatures ate.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ... Show More
23m 44s
Jun 2021
Presenting: Gastropod
Over the past century, we've transformed the arid lands of the American west into year-round, well-irrigated agricultural powerhouses. Today, fruits, nuts, and nearly all of our leafy greens are grown in the desert, using water diverted, stored, and supplied at taxpayer expense. ... Show More
57m 40s
Jan 2020
Trailer: Welcome to The Sporkful
<p>This podcast isn’t for foodies, it’s for eaters. We have a ton of fun obsessing about food to learn more about culture, science, history, and most importantly—people. In every episode of The Sporkful you’re going to learn something, feel something, and laugh. Winner of the Jam ... Show More
2m 39s
Oct 2022
Cooking for Space Aliens and Vampire Queens: Meet Food Stylist Janice Poon
<p>We enter the world of intergalactic sushi joints and cannibal banquets with food stylist Janice Poon. She tells us about her work on horror and sci-fi films, from feeding vegan vampires to wrangling snails to make arm escargot. Plus, we learn hamburger history with burger scho ... Show More
51m 2s
Jan 2023
195: The Science of Vegan Pets
Can cats & dogs be vegan? That's the question we're tackling in this week's episode, so strap in and get ready to find out whether you should give your pet a more planet conscious diet, or just trade them in for a rabbit...Grab our merch now: http://normalcitizen.storeYou can WAT ... Show More
1h 9m
Apr 2023
Le ver de terre, à la fois mâle et femelle, digère 300 tonnes de terre par an !
tail spinning
11m 32s
Oct 2021
Youngest rock samples from the moon
n December 2020, China's Chang'e-5 mission returned to earth carrying rock samples collected from the moon – the first lunar samples to be collected since the American Apollo and Luna missions to the moon in the 1970s. Laboratory analysis has revealed that these are the youngest ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 2023
Gustology (TASTE) with Gary Beauchamp
<p>Sweet! Salty! Umami? What’s up with MSG? Why do you like your coffee black? Come down to flavortown and let’s talk tongues. Gustologist Dr. Gary Beauchamp is a chemosensory scientist and an expert in taste. We chat about tastebud flim-flam, celebrity grade hot wings, MSG resea ... Show More
1h 10m
Nov 2022
Indigenous Pedology (SOIL SCIENCE) with Lydia Jennings
<p>Soil! Dirt! Earth. Dr. Lydia Jennings, aka Native Soil Nerd, breaks down the stuff under our feet and explains everything from mining to why soil can be different colors. Also: medicine from microbes, giving back to the land after extractive processes, collecting samples in ur ... Show More
1h 13m
Aug 2020
How I Learned to Love Zombie Parasites
Photographer Anand Varma details his very first natural history adventures—not in Amazonian rainforests or on Polynesian coral reefs but in suburban Atlanta—and how a childhood fascination with catching frogs and turtles in his backyard led to a career documenting the fantastical ... Show More
29m 22s