logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
39m 25s

Guest Episode: The Umami Mama by Unexpla...

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
About this episode
Gastropod is excited to present this guest episode of Unexplainable. For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures. But thanks to Kumiko Ninomiya (a.k.a. the Umami Mama), scientists finally accepted a fifth. So could there be even more? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
Up next
Apr 21
White vs. Wheat: The Food Fight of the Centuries
White or whole wheat: while today the question is most frequently asked at the sandwich counter, the debate over the correct answer goes back literally thousands of years. This episode, we dive into the world's longest-running, highest-stakes food fight. Along the way: the invent ... Show More
52m 35s
Apr 7
Protein, Pyramids, and Politics: The Forgotten Stories and Controversial Science Behind Government Dietary Advice
ICYMI, our old friend the food pyramid has been flipped on its head. The Trump administration recently issued new dietary guidelines that it says will "revolutionize our nation's food culture." It's a bold claim—but since when has the government been in the business of telling us ... Show More
55 m
Mar 24
Sushi's Extraordinary Evolution: From Pickle to Primetime
Sushi is everywhere these days—in grocery stores and gas stations, at buffets and birthday parties, in Europe and Latin America and all over the United States. This popularity is especially astonishing when you remember that, just a few decades ago, the idea of eating nuggets of ... Show More
45m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Making Sense: The Umami Mama
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures. But thanks to Kumiko Ninomiya (a.k.a. the Umami Mama), scientists finally accepted a fifth. So could there be even more? This is the fourth episode of our six-part series, Making Sense. For more ... Show More
37m 1s
Apr 2022
Umami Mama
For thousands of years, there have been four basic tastes recognized across cultures. But thanks to Kumiko Ninomiya (aka the Umami Mama), scientists finally accepted a fifth. As part of its Making Sense series, Vox’s Unexplainable podcast explores whether there could be even more ... Show More
36m 24s
Aug 2015
How Umami Works!
<p>For millennia humans have recognized four tastes, but in the 1980s a fifth taste first isolated in Japan gained worldwide acceptance - and took off like a rocket! Learn about meaty, musty, savory umami in this episode.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="h ... Show More
35m 42s
Feb 2021
Introducing Unexplainable
Scientists don’t know what 95% of the universe is made of. They don’t know how a bike stays up. They don’t even really know how the nose works. Join us every Wednesday on Unexplainable for deep dives into the unknown, because what we don’t know is awesome. New episodes March 10th ... Show More
2m 32s
Feb 2021
Bringing the Science Back, Baby!
There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Season 10 starts March 4! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
2m 41s
Jun 2016
Sneak Peek
There are a lot of fads, a lot of strong opinions and a lot of blogs, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the new show from Gimlet Media that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don' ... Show More
3m 27s
Nov 2021
Family Meal Peacekeeping, Food Coma Science, Etiquette Tips
Learn about how to avoid conflict at family meals; what causes food comas; and how to be a great host or guest.Today’s stories originally ran in the following episodes of Curiosity Daily:How to Avoid Conflict at Family Meals by Ashley Hamer originally published November 21, 2018 ... Show More
13m 26s