The Ark of Citrus

Atlas Obscura’s resident food and death reporter Sam O’Brien takes us to Smithfield, Virginia, where we meet a 120-year-old ham, and the people who love it. All week, we’re featuring the stories behind a few of our favorite things – from ancient hams to mummified fingers. Want to ... Show More

We visit the world’s oldest rose, which is so tough that it survived being bombed in World War II. All week, we’re featuring the stories behind a few of our favorite things – from ancient hams to mummified fingers. Want to tell us about your own favorite unusual object? Give us a ... Show More

We explore the unexpected combination of recipes and graves through the story of Naomi Odessa Miller Dawson’s spritz cookies.All week, we’re featuring the stories behind a few of our favorite things – from ancient hams to mummified fingers. Want to tell us about your own favorite ... Show More

A slice of lime in your cocktail, a lunchbox clementine, or a glass of OJ at breakfast: citrus is so common today that most of us have at least one lurking on the kitchen counter or in the back of the fridge. But don’t be fooled: not only were these fruits so precious that they i ... Show More

Nowadays, lemonade is a pretty popular drink -- and its counterpart, pink lemonade, occupies a space all its own. But where did this drink come from? Join the guys as they explore the surprisingly ancient origins of lemonade, as well as the dubious series of events that may have ... Show More

Oranges have long represented love, wealth and status - since they originated in South East Asia, around the 8th Century BCE. The orange tree's ability to carry fruit and blossom at the same time made it a symbol of fertility and purity in religious art and painting, and the into ... Show More

This herb, which tastes fresh and lemony to some but bitter and soapy to others, has been gracing tables for thousands of years along with its spice counterpart, coriander. Anney and Lauren dig into the science and history of cilantro. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:// ... Show More

The banana, once a luxury good, rose to become America’s favorite fruit. Now a deadly fungus threatens to wipe it out. Can it be saved? 

Brightly colored fruit stands out against green leaves, but why is some red or pink, while others skew yellow or purple? And why are some fruits smellier than others? Learn what new research says about fruits' evolution in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choi ... Show More

Our story tonight is called Stone Fruit and it’s a story about a sweet part of the summer season. It’s also about how many pecks make a bushel, lovely silly kid logic, apple blossoms, and vanilla, and picking the best peach with your own two hands. We give to a different charity ... Show More

Palm trees. You see them all over the world and for good reason. There are more than 2,500 varieties. Learn all about these giant plants today.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

About 200 miles southeast of Lima, Peru, between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, there are lines etched into the desert. The glyphs have remained intact for centuries, and have been avidly studied since their discovery in the late 1920s. Learn more about your ad-choice ... Show More

Named for the orange stripe lining the 55 gallon barrels containing this herbicide and defoliant, Agent Orange was one of the most widely-used "rainbow herbicides" of the Vietnam war. But it wasn't just harmful to plants. Soon after it was deployed in Vietnam, Vietnamese citizens ... Show More