Savory, chewy, and, above all, slurp-able, a delicious bowl of ramen is one of the triumphs of Japanese cuisine. That's also a bit odd, because, for most of Japanese history, heavy, meaty, wheaty noodle soup would have had no place in the archipelago's otherwise bland and mostly pescatarian cuisine. This episode, we bust ramen myths and reveal ramen secrets, ... Show More
Oct 7
Everything You Know About Metabolism Is Wrong
If you’ve heard of metabolism, you’ve probably heard endless tips and tricks to boost it, from working out to drinking green tea. The idea is that a slow metabolism leads to weight gain, and speeding it up makes it easier to shed pounds. But what if we told you that metabolic rat ... Show More
48 m
Sep 23
Durian Delight and Feijoa Fun: Adventures in Banned, Forgotten, and Unusual Fruit
This week on Gastropod, a feast of fruits! Specifically, feijoa and durian—and, if you haven’t heard of either, you’re not alone. Unlike the ubiquitous strawberry or banana, durian and feijoa are only popular in a handful of countries and almost unknown in the US, and we wanted t ... Show More
50m 46s
Aug 2023
Noodles: The World's Convenience Food
Nissin Chikin Ramen (日清チキンラーメン), the first marketed brand of instant noodles, launched in Japan on 25th August, 1958.
The product was created by Momofuku Ando, who developed the production method of flash frying noodles after they had been made, thereby drying them and extending ... Show More
12m 3s
May 2023
163. A Bowl of Tokyo Ramen: Discovering Language and Etiquette | 東京のビジネス街のラーメン屋での気づき
Join us on a delicious journey as we explore Tokyo's bustling ramen scene, delving into the language and unique dining customs that set these eateries apart. In this episode, I recount their ramen experiences in the city, comparing them to those in other countries, and shares ... Show More
13m 54s
Sep 2022
Instant Noodles Changed The World, Part One: An Origin Story
Today, instant noodles are ubiquitous. You can find them in almost every grocery store, in any number of flavors sold by any number of brands -- but where did they come from? In part one of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the story of Momofuku Ando, and how a su ... Show More
31m 15s
Sep 2021
Sushi: The Japanese dish with an ancient tradition
It’s one of the most popular dishes in the world today, but the story of sushi can be traced back more than 2,000 years. The earliest records document a preserved fish dish in ancient China and it later became a medieval luxury in Japan, before evolving into a variety of differen ... Show More
39m 53s