Botanically, bean pods are indeed fruits, and, honestly, they are also pretty magical. And we’re clearly not the only ones to think that: beans are the unsung hero of history. The fact that they were domesticated an astonishing seven different times in different places around the world shows how essential beans were to early humans, wherever they lived; in E ... Show More
Aug 19
Tomatoes: A Love Story
The tomato is Gastropod’s favorite flavor of summer, and we’re not alone: today, it’s the most popular vegetable on the planet, despite the fact that it's technically a fruit. But, until a couple of hundred years ago, the tomato wasn't really anyone's favorite. In South America, ... Show More
50m 48s
Aug 5
The Most Dangerous Fruit in America
It's the epitome of summertime: there’s nothing like a cold, juicy slice of red watermelon on a swelteringly hot day. But, once upon a time, watermelons were neither red nor sweet—the wild watermelon has white flesh and a bitter taste. This episode, we scour Egyptian tombs, decay ... Show More
45m 20s
Jul 22
The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain
This might sound corny, but the relationship between maize and humanity is essential. We rely on corn—globally, more maize is grown than wheat or rice—and, in turn, corn is utterly dependent on us, to the extent that it's lost the ability to reproduce without our help. But corn's ... Show More
50m 56s
Apr 2022
Beans Part 2: How Spain Does Beans
A few months ago, Sheila Dillon opened a glass jar of chickpeas in her kitchen. Their taste was so different from those she had been eating for years from cans, she took to social media to find out why. The story that unfolded in the comments led back to the Spanish, and their wa ... Show More
29m 23s
Jun 2021
Mr. Bean's Diary + an interview with an r/MrBean mod, u/Dirage12
The first good episode of the podcast. The Bean boys cover Mr. Bean’s Diary for the first 17 minutes and 55 seconds, and then talk to Erik, an admin on r/MrBean (so skip to 17:55 for the part that I said was good). Links: Mr. Bean's Diary: https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Beans-Diary-Ro ... Show More
1h 7m
Jun 2014
Last Chance Foods: Behold the Power of the Pea
This week, cookbook authors Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, known as the reality television duo “The Fabulous Beekman Boys,” charmingly flaunted two long-standing tenants of Last Chance Foods: Don’t sound like "Delicious Dish," and don’t antagonize the farmers.
“If people ha ... Show More
5m 1s
Aug 2021
Jack and the Beanstalk (Intermediate)
Buy me a coffee to say thank you for the podcast!
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Jack's parents are old, and are always talking about how great things were in the past. But now, their house is falling apart, and they have nothing to eat. Jack goes to sell their cow, and a witch trades him some magic beans. ... Show More
39m 17s