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
Jul 21
Where There's Smoke, There's...Whiskey, Fish, and Barbecue!
As anyone who’s spent time by a crackling campfire or a barbecue pit can attest, the scent of smoke is unmistakable—and surprisingly mysterious. Smoke clings to clothing but vanishes in the breeze. You see it, but you can’t hold it. It’s fantastic in whiskey and terrible in toast ... Show More
51m 5s
Jun 23
Bringing Home the Bacon: From Shakespeare to the Baconator
For many Americans, bacon is an essential element of the perfect breakfast—not to mention a welcome addition to everything from cheeseburgers to doughnuts. But bacon hasn't always been beloved. Ancient Egyptians elites looked down on pork, Judaism and Islam banned it entirely, an ... Show More
48m 10s
May 2023
The B Broadcast: Bees, Beans, Bears, and Butterflies. May 19, 2023, Part 2
<p><a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-eat-beans-recipe/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">Science Says Eat More Beans</a></p>
<p>Beans are delicious, high in protein, inexpensive, efficient to grow, and an absolute staple ... Show More
47m 49s
Sep 2024
I Need a Better Bean (Rerun)
Caller Teddy has been vegan for a few years. But while she’s confident in her chickpea and lentil skills, bean mastery has eluded her. And, to be fair, the questions are big: canned or dried? What type of bean works best for which application? Is a big pot of brothy beans enough ... Show More
32m 23s
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 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
Jul 2021
How One Guy Made Europe Fall In Love With Potatoes
<p>Today, the humble potato can be found in restaurants and dinner tables across the world -- but this wasn't always the case. In today's episode, Ben and Noel dive into the story of one spud-loving, potato-proselytizing man named Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, and his ambitious li ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2020
That Time the US was Terrified of Tomatoes
Nowadays the tomato is an ubiquitous foodstuff in households across the planet - but in the US, this humble staple was once considered downright poisonous... and, later, it was touted as a miracle cure. In today's episode, Ben and Noel explore the origin of the tomato, its rocky ... Show More
39m 46s