Though rice might not feature in a hit 1990s Vanilla Ice rap, this grain tops the charts in other ways: it's the staple food for more than half the global population, and it's grown by more farmers than any other crop on Earth, from Japan to West Africa to Italy's Po River valley. Rice is so central that it's been used as currency, embedded itself in languag ... Show More
Aug 4
Salad Days: A Story of Science, Sexism, and Jell-O
If leafy greens and a little vinaigrette is salad, and chicken with mayo is salad, and vegetables in Jello-O are ALSO salad… What exactly is salad?! That's the big question we're tackling this episode—and it takes us down some unexpected rabbit holes. Listen in now to hear how ‘s ... Show More
44m 31s
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
Mar 2023
Perennial Rice: Plant Once, Harvest Again And Again
Rice is arguably the world's most important staple crop. About half of the global population depends on it for sustenance. But, like other staples such as wheat and corn, rice is cultivated annually. That means replanting the fields year after year, at huge cost to both the farme ... Show More
12m 30s
Oct 2023
A cleaner world could start in a rice field | Jim Whitaker and Jessica Whitaker Allen
Rice is the world's largest food source — and it's also a massive emitter of methane gas, a key contributor to climate change. Fifth-generation rice farmer Jim Whitaker and his daughter, farmer and conservationist Jessica Whitaker Allen, are working to slash rice's environmental ... Show More
12m 39s
Jun 2022
The Rights of Rice and Future of Nature
<p>The Ojibwe name for wild rice is Manoomin, which translates to “the good berry.” The scientific name is <i>Zizania palustris</i>. It’s the only grain indigenous to North America, and while it might be called rice, it’s actually not closely related to brown or white rice at all ... Show More
44m 31s