Savor
737 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★ - 1.5K ratingsSavor digs into how people live and how they eat – and why. Hosts Anney Reese and Lauren Vogelbaum interview the culinary creators and consumers of the world, exploring the science, history, and culture of food and drink, all with a key question in mind: Why do we like what we like, and how can we find more of those things?
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Episodes
FoodStuff Brings Home the Bacon
April 05, 2018 01:29 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBThe same things that make bacon delicious also made it safer to eat in the era before refrigeration -- but they're also the same things that make it less than healthy. Learn the history and science behind bacon's popularity in this episode of FoodStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cocktail Hour: The Martini
March 30, 2018 21:50 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBThe martini (and its glass) are American icons -- but why? How? And should you order it shaken or stirred? Anney and Lauren dip into the shaky history and storied science behind the martini. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Don't Kale Us, We'll Kale You
March 28, 2018 20:57 - 27 minutes - 25 MBNutrient dense and easy to grow, kale was a culinary staple long before it was labeled a superfood. Anney and Lauren go behind the trend to explore kale's rich history and savory science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Craft of American Cheese
March 23, 2018 21:55 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MBProcess cheese (aka American cheese) is an innovation that's affordable, reduces factory waste, and melts like a dream -- but is it really food? Anney and Lauren dive into the science and history behind this cheesiest of products. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lights. Camera. FoodStuff!
March 22, 2018 00:33 - 57 minutes - 53.2 MBOn film, many foods are made of non-food items and many non-food items are made of food. Movie magic! We speak with SFX technician Vii Kelly about inexpensive edible gore, plus go into the history of food effects in movies and television. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Corned Beef and Baggage
March 16, 2018 22:15 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBThe Irish don't eat much corned beef, but it's a staple of American St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Anney and Lauren explore how this happened and why corned beef is commonly canned, plus the science behind how it's cooked. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Prepper on Black Pepper
March 14, 2018 14:22 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBBlack pepper is ubiquitous these days, but throughout history it was a prized commodity, traded like gold and responsible for family fortunes. Anney and Lauren explore where peppercorns come from, how they're processed, and why they became commonplace. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Getting Figgy With It
March 09, 2018 21:07 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBFigs aren't actually a fruit -- they're an inside-out cluster of flowers -- but they're one of humanity's oldest food sources. Anney and Lauren dig into the long history and bizarre reproduction cycle of the fig. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Take-Away History of Food Delivery
March 07, 2018 20:07 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBThe concept of having food delivered to your home is centuries old, but technology and culture are constantly changing what -- and how -- we order. Anney and Lauren explore the history and tech that drive delivery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Spam Uncanned
March 02, 2018 23:24 - 41 minutes - 38 MBThe story of Spam is one of war and peace, nostalgia and necessity, all-American innovation and greed. Anney and Lauren explore the history and science behind Spam. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cocktail Hour: The Margarita
February 28, 2018 21:12 - 30 minutes - 28 MBFrozen, on the rocks, or straight up, there's science behind every sip of margarita -- and some seriously muddled history. Anney and Lauren explore in this episode of FoodStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Everything Bagel Episode
February 23, 2018 23:14 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBFor what seems on the (toroid) surface to be a humble bread product, bagels can inspire a lot of nostalgia -- and strong opinions. We explore the history and baking science behind bagels. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fictional Foods: 'Star Trek' Edition
February 21, 2018 21:37 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBThis is an episode of the podcast FoodStuff. Its continuing mission: to explore strange (blue) beverages, to seek out new foods and new replications. To boldly go where -- well, where lots of fans have gone before: the food & drink of ‘Star Trek.’ Engage! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mushrooms: Not to Be Truffled With
February 16, 2018 22:27 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBMushrooms are a delicious, nutritious part of our diets, but they’ve more traditionally been a medicine -- and you definitely shouldn't eat wild mushrooms without an expert. We dig into the history and science of the fungus among us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Saucy History of Ketchup
February 14, 2018 22:55 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBThat stuff you probably dip your fries in descended from Chinese fermented fish sauce, and it had a hand in creating the FDA. We explore the non-Newtonian science and surprisingly fascinating history of ketchup. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Artificial Flavors: Fake It Till You Make It
February 09, 2018 19:00 - 39 minutes - 36 MBAdded flavors feature in as much as 90% of our groceries, so the science of creating them is a serious business. We unpack the difference between natural and artificial flavors and explore how some of the most famous (blue raspberry! MSG!) came to be. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Edible Puns of Lunar New Year
February 07, 2018 21:59 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBThe Lunar or Chinese New Year celebration, also known as the Spring Festival, is a 15-day marathon of family, friends, food -- and puns. We share some of the holiday's most popular traditions -- and welcome our friends Stuff to Blow Your Mind to come chat. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Candy Hearts: Recipe for Love
February 02, 2018 22:26 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBChalky candy hearts printed with sweet (or salty!) messages are apparently the most prolific candy of Valentine's Day. Anney and Lauren explore the past and present of the product, plus some of its strangest messages. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This Episode Is Bananas
January 31, 2018 19:26 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBB-A-N-A-N-A-S. The most popular fruit in the world has driven food technology and military coups alike. It's also in danger of being wiped out. We peel back the disturbing history and science surrounding bananas. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
FoodStuff Takes the Cupcake
January 26, 2018 22:57 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBThe cupcake caused quite a culinary kerfuffle in the early 2000s. Anney and Lauren explore how cupcakes (and their cousins, muffins) became what they were then, and what they are today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Absinthe: The FoodStuff Green Hour
January 24, 2018 23:33 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBBanned for a century throughout the Western world, absinthe is officially back on the market. But was it ever dangerous in the first place? Come drink in the history and science behind the Green Fairy in this episode of FoodStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Garlic: A Stinking Rose By Any Other Name
January 19, 2018 23:22 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBGarlic has millennia of history with cultures all over the world -- but mostly as a medicine and vampire deterrent, not a food. Anney and Lauren explore how we came to eat garlic, plus whether there's any hard evidence of its supposed health benefits. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The McDonald's McEpisode
January 17, 2018 23:43 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBMcDonald's is the biggest fast food chain in the world, but this behemoth has humble beginnings. We explore the ambitions and intrigue that made the McEmpire what it is today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sweet Nothings: The Science of Artificial Sweeteners
January 12, 2018 23:14 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBSugar substitutes boast the ability to satisfy your sweet tooth with low or no calories. But how can such wonder-compounds exist? Are they hazardous? Can they really help you lose weight? We explore the history and science behind artificial sweeteners. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Lasting Power of Fad Diets: Part Deux
January 10, 2018 17:36 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBIn this, the second half of our conversation about fad diets, we head into the modern era of calorie counting and curious trends spreading at broadband speeds. If you missed Part 1, maybe listen to that one first! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Lasting Power of Fad Diets: Part 1
January 05, 2018 23:03 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBSince before the word 'diet', there have been fad diets. And egad, some of them were bad ideas. Anney and Lauren unearth and demystify some of history's weirdest (and longest-running) fad diets. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Jumbled Story of Jambalaya
January 03, 2018 19:51 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBJambalaya really is a melting pot of a dish, influenced by all of the native populations, settlers, and enslaved peoples of the American South. Anney and Lauren dish on the history of jambalaya. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Licorice: Heard It Through the Red Vines
December 29, 2017 17:22 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBIs red licorice really licorice? Can you overdose on licorice?? Anney and Lauren answer these and other burning licorice questions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New Year’s Food Traditions: Eating for Luck and Money
December 27, 2017 17:23 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBAll around the world, people ring in the New Year with foods said to bring good fortune. Anney and Lauren talk through traditions from their own homes and beyond. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cheddar: Insert Cheesy Title Here
December 22, 2017 18:46 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBThis quintessential British cheese has a history cut with myth, fraud, and war. Anney and Lauren dig in, plus explain the science and process behind making a wheel of cheddar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Not-So-Gratuitous Tipping Episode
December 20, 2017 22:34 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBTipping at restaurants can be stressful for all parties involved. How much is enough? How much is based on actual quality of service? How did we start doing this, anyway? FoodStuff discusses the equally depressing and important answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Hard Look at Soft Drinks
December 15, 2017 22:46 - 46 minutes - 43.1 MBSoda, pop, coke, or plain ol' carbonated water: We dive into the sometimes explosive science and history of all agua that sparkles, from natural mineral springs to soda fountains to Big Gulps. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stop and (Don't) Smell the Durian
December 13, 2017 19:45 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBThe durian fruit is famous for its rich custardlike flavor and infamous for its staunch corpselike scent. Anney and Lauren dig into the history and science behind this stinky delicacy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Raise a Glass to Toasting
December 08, 2017 22:39 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBToasting can be an art, an honor, or an excuse to drink a lot. Anney and Lauren explore, from ancient toasting traditions to how people do it around the world today. Hear hear! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chock Full of Chocolate
December 06, 2017 17:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBThat chocolate bar you're craving contains some 5000 years of history and more than a couple psychoactive substances. Learn how a tropical seed changed the world, for the good and the bad, in this episode of FoodStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cocktail Hour: Mai Tai
December 01, 2017 20:43 - 27 minutes - 25 MBFor a rum punch designed with escapism in mind, the mai tai has a lot of controversy swirling around it. Anney and Lauren explore. (Plus, cocktail umbrellas!) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We Are All Jelly Doughnuts
November 29, 2017 19:08 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBSufganiyot, pączki, Berliners, bismarcks, or jambusters: Whatever you call 'em, we love jelly doughnuts. Anney and Lauren explore how this treat became a part of holidays around the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popcorn: Insert Corny Episode Title
November 24, 2017 18:29 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBAmerica's favorite movie theater snack involves at least 7,000 years of history and fascinating physics. We explore everything from how popcorn pops to how it basically got the theater industry through the Great Depression. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Not-So-Vanilla Vanilla Episode
November 22, 2017 18:32 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBThe history and science behind vanilla is anything but bland. Anney and Lauren explore how the fruit of a rare orchid captured the world's fancy, and what lengths researchers go to to replicate the flavor. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fictional Foods: Lembas
November 17, 2017 19:41 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBLembas is the one bread to rule them all from J.R.R. Tolkien's world of 'The Lord of the Rings.' We delve into the real-world inspirations and Elvish science behind lembas and other foods of Middle Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stick a Fork in It
November 15, 2017 20:41 - 27 minutes - 25.7 MBThis everyday utensil is a relative newcomer to the table -- eating with a fork was considered scandalous and even sinful for centuries. Anney and Lauren trace the history and potential future of the fork (aka the dinglehopper). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Turkey Talk
November 10, 2017 19:50 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBThe turkey is a study in contradictions: majestic yet ridiculous, ridiculous yet aggressive, prized for feasts yet often poorly cooked, and definitely NOT from Turkey. We cover everything turkey, from cooking tips to snood science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Flavor Tripping with the Miracle Berry
November 08, 2017 17:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBThe miracle berry is a fruit that can make sour foods taste incredibly sweet. We explore the science behind flavor tripping, plus the strange, conspiracy-ridden history of the miracle berry's legality in the United States. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ramen: Oodles of History
November 03, 2017 17:29 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBFrom a Chinese side dish to a Japanese staple to an international phenomenon, we slurp through the history and science of ramen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rice Rice Baby
November 01, 2017 21:08 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBIt's just a staple food for over half the population of the planet, and has been for long enough that it shaped our languages, religions, and maybe even social psychology. This will probably be a short episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vegemite: Fright or Delight?
October 27, 2017 19:12 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBA savory spread with a divisively strong flavor, Vegemite earned its place in Australian culture through decades of clever marketing. We explore the history and yeast-extract science -- plus talk Tim Tams. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Quiche of Death
October 25, 2017 14:51 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBQuiche, the simple baked custard that took the '70s by storm, has a winding history involving some weird gender issues. We serve forth the ins and outs of quiche. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Space Food: Ground Control to Major Nom
October 20, 2017 16:02 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBWe owe so many innovations in food safety and technology to the simple fact that astronauts need to eat. We dig into the history (and sometimes questionable menus) of space food. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Julia Child Episode
October 18, 2017 16:34 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBAlthough she didn't even start cooking until her late 30s, Julia Child is known for bringing the art of French cuisine into American home kitchens. We trace the biography behind this TV icon Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cocktail Hour: The Whiskey Sour
October 13, 2017 14:16 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBDespite (or perhaps due to) its simplicity, the whiskey sour is one of the most popular cocktails on the planet. We walk through the history and science behind the drink in this edition of cocktail (half-) hour.z Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.