Gastropod

White vs. Wheat: The Food Fight of the Centuries

White or whole wheat: while today the question is most frequently asked at the sandwich counter, the debate over the correct answer goes back literally thousands of years. This episode, we dive into t...

2026-04-22

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Protein, Pyramids, and Politics: The Forgotten Stories and Controversial Science Behind Government Dietary Advice

ICYMI, our old friend the food pyramid has been flipped on its head. The Trump administration recently issued new dietary guidelines that it says will "revolutionize our nation's food culture." It's a...

2026-04-08

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Sushi's Extraordinary Evolution: From Pickle to Primetime

Sushi is everywhere these days—in grocery stores and gas stations, at buffets and birthday parties, in Europe and Latin America and all over the United States. This popularity is especially astonishin...

2026-03-24

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SNAP To It! Why Food Stamps Matter To All of Us—And Why They're Under Threat

SNAP—the federal assistance program better known as food stamps—helps put food on the table of nearly one in eight Americans today. But, as new legislation is phased in over the coming months, more th...

2026-03-11

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When is a Pancake Not a Pancake?

We aren't afraid to ask the big questions here at Gastropod, such as: what exactly is a pancake? If you think you know the answer, prepare to have your mind blown. It turns out the sweet, syrup-covere...

2026-02-24

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OXO, Cuisinart, and Julia Child: The Secret (Accessible) History Behind Your Kitchen

For many people with disabilities, the kitchen can seem a deeply unfriendly place. From counters that require users to stand and cabinets that are often out of reach, to ovens that can’t be opened in ...

2026-02-10

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Ripe for Global Domination: The Story of the Avocado

We’re coming up to AvocadoFest 2026, otherwise known as the Super Bowl, when Americans get fully a fifth of their annual avocado allocation. But how did this humble fruit, originally named after testi...

2026-01-28

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Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San Marzano

Canned tomatoes are a perfect winter food. As you'll know from our tomato episode, the beautiful fruits in fresh aisle of the supermarket are mostly flavorless outside of the summer season—but the tom...

2026-01-14

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Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!

The season for holiday baking is upon us, and before you spice up your cookies and pies, you’ll probably want to know: is most of the cinnamon on grocery store shelves actually fake? That’s one questi...

2025-12-16

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Forget Plain Vanilla: You'll Never See The World's Favorite Flavor the Same Way Again

Today, 'vanilla' often means boring, and yet the edible seedpod of this Central American orchid is one of the most expensive spices in the world, not to mention one of the most popular flavors globall...

2025-12-02

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From Fountain of Youth to Fruit on the Bottom: How Yoghurt Finally Made it Big in America

Yoghurt is the most diverse section of the dairy case: from Icelandic skyr to creamy Australian, and fruity French Yoplait to full-fat Greek. With something to suit every palate, plus a dose of microb...

2025-11-19

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Yes, You Really Can Make Food From Thin Air—And We Tried It

Every second of every day, plants on earth do something miraculous: they take the carbon dioxide from air and turn it into food. With very few exceptions, everything we eat starts out that way. But wh...

2025-11-05

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Pizza Pizza!

At last, an episode on pizza! But that raises a tricky question: what exactly is pizza? As it turns out, the original pizzas from eighteenth-century Naples looked nothing like a standard slice—they we...

2025-10-21

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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 ...

2025-10-07

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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...

2025-09-23

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Talking Taco

Whether or not it's Tuesday, tacos pretty much always hit the spot—and not just in their homeland in Mexico. These days, the taco can be found all over the world, although it's acquired some strange n...

2025-09-09

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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 h...

2025-08-19

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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 ...

2025-08-06

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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...

2025-07-23

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Should You Be Eating Poison Oak?

Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try it anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line to answer a seemingly straightforward question: Is it p...

2025-07-08

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