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Gastropod

Gastropod

By: Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
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Food with a side of science and history. Every other week, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley serve up a brand new episode exploring the hidden history and surprising science behind a different food- or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, from cutlery to chile peppers, and from microbes to Malbec. We interview experts, visit labs, fields, and archaeological digs, and generally have lots of fun while discovering new ways to think about and understand the world through food. Find us online at gastropod.com, follow us on Twitter @gastropodcast, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/gastropodcast.2021 Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley Art Cooking Food & Wine Science World
Episodes
  • The Big Apple Episode

    The Big Apple Episode
    Oct 20 2026
    There’s nothing more American than apple pie—or is there? We might prescribe an apple a day and call our largest city the Big Apple, but this legendary fruit originally hails from the mountains of Kazakhstan. This episode, Michael Pollan (something of a legend himself) tells us how apples become so important on the American frontier, and what cider (the alcoholic kind) had to do with it. We talk to apple fan Amy Traverso and apple detective Dan Bussey to figure out how many thousands of apple varieties used to grow in America, and why are there only a handful—including the notorious Red Delicious, which, while red, is far from delicious—in supermarkets today? All that, plus we get out in the orchard with Soham Bhatt to learn about the cider renaissance that's sweeping the nation. (encore) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Fibermaxxing FTW: Meet the Neglected Nutrient That's the Key to Health

    Fibermaxxing FTW: Meet the Neglected Nutrient That's the Key to Health
    Oct 6 2026
    Move over protein, it's time to fibermaxx! Fiber has always been the neglected stepchild of nutrients: it's never been seen as essential, and some of its earliest enthusiasts were poop-obsessed oddballs. Take the inventor of cornflakes, John Harvey Kellogg. Inspired by the gorillas he saw at the zoo, he was fiber's first popular champion—but he also went around making people sniff his own perfect poops, and he believed that eating a plant-based, fiber-heavy, and condiment-free diet would help achieve his goal of reducing masturbation. It wasn't until surprisingly recently that scientists realized that fiber doesn't just prevent constipation—eating enough of it cuts your overall risk of death by about a quarter by lowering your cholesterol, helping keep your blood sugar and your weight stable, and preventing cancer. So it's a huge problem that nearly 95 percent of Americans aren’t getting enough of the stuff: on average, we eat about half what we should to hit government recommendations. This episode, we've got the story of fiber's embarrassing origins, the scoop on what all the different kinds of fiber actually are and do, and the emerging science behind its most magical powers—plus, the top tips you need to get more of it, deliciously and without digestive discomfort. Listen in—and, if you don't end up fiber-obsessed, too, we'll eat our whole-grain hats! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • Eat Bison to Save Bison

    Eat Bison to Save Bison
    Sep 22 2026
    For tens of thousands of years, North America was bison country. Millions of these giant, shaggy animals—also known as buffalo—roamed from the far north to the Gulf and from the east coast to the west. They defined the land and its people: the animals provided food, clothing, and spiritual connection to the continent's Indigenous peoples—while their hooves, wallows, and dung patties shaped the prairie, providing essential habitat for plants, birds, amphibians, and more. But by the late 1800s, the bison had nearly been driven extinct. Today, cattle have largely taken their place, with huge human and ecological repercussions. But could we swap bison for beef in our burgers, and what would happen if we did? This week, we’ve got the story of how a bison-hunting taxidermist helped save the bison and kickstart their recovery, as well as current Indigenous efforts to bring bison back to tribal lands and tables—plus, the scoop on how you can join the movement, and eat bison to save bison! Join us on the range this episode, as we explore the tragic history and inspiring future of America's national mammal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 mins
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