Savor
Savor 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?
226
Like Black-Eyed Peas in a Podcast
Black-eyed peas, a traditional New Year’s food in the American South, are an important staple all year long around the world. We dig into the history of this hardy legume – plus the science of minimizing beans’ musical properties.
30 min
227
Savor Redux: Pineapple
Throughout its history, the much-sought-after pineapple has symbolized friendship, luxury, and royalty. Anney and Lauren take another look into the pineapple's history and future with help from some of the people they met on Oahu.
48 min
228
That Old Chestnut Episode
This tree nut helped make civilizations in North America possible — and is now practically extinct in the region. Anney and Lauren explore why the chestnut is so useful, why it was nearly lost here, and what's being done to bring it back.
24 min
229
Staying Abreast with the Butterball Turkey Talk...
Since 1981, confounded cooks have been able to call a free holiday hotline for answers to their burning turkey questions – sometimes literally. We chat with Turkey Talk-Line Director Nicole Johnson about the science & psychology that goes into the gig.
49 min
230
Savor Classics: Popcorn
America's favorite movie theater snack involves 7,000 years of history and fascinating physics. In this corny but classic episode, Anney and Lauren explore how popcorn pops -- and how it basically got the theater industry through the Great Depression.
38 min
231
Interview: We Drink and We Learn Things
The forces that made New Orleans’ drinking culture unique in the U.S. also made the city what it is today. We sit down with a historian who explores and explains New Orleans through its cocktails, Elizabeth Pearce of Drink and Learn.
57 min
232
The Noble Bay Leaf
This aromatic leaf has been a symbol of victory and compared to dryer sheets. Anney and Lauren explore the ancient (and modern) myths surrounding bay leaves.
36 min
233
A Crooked Look at the Candy Cane
Why are hard candy sticks that are red-and-white striped, peppermint flavored, and bent at one end a Christmas Thing? Anney and Lauren separate fact from fiction and explore the sugary science behind candy canes.
32 min
234
Noodling About Pad Thai
This stir-fried noodle dish is famous not just because it’s delicious – it’s also the product of an intense marketing campaign from Thailand’s government. Anney and Lauren dig in to the slippery history of pad Thai.
39 min
235
Savor Classics: Cranberries, from Bog to Table
This North American winter staple has sprouted crazes, battles, and bitter scares. In this classic episode, Anney and Lauren linger just a little on the cranberry.
35 min
236
Goodbye, HI
We’ve talked a lot about the food and drinks around Oahu, but what’s it really like being part of the food & beverage industry there? We close out our Hawaii miniseries and say so long, Oahu, and thanks for all the fish.
37 min
237
The Ballad of Ambrosia Salad
This divine fruit salad(/soup?) comes in near-infinite varieties these days, but they all stem back to a simple layering of orange slices, shredded coconut, and sugar. Anney and Lauren explore the semi-gelled history of ambrosia salad.
33 min
238
Savoring Sustainability (and Chocolate)
Sustainability is a buzzword, but we should all be taking it seriously – and Hawaii has even more reasons to than most. We talk through the history of the movement towards greater environmental and social responsibility, using chocolate as an example.
40 min
239
Escargot: The Original Slow Food
Humans have been cooking and eating snails as sustenance for at least 30,000 years, but it’s often considered a delicacy today. Anney and Lauren explore the history and slimy science of escargot.
36 min
240
Savor: Big Fish Industry
The system by which fish get from the water to your plate is... complex. (Like, we’re-gonna-need-a-bigger-episode complex.) We untangle the trials and triumphs of the fishing industry with special guest Brooks Takenaka of the Honolulu Fish Auction.
50 min
241
Cinnamon Rolls: Snailed It
However you eat them and whatever you call them, these sweet & spiced pastries warm hearts the world over. Anney and Lauren attempt to untangle the swirling history of the cinnamon roll.
38 min
242
Savor Spills the Beans on Coffee
Globally, we humans consume around 2.25 billion cups of coffee every day. Anney and Lauren explore the turbulent history of coffee, plus what it takes to bring each bean from a farm to your cup, with special guest Shawn Steiman – aka Dr. Coffee.
73 min
243
Interview: Food Is Inherently Political
We’re passionate about understanding the origins of what we eat and drink -- so we leapt at the chance to chat with Stephen Satterfield, host of the new food podcast Point of Origin, about our own origin stories, orange wine, and the politics of food.
47 min
244
Cocktail Hour: Oahu
The cocktail scene in Honolulu has a reputation for pandering to tourism's lowest common denominator, but bartenders there are doing beautiful things with the local ingredients and influences. We dip into the cocktail culture of Oahu.
50 min
245
Rhum Agricole: Grass to Glass
Agricole-style rum (spelled ‘rhum’ in French) is made from fresh sugarcane juice, which lends it grassy flavors. We learn how it’s made with Hawaii’s Kō Hana Distillers and some of the bartenders who use it around Oahu.
36 min
246
Savor Classics: Pumpkin
This winter squash and its pie spice blend have a rep for being basic, but in our classic episode, Anney and Lauren go behind the gourd to explore pumpkin's history as food, decor, and phenomenon.
45 min
247
Cider: How About Them Apples?
Both unfiltered apple juice and the bubbly alcoholic beverage made from it are fall favorites in places that grow apples. Anney and Lauren explore the history and science of cider.
42 min
248
Poi Oh Poi!
This Hawaiian staple starch made from pounded, fermented taro root is delicious, nutritious, and sometimes misunderstood. We dip into the history and science of poi, along with a restauranteur and a cultural practitioner who both grew up with it on Oahu.
24 min
249
Turn Up for Turnips
This root vegetable and its greens have been both reviled and celebrated for their bitter, pungent flavors. Anney and Lauren explore the storied history and spicy science of the turnip.
43 min
250
A Passion for Lilikoi
Lilikoi, aka passion fruit, didn’t originate in Hawaii – but its bright flowers and tangy flavor have found a home there. We explore the storied history and tasty science of lilikoi.
24 min