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?
451
A Hard Look at Soft Drinks
Soda, 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.
46 min
452
Stop and (Don't) Smell the Durian
The 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.
30 min
453
Raise a Glass to Toasting
Toasting 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!
37 min
454
Chock Full of Chocolate
That 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.
49 min
455
Cocktail Hour: Mai Tai
For 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!)
27 min
456
We Are All Jelly Doughnuts
Sufganiyot, 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.
27 min
457
Popcorn: Insert Corny Episode Title
America'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.
40 min
458
The Not-So-Vanilla Vanilla Episode
The 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.
34 min
459
Fictional Foods: Lembas
Lembas 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.
29 min
460
Stick a Fork in It
This 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).
27 min
461
Turkey Talk
The 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.
46 min
462
Flavor Tripping with the Miracle Berry
The 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.
27 min
463
Ramen: Oodles of History
From a Chinese side dish to a Japanese staple to an international phenomenon, we slurp through the history and science of ramen.
40 min
464
Rice Rice Baby
It'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.
40 min
465
Vegemite: Fright or Delight?
A 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.
36 min
466
The Quiche of Death
Quiche, 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.
26 min
467
Space Food: Ground Control to Major Nom
We 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.
41 min
468
The Julia Child Episode
Although 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
34 min
469
Cocktail Hour: The Whiskey Sour
Despite (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
29 min
470
Cranberries from Bog to Table
This North American winter staple has sprouted crazes, battles, and bitter scares. Let's linger just a little on the cranberry.
34 min
471
Aspirational Aspics
The concept of savory, broth-based gelatin molds may sound strange to the modern palate, but they were posh for centuries. Tune in to learn about history's fanciest aspics, plus the science of gelatin.
36 min
472
Leggo Eleven's Eggo: A Tale of Frozen Waffles
Waffles have been around in more or less their modern form since the 1400s, but we have three 20th-century brothers to thank for the technology behind tasty, convenient frozen waffles. Here's their story.
25 min
473
Cinnamon: The Tastiest of Tree Barks
Cinnamon's heat drove hundreds of years of intrigue before becoming the kitchen staple it is today. We dig into spicy history and culture of this delicious bark.
32 min
474
Pumpkin: Jack-of-all-Foods
You knew we had to do a pumpkin episode. This squash and its pie spice blend have a rep for being basic, but we go behind the gourd to explore pumpkin's history as food, decor, and phenomenon.
46 min
475
Sour Beer: Don't Call it a Comeback
Humans may have invented agriculture to make beer, and for millennia that beer was kinda sour. We explore the science and history of sour beer, plus the chemistry of flavor.
41 min