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?

Food
Places & Travel
Society & Culture
201
Savor Drinks Your Milkshake
This hypothetically drinkable dessert has been the impetus for great inventions and the means of (attempted) assassination. Anney and Lauren dip into the history and science of milkshakes.
50 min
202
The Royal Eggplant Episode
This fruit is used as a vegetable and was once believed to cause insanity. Anney and Lauren dig into the odd history and science of the eggplant.
36 min
203
Savor Classics: Aspics
The concept of savory, broth-based gelatin molds may sound strange to the modern palate, but they were posh for centuries. Anney and Lauren dip into the history of humanity's most aspirational aspics, plus the science of gelatin.
36 min
204
Interview: Oahu’s Changing Agriculture
Hawaii State Senator Donovan Dela Cruz built a significant part of his platform on helping Oahu’s agriculture adjust to its citizens’ changing needs. We chat with Senator Dela Cruz about his personal history with and sustainable hopes for Oahu’s farms.
26 min
205
Getting to the Meat of Meat Pies
Every culture that eats both pastry and meat has figured out a tasty way to combine them. In honor of Pi Day, Anney and Lauren explore the long history (and bizarre revenge-cannibalism trope) of meat pies.
51 min
206
Savor Classics: Vanilla
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 to what lengths researchers go to replicate the flavor.
34 min
207
The Hidden Surprises of Purim
This Jewish festival holiday celebrates the story of Queen Esther with thematic food and drink -- and lots of it. Anney and Lauren dip into the history and traditions of Purim.
29 min
208
The Trouble with Truffles
This macrofungus is so expensive because it only grows underground, and only under particular conditions. Anney and Lauren dig into the long history and uncertain science of truffles.
38 min
209
Medieval Times: A Most Noble Episode
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, a medieval-themed dinner theater chain, has been hosting feasts and tournaments since the 1980s. Anney and Lauren dig into how it works – and how medieval it really is.
41 min
210
How the Pancake Stacks Up
As an American breakfast food, pancakes are a specifically fluffy, sweet dish that wasn’t possible until the Industrial Revolution. Anney and Lauren explore the predecessors to and science behind the breakfast pancake.
44 min
211
Interview: Celebrating Life and Community in Ne...
New Orleans isn’t just a collection of influences – it’s a community in ways that many places aren’t. On our first night there, we interviewed SOFAB Museum founder Liz Williams, Chef Isaac Toups, and Beverage Manager Bryson Downham to get a foundational concept of the city – but in the true spirit of that community, they gave us a lot more.
74 min
212
Red Alert: The Strawberry Episode
As strawberries have gotten sturdier, they’ve lost some of the fragrant qualities they were originally prized for. Anney and Lauren explore the (hopefully not tasteless) history and science of the strawberry.
37 min
213
Interview: 'Authentic' New Orleans
New Orleans’ cuisines developed over centuries as new peoples made the city their home. We chat with Louisianan chef Amy Sins about growing up with Cajun and Creole foods, preserving the traditions of the past, and creating new traditions for the future.
35 min
214
Holy Pierogi!
These Polish dumplings are often filled with mashed potatoes and cheese, but there are as many varieties of pierogi as there are people who love them. Anney and Lauren dig into the history and culture of the pierogi.
23 min
215
The Thing About Porters and Stouts
The porter/stout family of beers has risen, and fallen, and risen again. Anney and Lauren dive into the winding history of stouts and porters – and the roasty, toasty science behind them.
45 min
216
Savor Classics: What the Fork?
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).
33 min
217
A Nacho, Nacho Pod
The allure of the nacho cannot be argued, but everything else about this dish has been debated. Anney and Lauren dip into the history of the phenomenon that is nachos, from the melty-cheese-and-crispy-corn-chips varieties to the wildest nacho dreams.
33 min
218
Waxing Poetic About Sticky Rice
Glutinous rice’s super stickiness has given it a starring role in dishes across Southeastern Asia and beyond. Anney and Lauren dig into the science behind sticky rice – and dish on some of those dishes.
29 min
219
Lots to Make of Salisbury Steak
This classic 20th-century American dish exists thanks to a 19th-century fad diet and Germany’s aggression during the World Wars. Yep. Anney and Lauren explore the strange history of Salisbury steak (and its cousin, the Hamburg steak).
30 min
220
Just the Flax, Ma'am
Flaxseeds and their oil (along with the plant’s inedible fibers) are considered one of the eight products that led early humans to create agriculture as we know it. Anney and Lauren weave together the history and science of flaxseed/linseed.
30 min
221
Interview: A Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner Who...
Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners help revive traditions – including foods – that were almost lost during colonization. We speak with Kealoha Domingo about imu cooking, community, and how the best food is what’s on the table in front of you.
41 min
222
Savor Classics: Graham Crackers
Graham crackers today are sweet, airy, and often a component in desserts, but they originated as a bland health food peddled by a temperance preacher. In this classic episode, Anney and Lauren explore the long, weird journey of graham crackers.
29 min
223
Caviar: Every Roe Has Its Thorns
Sure, it’s just salt-cured fish eggs, but caviar’s status as a luxury good has made it into something mythic. Anney and Lauren dive into the conflicting history and uncertain future of caviar.”
40 min
224
Savor Does Time with Food Heists
Forget fine art, gold, or jewels – food and drink make up over a quarter of all cargo heists worldwide. (It’s the largest single category!) Anney and Lauren explore the strange, sad, thrilling, and sometimes sorta hilarious world of food heists.
37 min
225
Turning a New Leaf with Collards
These leafy greens -- another traditional New Year’s food in the American South – have been sustaining humans pretty much ever since humans existed. Anney and Lauren explore the history and culture of collard greens.
30 min