Food History & Culture podcasts
November 1, 2020 7:13 AM   Subscribe

I am interested in good podcasts about food history and culture. Tell me about your favorites.
posted by jammy to Food & Drink (9 answers total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Gastropod! Their tagline is "Food through the lens of science and history." All the episodes are good but I recommend Eating the Rainbow and Museums and the Mafia: The Secret History of Citrus.
posted by carolr at 7:21 AM on November 1, 2020 [11 favorites]


Gravy, by the Southern Foodways Alliance. Their blurb: "Gravy shares stories of the changing American South through the foods we eat. Gravy showcases a South that is constantly evolving, accommodating new immigrants, adopting new traditions, and lovingly maintaining old ones."
posted by theatro at 7:31 AM on November 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


Farm to Taber might be worth a try. It's more about industry and economics than individual experience or culture.
posted by eotvos at 8:58 AM on November 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


It's a British radio panel show so you get more of a set of trivia around a subject/location, but I love BBC Radio's The Kitchen Cabinet. Generally one of the panelists is a food historian or a materials science expert, and then the rest are various industry professionals. In normal times it's recorded on the road in front of audiences around the UK, but currently they're recording remotely.

The Racist Sandwich Podcast is between seasons right now, but it's worth listening to the back catalog.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:53 PM on November 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


I listen to a ton of these! Frustratingly, there is a big quality gap between the rockstars of the genre and the many others. Gastropod has already been mentioned and is definitely the leader. Here are some I do prioritize for their enjoyability.

The Sporkful - informal tone, thought-provoking wide-ranging content.
The Feast
NPR's The Salt - not all history, but many stories are historical
Heritage Radio Network has a bunch of food/culture shows - quality varies, but information is solid.
Eat This Podcast - stuffy host and poor production, good scholar/author interviews.
posted by Miko at 5:24 AM on November 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway have a really charming food/cooking podcast called Home Cooking. It was initially supposed to be 4 episodes during the pandemic, but has continued on well beyond four episodes.
posted by hepta at 7:54 AM on November 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


I'm enjoying anthrochef.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:05 PM on November 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Proof from America's Test Kitchen would most likely be up your alley.
posted by toddforbid at 2:34 PM on November 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Thank you everyone! I am about to go on a long drive and I'm bringing these all with me. :)
posted by jammy at 4:28 AM on November 5, 2020


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