Table of Contents (Listen): Gastropod
Do you listen to podcasts?
Well, I shall anyway.
What makes it so loveable is being able to hear how much fun the hosts have while recording the podcast. Feeling like you're there with them, at the Bee Lab tasting sweet gooey honey, or at the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden tasting varieties of mangoes as though they are wine!
The hosts dig deep into the story of each food in focus, revealing not just it's journey and evolution, but all kinds of secrets that may otherwise have never occurred to us.
For example, the episode on mangoes examines why the average mango in the USA fails to inspire the kind of emotions that an Indian Alphonso mango can. It also tells the story of an Indian dentist who was responsible for changing American import laws with regard to the Alphonso.
Another episode on eggs first tackles the age-old conundrum of what came first... But then, it goes on to explain how the invention of the egg was key to animal evolution. And that birds create special coded patterns on their eggs to set them apart from imposter eggs. This episode also has the hosts conducting blind taste tests to see if eggs from different birds really are different in flavour!
While the podcast is filled with facts and statistics, it is also full of silly jokes, movie references, and eating scrambled eggs in pursuit of science, so it never feels to me like an information overload.
I've been listening to an episode almost every day lately and I already have a few favourites, as you may have gathered from my references above. But there are a whopping 11 seasons and counting, so it's going to take me a good while to listen to them all.
If you're a food/science/history nerd or just generally a curious creature, you have GOT to give this a go!
You can also subscribe to Gastropod on iTunes, Stitcher and my platform of choice, SoundCloud.
I absolutely love this one and I couldn't wait to share it, which is why it is the first post in the Table of Contents series. Tell me your favourite food podcast in the comments. And stay tuned for more updates on some really great food media and content.
Until then, happy listening!
----
Today the world consumes food content almost as much as we consume food itself. Whether we're wolfing down those #foodporn pictures on Instagram or slurping up the newest episode of Chef's Table, we have to admit, food must now share table space with food content.
Table of Contents is a fortnightly update on my favourite food content and media.
I stumbled upon some really great podcasts a couple of years ago. I love when people tell me stories, so True Story podcast soon became a favourite. Another one that I fell in love with just as quickly was Gastropod.
I listened to multiple episodes back then, but only off and on. Listening to podcasts never quite became a part of my routine life. That is until more recently, when I moved to Bombay and started making an hour-long commute to work everyday day. That's when the revelation that had come to many commuters before me, finally dawned upon me too: podcasts are a commuters best friend!
What:
Gastropod is a podcast that looks at food through the lens of science and history.
Hosted by reporter and radio producer Cynthia Graber and writer Nicola Twilly, each episode is an audio documentary that focuses on one food and digs deep into it's history and evolution.
About 30-45 minutes long, one episode is just the right length for my ride to work or back home.
Hosted by reporter and radio producer Cynthia Graber and writer Nicola Twilly, each episode is an audio documentary that focuses on one food and digs deep into it's history and evolution.
About 30-45 minutes long, one episode is just the right length for my ride to work or back home.
Why I love it:
Did I mention that Gastropod is podcast that looks at food through the lens of science and history?! Need I say more?Well, I shall anyway.
What makes it so loveable is being able to hear how much fun the hosts have while recording the podcast. Feeling like you're there with them, at the Bee Lab tasting sweet gooey honey, or at the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden tasting varieties of mangoes as though they are wine!
The hosts dig deep into the story of each food in focus, revealing not just it's journey and evolution, but all kinds of secrets that may otherwise have never occurred to us.
For example, the episode on mangoes examines why the average mango in the USA fails to inspire the kind of emotions that an Indian Alphonso mango can. It also tells the story of an Indian dentist who was responsible for changing American import laws with regard to the Alphonso.
Another episode on eggs first tackles the age-old conundrum of what came first... But then, it goes on to explain how the invention of the egg was key to animal evolution. And that birds create special coded patterns on their eggs to set them apart from imposter eggs. This episode also has the hosts conducting blind taste tests to see if eggs from different birds really are different in flavour!
I've been listening to an episode almost every day lately and I already have a few favourites, as you may have gathered from my references above. But there are a whopping 11 seasons and counting, so it's going to take me a good while to listen to them all.
If you're a food/science/history nerd or just generally a curious creature, you have GOT to give this a go!
Where:
The podcast is available on www.gastropod.com where you can also find episode notes and photos to accompany the audio story. A new episode is released once in two weeks.You can also subscribe to Gastropod on iTunes, Stitcher and my platform of choice, SoundCloud.
I absolutely love this one and I couldn't wait to share it, which is why it is the first post in the Table of Contents series. Tell me your favourite food podcast in the comments. And stay tuned for more updates on some really great food media and content.
Until then, happy listening!
----
Table of Contents is a fortnightly update on my favourite food content and media.
Comments
Post a Comment
Would love to hear your thoughts :)