Savor

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These lightly sweetened cookies played off the popularity of turn-of-the-20th-century traveling circuses – but as circuses have changed, so have animal crackers. Anney and Lauren unpack the history of animal crackers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poke is a Hawaiian dish of chopped and seasoned fish – but culturally, it’s a lot more than that (and pop-culturally, it’s been a lot of other things). We delve into the long history and modern explosion of poke. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Macadamia nuts are often associated with Hawaii, but they didn’t originate there. Anney and Lauren delve into the genetic and cultural history of the trees that produce this sweet, buttery seed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hawaii is a small, remote chain of islands, but its culinary culture has a lot of influence – and a lot of influences. To kick off this travel miniseries, we explore Hawaii’s history & foodways with people who helped shape what the food scene is today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This grain-based staple is the basis of both sweet and savory dishes throughout Northern Africa and the cultures they've touched around the world. Anney and Lauren explore the many uses and conflicting histories of couscous. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These peppers are a staple fresh, pickled, dried, and fried -- and their heat can sneak up on you. Anney and Lauren dig in to the history and spicy science of jalapeños and chipotles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.