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Cutting the mustard: How the seed got its heat and more
For some Americans, a trip to the ballpark isn’t complete without the bright yellow squiggle of French’s atop a hotdog….
Nuns and Napoleon: The history of Mexico’s ‘mole’ dish
We trace mole’s complicated evolution from medieval Moors to the invention of the blender, and from something that had been…
The surprising science behind cheese – and why it’s hard to fake
Cheeeeese: That one word alone causes our stomachs to rumble and mouths to water. The sheer variety of flavours and…
Can the American strawberry break free from fumigants?
This episode, we tell an age-old tale: an innocent young berry heads west to make its fame and fortune—but sells…
Taming the flame: How humans became cooks
Humans are the only animals that cook their food, an innovation that changed the course of our evolution and the…
Fishy tales: The impact of omega oils on our bodies and oceans
You’d be forgiven for believing that the fish oils known as omega-3s are the solution to every problem – heart…
Meet sharbat: Ancestor of sorbet, syrup, shrub and sherbet
Many of you won’t have heard of sharbat, the delightfully tangy, refreshingly icy Persian drink. But most of you will…
Keeping it fresh: Preservatives and ‘The Poison Squad’
More than a century ago, enterprising manufacturers added brand-new chemical preservatives into food to keep it fresh as it traveled…
Cartels, postmen, and testicles: The story of the avocado
Avocados are on a roll. More precisely, they’re on toast. But how did this humble fruit, originally named after testicles,…
Wiggle wiggle: The story of jelly
We’re talking about jelly – the kind that shimmers on your plate, wiggles and jiggles on your spoon, and melts…
Why do we eat THESE animals?
In the West, when it comes to which meat is for dinner, we nearly always choose beef, pork, or chicken….
Do sugar taxes work? View from the USA (part 2)
Over the past five years, more than forty cities and countries around the world have passed a tax on sugar-sweetened…
Expresso and whisky: How time influences food
Why does fish cook so fast? What’s the “wasabi window”? And can you really make 20-year-old aged whisky in six…
The science and history of the incredible egg
We love eggs scrambled, fried, or poached; we couldn’t enjoy a quiche, meringue, or flan without them. But for scientists…
Super Fry: Who invented fries?
Shoestring, waffle, curly, or thick-cut: however you slice it, nearly everyone loves a deep-fried, golden brown piece of potato. But…
Eat this, not that: The surprising science of personalised nutrition
We’ve got the exclusive on the preliminary results of the world’s largest personalised nutrition experiment. Genetic epidemiologist Tim Spector launched…