Gastropod

Sushi is everywhere these days—in grocery stores and gas stations, at buffets and birthday parties, in Europe and Latin America and all over the United States. This popularity is especially astonishing when you remember that, just a few decades ago, the idea of eating nuggets of raw fish and rice seemed bizarre, intimidating, and even a little gross to most non-Japanese people. Even more surprising? The simple nigiri and maki rolls we think of as “traditional” sushi are relatively recent inventions, too. This episode, we’re going back to sushi’s origins as a cheesy-tasting fermented fish pickle, to tell the story of how impatience, war, and the 1980s—the glory days of yuppies, Sony Walkmans, and The Breakfast Club—transformed it into the seafood snack we know and love today. Plus listen in now to hear why you're eating sushi all wrong—and what you're missing out on as a result.
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SNAP—the federal assistance program better known as food stamps—helps put food on the table of nearly one in eight Americans today. But, as new legislation is phased in over the coming months, more than half of those people are expected to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits. This episode, we're getting to the bottom of why SNAP matters—to all of us, not just those who receive it. Why does the U.S. government give people money just for food, rather than cash, as in other countries? Does it make sense to ban SNAP from being used to buy junk food? And why are so many people still hungry, when American farmers produce more food than we can even eat? For decades, the food stamp program has been the main way the U.S. government puts food on the tables of folks who would otherwise struggle to afford it; for all of those decades, it's been attacked, resented, and subject to political horse-trading. Listen in now, as we explore how SNAP has survived for so long—and whether it's worth saving today.
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We aren't afraid to ask the big questions here at Gastropod, such as: what exactly is a pancake? If you think you know the answer, prepare to have your mind blown. It turns out the sweet, syrup-covered stack of American breakfast fame are far from the only members of the pancake family—and there are some truly controversial cakes in the wider pan family. Speaking of controversy: if you've made instant pancakes from a certain famous mix, you might not realize the racist history behind it. Join us for the shocking story of Aunt Jemima, stay for the great pancake debate, and don't blame us if you end up craving something flattish, fluffy, and floppy for your next meal!
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For many people with disabilities, the kitchen can seem a deeply unfriendly place. From counters that require users to stand and cabinets that are often out of reach, to ovens that can’t be opened in mobility chairs and tools that are hard to grip or difficult to read—cooking can seem like an impossible challenge. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, since the mid-1900s, researchers, designers, and people with disabilities have worked together to reimagine the kitchen in ways that have made it better for all of us. Listen in for this hidden history behind many of your favorite cooking tools, from OXO Good Grips to the Cuisinart food processor, as well as the inspiring stories of how today's blind and disabled cooks have hacked their kitchens to achieve both dinner deliciousness and culinary glory. All that, plus cameos from the household names who turn out to be accessibility legends: Betty Crocker and Julia Child!
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We’re coming up to AvocadoFest 2026, otherwise known as the Super Bowl, when Americans get fully a fifth of their annual avocado allocation. But how did this humble fruit, originally named after testicles, get from its Mexican forest home to a tattoo on Miley Cyrus's upper arm? This episode, we unravel the avocado's amazing journey, a story that involves not only conquistadors and cartel violence, but also a Southern California postman and actress Angie Dickinson lounging in a white leotard. And we discover where the avocado is headed next—a place where it's known as the butter fruit, and often consumed in shake form. Listen in now for all this creamy green goodness and more. (encore)
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