Food Podcasts That Blend Science and Stories
By: Lauren Crossland-Marr from A CRISPR Bite
I’m a food anthropologist with a penchant for exploring the deeper layers of our meals. You might know me from my other podcast, Femlore, but now you’ll catch me hosting A CRISPR Bite, where science meets storytelling meets our future. Off-air, I teach anthropology at the University of Delaware and I make quilts in my spare time. I’m excited to leave you equipped with a feast of fun facts perfect for your next dinner party!
In A CRISPR Bite, I pull back the curtain on the power, pros, and cons of new gene-editing technology that is set to transform the way we eat food. Every episode is a journey into the labs and fields where the future of food is being rewritten, one gene at a time. Most people have no idea this is even happening! And that’s really what inspired me to make a show that could break down all the jargon and let listeners decide for themselves what to think about this new wave of gene-edited food. Like A CRISPR Bite, this playlist invites listeners to a table where food isn't just consumed but is understood and appreciated. Here is a mix of podcasts that offer a (delicious) blend of culinary stories, insights, and innovations. It goes beyond recipes and into the evolving narrative of food in our lives and culture.
World Food Day 2023 Podcasts
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Gastropod
“Where’s the Beef? Lab-Grown Meat is Finally on the Menu”
Gastropod is my go-to for a combo of food tales, cool science, and the strange history behind some of our most-common food products. The hosts are entertaining, informative, and each episode feels like you’re going on a mini trip through food and culture. It’s a great scratch for food curiosity and wanderlust! In this episode, lab-grown meat is taking off, just like plant-based meat alternatives! Look, I’m a meat-eater, but I’m all for understanding how this science works and whether lab-grown meat can actually taste good. Gastropod breaks it all down.
Gravy
“North Carolina Pottery from Clay to Kiln”
Gravy whisks you away to the heart of the American South — and it’s not just about the food, but the stories and characters that bring each dish to life. Every episode unravels the South’s diverse culture, rich traditions, and the new twists making the scene even more vibrant. This episode really got me thinking about the role of pottery in the eating experience and the cultural significance of the makers of eating and food preservation tools.
The Future of Food is You
“Kelsey Tenney of Voyage Foods: The Future is Food Science”
This show brings the voices of the next-gen food leaders to you, giving a glimpse into their dreams and the food world's future. It’s packed with flavors, innovations, and inspiration! Voyage Foods is such a fascinating food tech company. It’s focused on developing food products that will last despite changing health factors and environmental conditions due to climate change — like coffee and chocolate!
The Sporkful
“How to Create a New Apple”
I love how host Dan Pashman reveals stories as diverse as the ingredients that inspire them. The interviews are engaging, there are so many cultural insights, and a refreshingly unpretentious take on the culinary world. In this episode — you can just make new apples?! Yes my friend, it turns out honeycrisp apples were invented by scientists. Learn the story behind the science of how and why scientists are making new varieties of apples.
Ologies
“Gustologuly (TASTE) with Gary Beauchamp”
Ologies transforms complex science into a playground of curiosity with quirky and enlightening questions. Each episode is a journey into the obscure and fascinating corners of the world. This show is sure to stir the child-like wonder in all of us. In this episode — flavor is inarguably the best part of eating. Learn about the fascinating science behind our taste receptors — AKA why we like and don’t like certain aspects of sweet, savory, bitter, or other flavors.
Good Food
“Religious diet, Indigenous baby food, native California ingredients”
Host Evan Kleiman always teaches me something new about the history and cultural context of the food we eat. And I love that she features so many incredible chefs, farmers, and food experts from Southern California — where I live! As a cultural anthropologist who has studied halal foods, I nerd out big time on how religion shapes community diets around the world. One interesting slice of this episode digs into how great U.S. spiritual awakenings have inspired different rules for eating.
A CRISPR Bite
“The First Bite”
In a five-episode series, A CRISPR Bite studies the unique gene-editing technology that CRISPR developed and how it is being applied to food. From adding more protein to soybeans to creating tomatoes that relieve stress, this series unpacks what this technology means for our food systems and the individuals that it affects. It may sound like science fiction, but it's our present and our future.
Never heard of CRISPR? We got you covered. The first episode of the series catches you up on the history and context of how gene-editing technology is being used to modify our food and what people think about it. If you find yourself wondering about the difference between CRISPR and GMOs, this episode breaks past the jargon to answer that and so much more.
