For a foodie, the second best thing to picking up a fork and indulging in a delicious dish is to learn about how the food was crafted. Today, learning about the art of food is as easy as popping on headphones and pushing play. Below is a list of the best foodie podcasts sure to take you on a culinary adventure.
This is the food podcast for history buffs. A Time and a Plate delves into the basic notion that everyone has to eat to live. The peasant in medieval times had to eat in the same way that a CEO of a Fortune 500 company today has to eat. Consuming food connects us to our human nature and to each other throughout history. While episodes are sporadically released averaging at only a handful per year, each one explores the historical and cultural context of a general food that we enjoy today, such as bread, spices, or chocolate. Each episode explains how the food came into existence, what its purpose was, and how it functioned in the society of the time period.
Bite explores the science behind food and its consumption. Mother Jones editors Kiera Butler and Maddie Oatman collaborate with food/farming blogger Tom Philpott to interview acclaimed experts on all things related to food, including chefs, farmers, and scientists. The panel discusses the sociology and politics behind what we eat with topics ranging from how hippies reinvented American cuisine to whether fast food can be considered healthy.
The premise of this podcast is that comedians Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton decide to talk about a specific food and see how long they can keep the conversation going. When they say specific, they mean very specific; With episode topics such as handheld meat pies, breath mints, Hawaiian junk food, and boxed macaroni and cheese, it’s a comedic ride through common eats. Each installment is a quick listen, with most episodes clocking in around half hour and with over 300 episodes released you’ll be able to indulge in binge listening.
The Slow Melt
Devoted solely to chocolate, The Slow Melt was awarded 2017’s best food podcast by Saveur Magazine. This podcast explores every aspect of the $100 billion chocolate industry from its flavor to its impact on climate change. Interviews are conducted with individuals involved in every step of the chocolate making process, from farmers to the chocolate makers themselves. Simran Sethi, the podcast’s host, views chocolate just not as a simple food, but as “a delicious lens through which to explore the world.”
*Originally published on PhilipWardSeattle.net
Philip Ward | Washington 