
Eat Bison to Save Bison
For tens of thousands of years, North America was bison country. Millions of these giant, shaggy animals—also known as buffalo—roamed from the far north to the Gulf and from the east coast to the west...
22 Sep 48min

Plant Milk Proliferation: Oat, Soy, Almond, and More, But Which Is Best?
Cow milk is out, and plant milk reigns supreme. At least, that's how it feels in the supermarket these days, where the refrigerated section is full of "milk" made from oats, almonds, peanuts, coconuts...
8 Sep 48min

So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile Pepper
Perhaps no other plant is as entwined with pain and pleasure as the chile pepper. But why does it burn—and why on earth do we crave that uncomfortable sensation? How did capsaicin's fungus-fighting, d...
18 Aug 48min

Where There's Smoke, There's...Whiskey, Fish, and Barbecue!
As anyone who’s spent time by a crackling campfire or a barbecue pit can attest, the scent of smoke is unmistakable—and surprisingly mysterious. Smoke clings to clothing but vanishes in the breeze. Yo...
21 Jul 51min

America's Forbidden Fruit and Forgotten First Soda: Ask Gastropod
Fan favorite Ask Gastropod is back, and we’re celebrating the season by solving a pair of trans-Atlantic mysteries! First up: if you have a purple candy in Europe, it’s nearly guaranteed to be flavore...
7 Jul 50min

Bringing Home the Bacon: From Shakespeare to the Baconator
For many Americans, bacon is an essential element of the perfect breakfast—not to mention a welcome addition to everything from cheeseburgers to doughnuts. But bacon hasn't always been beloved. Ancien...
23 Jun 48min

What the Shell? Cracking the Lobster's Mysteries
Consider the lobster roll: tender chunks of lobster bathed in butter or mayo, sandwiched between two slices of a squishy bread roll… Have we caught your attention yet? Lobster is a summertime staple i...
9 Jun 44min



















