Episode 15: Chew on this

This week, Podcast Playlist brings you a lovingly curated four-course meal of our favourite podcasts about food.

You won't find recipes here. These shows tell the stories of all kinds of people working with food — facing everything from environmental disasters to big cultural shifts.

Gastropod

"We could make [potato chips] crispier or fresher simply by changing the sound of the crunch." — Charles Spence.

Gastropod tackles science behind food. This episode is about the science of taste, and how it's affected by another sense — your hearing.

In this episode, experimental psychologist Charles Spence explains how sounds can actually change the way you taste something.

The Real Food Podcast

"We pickle just about everything." — Vikram Doctor

The Real Food Podcast is produced out of India, and is hosted by Vikram Doctor — a well established journalist and food writer.

The podcasting trend is really starting to hit its stride in India, and this podcast comes from Audiomatic — a relatively new network that produces four excellent podcasts.

The Real Food Podcast looks at culture and Indian cuisine, and this episode is all about pickles.

Gravy

"[The fishing industry is] going to dry up like a California raisin. It's headed for an iceberg and it's going to crash." — Frank Campo

When you think about the southern U.S. it's hard not to think about food, and Gravy tells the stories of how the south is changing, based on the things that people are eating.

It's produced by the Southern Foodways Alliance — a nonprofit organization that studies food culture in the region, with a mission is to "document, study, and celebrate the diverse food cultures of the changing American South."

This episode is about fishermen who have spent their lives working on the bayou in Louisiana and how their lives changed after Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.

First Bite

"This is the new moonshine. You've got so many people desperate to get a hold of raw milk." — Matthew Evans

First Bite, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, looks at science, culture, and at regulations.

In this episode, Margot Foster takes us inside the black market for raw milk, which can't legally be sold in Australia and it's also illegal in Canada.

Since the episode first aired, the Australian government announced it would relax some of the regulations around raw cheese.

*A correction from First Bite: Nick Haddow is one of three cheese makers producing unpasteurized cheese for sale legally in Australia.

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For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal — we have more than 99 home grown podcasts available for subscription or download!