Best Nicola Twilley Podcasts (2025)

1
From Fountain of Youth to Fruit on the Bottom: How Yoghurt Finally Made it Big in America 50:45

Play Pause

1d ago50:45

50:45

Yoghurt is the most diverse section of the dairy case: from Icelandic skyr to creamy Australian, and fruity French Yoplait to full-fat Greek. With something to suit every palate, plus a dose of microbes to support healthy digestion, yoghurt is a staple food in the US, hero of a million smoothies, berry bowls, and snack breaks every day. Which is wh…

1
Yes, You Really Can Make Food From Thin Air—And We Tried It 48:19

16d ago48:19

48:19

Every second of every day, plants on earth do something miraculous: they take the carbon dioxide from air and turn it into food. With very few exceptions, everything we eat starts out that way. But what if we wanted to cut out the middlemen, re-wild all those fields full of wheat and corn, and manufacture dinner directly from the atmosphere ourselv…

1
Pizza Pizza! 46:10

28d ago46:10

46:10

At last, an episode on pizza! But that raises a tricky question: what exactly is pizza? As it turns out, the original pizzas from eighteenth-century Naples looked nothing like a standard slice—they were more like a focaccia, topped with oil, herbs, anchovies, or whatever else was on hand. Even after these first pizzas met the tomato, the dish was a…

1
Everything You Know About Metabolism Is Wrong 48:00

1M ago48:00

48:00

By Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

1
Durian Delight and Feijoa Fun: Adventures in Banned, Forgotten, and Unusual Fruit 50:46

2M ago50:46

50:46

This week on Gastropod, a feast of fruits! Specifically, feijoa and durian—and, if you haven’t heard of either, you’re not alone. Unlike the ubiquitous strawberry or banana, durian and feijoa are only popular in a handful of countries and almost unknown in the US, and we wanted to know why—especially because the people who love them really love the…

1
Talking Taco 43:01

2M ago43:01

43:01

Whether or not it's Tuesday, tacos pretty much always hit the spot—and not just in their homeland in Mexico. These days, the taco can be found all over the world, although it's acquired some strange new fillings along the way, from French fries to canned corn. It's hard to imagine something so universal having to be invented—but, in fact, the taco …

1
Tomatoes: A Love Story 50:48

3M ago50:48

50:48

The tomato is Gastropod’s favorite flavor of summer, and we’re not alone: today, it’s the most popular vegetable on the planet, despite the fact that it's technically a fruit. But, until a couple of hundred years ago, the tomato wasn't really anyone's favorite. In South America, where the tomato originates, no one even bothered to domesticate it; i…

2701
The Most Dangerous Fruit in America 45:20

3M ago45:20

45:20

It's the epitome of summertime: there’s nothing like a cold, juicy slice of red watermelon on a swelteringly hot day. But, once upon a time, watermelons were neither red nor sweet—the wild watermelon has white flesh and a bitter taste. This episode, we scour Egyptian tombs, decaying DNA, and ancient literature in search of watermelon's origins. The…

1
The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain 50:56

4M ago50:56

50:56

This might sound corny, but the relationship between maize and humanity is essential. We rely on corn—globally, more maize is grown than wheat or rice—and, in turn, corn is utterly dependent on us, to the extent that it's lost the ability to reproduce without our help. But corn's wild ancestor is such an unappetizing weed that, for decades, archaeo…

1
Should You Be Eating Poison Oak? 31:22

4M ago31:22

31:22

Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try it anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line to answer a seemingly straightforward question: Is it possible to build up a tolerance to poison oak by eating it? (Guest episode) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Ask Gastropod: Bubblegum, Meal Kits, and the Real Truth About Rooibos 46:13

5M ago46:13

46:13

What do bubblegum, rooibos tea, and meal kits have in common? They’re all topics that puzzle and fascinate you, dear Gastropod listeners. This episode, we're getting to the bottom of your most pressing culinary questions! Such as: Are meal kits really better for the planet than buying and cooking dinner from scratch? Can all the rooibos tea in the …

1
Feasting With Montezuma: Food and Farming in a Floating City 52:26

5M ago52:26

52:26

Five centuries ago, before Spanish conquistadors arrived, what's now Mexico City was the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan—and it took the European invaders' breath away. It was built on an island threaded with canals; it was one of the largest cities in the world; and the Spanish could hardly believe the sheer volume of food sold in the city's main ma…

1
Bananageddon! Say Goodbye to the Banana, and Hello to the Weird and Wonderful World of Bananas, Plural 54:13

6M ago54:13

54:13

Yes, it's true: the banana we know and love is going the way of the dodo bird. An incurable strain of the fungal Panama disease known as TR4 is currently wiping out tens of thousands of acres of banana plantations, from Malaysia to Australia and Mozambique to El Salvador. But what's bananas is that this has all happened before! Is history doomed to…

Nicola Twilley Podcasts

1
Gastropod

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

1
Inquiring Minds

Indre Viskontas

1
The Point Blank Show

Indicast

1
From Fountain of Youth to Fruit on the Bottom: How Yoghurt Finally Made it Big in America 50:45

1
Yes, You Really Can Make Food From Thin Air—And We Tried It 48:19

1
Pizza Pizza! 46:10

1
Everything You Know About Metabolism Is Wrong 48:00

1
Durian Delight and Feijoa Fun: Adventures in Banned, Forgotten, and Unusual Fruit 50:46

1
Talking Taco 43:01

1
Tomatoes: A Love Story 50:48

2701
The Most Dangerous Fruit in America 45:20

1
The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain 50:56

1
Should You Be Eating Poison Oak? 31:22

1
Ask Gastropod: Bubblegum, Meal Kits, and the Real Truth About Rooibos 46:13

1
Feasting With Montezuma: Food and Farming in a Floating City 52:26

1
Bananageddon! Say Goodbye to the Banana, and Hello to the Weird and Wonderful World of Bananas, Plural 54:13