Eat This Podcast

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Using food to explore all manner of topics, from agriculture to zoology. In Eat This Podcast, Jeremy Cherfas tries to go beyond the obvious to see how the food we eat influences and is influenced by history, archaeology, trade, chemistry, economics, geography, evolution, religion -- you get the pict…

Jeremy Cherfas

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    • May 26, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 19m AVG DURATION
    • 298 EPISODES

    4.9 from 52 ratings Listeners of Eat This Podcast that love the show mention: jeremy, food, finds, michael, science, excellent podcast, subjects, production, short, interesting, culture, history, well done, topics, quality, thought, fantastic, interviews, great, always.


    Ivy Insights

    The Eat This Podcast is a truly exceptional podcast that delves into the world of food in a way that is both informative and entertaining. Hosted by Jeremy Cherfas, this podcast explores topics such as the origins, preparation, economics, politics, history, and everything else connected with food. Jeremy's thinking and that of his guests offer thoughtful insights that are serious but also leavened with humor and humility. The podcast does not claim to provide definite answers but rather leaves listeners thinking, which is of great service in a world of food fads and panics.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the variety of fascinating topics covered in an enlightened and enjoyable way. Each episode packs a lot into its approximately 20-minute duration and asks pertinent questions that get right to the point. Furthermore, the podcast provides follow-up resources for listeners who want to delve deeper into specific topics or explore further on their own. This allows each listener to choose their own culinary adventure based on what interests them the most.

    On the downside, some may find the episodes too short as they leave you wanting more. However, this can also be seen as a positive aspect as it keeps each episode concise and to the point without unnecessary filler content.

    In conclusion, The Eat This Podcast is a first-class production that offers a wealth of knowledge about all things related to food. Jeremy Cherfas's lovely voice, boundless curiosity about food, and sincere respect for his guests make each episode a delight to listen to. Whether it's exploring the history of bread or learning about heirloom apples in Ireland with over 600 varieties, each episode leaves listeners craving for more. The well-presented and intelligent nature of this podcast sets it apart from others in the genre and makes it a must-listen for anyone curious about food and agriculture.



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    Latest episodes from Eat This Podcast

    Eat This Gets Advice

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 28:19 Transcription Available


    Tara Schmidt, lead dietitian for the Mayo Clinic Diet, shares her thoughts on diet, diets and dietary advice

    Puglia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 26:26 Transcription Available


    In the past few decades Puglia has improved its food, wine and olive oil almost beyond recognition

    The Paradox of Plenty

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 24:41 Transcription Available


    For much of the world, food has never been as abundant or as inexpensive as it is now, but at what cost?

    Farming's Overlords

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 31:30 Transcription Available


    Size and market concentration lock farmers onto a technological treadmill that does nobody any good, excpet for the giant corporations and their shareholders

    Quinoa's rise and fall

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 29:38 Transcription Available


    A new book looks beyond the hype to chronicle the effect of an unsustainable boom on the entire quinoa trade in Peru

    Forbidden: Jews and the Pig

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 30:50 Transcription Available


    “The more that the pig comes to signify Jewish identity, the more it comes to signify Christian identity, and vice versa.”

    Food facts are not the answer to fear of foods

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 29:15 Transcription Available


    “What kind of food system do we want for the future? What kind of questions should we be asking? Whose questions matter? What kind of questions matter and what kind of expertise is considered relevant to the question of what the future of food should be like?”

    Food, folklore and St Brigid

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 17:16 Transcription Available


    “On the eve of a quarter day, the time is liminal, so there's kind of a thinning of the space between the real world and the other world.”

    Sensual, Salty, and a Little Bit Spicy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 17:12 Transcription Available


    Gilda; how Rita Hayworth might have inspired the original anchovy-on-a-toothpick

    Better Diets for All

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 27:25 Transcription Available


    “In a way, the multinational food industry is providing solutions for women.”

    Bennett's Law

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 26:46 Transcription Available


    What foods do poor people buy when they have a bit more money? What you might expect, but not as much of it as you might expect.

    The Cost of a Healthy Diet

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 30:12 Transcription Available


    “Is it because of high prices? Is it because of low incomes? Or is it because ... you can't see, taste, or smell the nutritional composition of food?”

    Anchovies Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 23:34 Transcription Available


    ”You know, anchovies are in our blood. My family's been eating them for 500 years.” Er, no. Not really.

    Anchovies Part I

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 23:20


    To some, they're stinky little fish in a tin can. To others, they're a deep hit of umami delight that honour the work of women.

    Crunch Time: Insects Are Not Going to Save Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 23:24


    ”Insect farming mostly adds an inefficient and expensive layer to the food system we already have.”

    Olives Reborn in the Salento

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 24:32


    The diease that has already killed 11 million olive trees in the south of Puglia might be a blessing in disguise

    Avocado Anxiety: how to choose what to eat

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 24:42


    Louise Gray's new book dives deep into the trade-offs that accompany every food choice we make, where nothing is as simple as it seems.

    Palatable is not Potable

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 26:57


    Why are some people tap-water hesitant and what do we expect water to taste like anyway?

    Women Butchers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 25:34


    “I thought, okay, I'm eating meat, but am I supposed to be eating meat? Would I ever kill an animal myself? Would I ever butcher an animal?”

    Leftovers Through History

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 28:17


    Throughout history, people repurposed food leftovers and surplus and animal byproducts, challenging the modern perception of them as waste.

    What is Chametz?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 14:40


    In the end, the meaning of chametz rests on history and tradition, and new traditions are possible.

    Passover and Easter Revisited

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 37:46


    God's original insturctions for Passover did not include one of the crucial items on the Seder plate.

    Malta Besieged & Black-market Intrigues

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2024 29:09


    Ordinarily, evading food rationing in times of war is considered a crime. There are times when it must be accepted as a necessity.

    The Case for Folic Acid Fortification

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 21:54


    The European Union has failed to implement one of the most effective public health interventions, one that the United Kingdom is now able to contemplate.

    Anthony Mongiello, Inventor of the Stuffed Crust Pizza

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2024 26:12


    Pizza Hut says it invented the stuffed crust pizza. A judge agreed. But Anthony Mongiello has US patent 4,661,361, no matter what the law says.

    Prehistoric cooking pots

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 19:40


    In many respects the diets of farmers and hunter-gatherers were more alike than different

    The Invention of Baby Food

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 29:08


    Commercial baby food was perhaps the original industrial food product, with all that that entails

    Black Stoneflower: A unique Indian spice

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2023 25:11


    A lichen, which has no taste of its own, contributes hugely to the flavour of many Indian dishes

    A New Story for Maize Domestication

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2023 25:34


    A close look at more than 1000 varieties of maize solves a mystery about how the crop evolved from its wild relatives.

    Honey and Adulteration

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2023 23:02


    Why is honey the world's third most-adulterated food? Because adulteration delivers profits.

    Fat, Sugar, Salt

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2023 27:07


    Before he uncovered "Nutrition Science's Most Preposterous Result," David Johns had already dug into reports on salt and sugar.

    Jewish Food in Rome

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 29:27


    The Jewish Community of Rome arrived before the Christian Era and has never left. Its cuisine was created by hardship and ingenuity.

    Small Dairy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2023 22:15


    If you're lucky enough to live in the right place, you may be able to experience real, fresh, whole milk.

    Food Riots in England

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2023 31:01


    When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose ... except your life

    Milk is not a Superfood

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 37:35


    The first celebrity doctor's fad diet is still going strong today, 300 years later, and it has a lot to answer for.

    Pomegranates & Artichokes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2023 32:26


    “It is about migrations: of ingredients, of recipes, of stories — but most importantly of the people who make them.”

    Why Did the Artist Cross the Chicken?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2023 28:17


    Accumulating the genetic diversity of birds around the world in a population of truly cosmopolitan chickens

    Feeding the People in Wartime Britain

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2023 25:27


    Once upon a time, government made it possible for people to get a good meal at a reasonable price.

    What is Wrong with Biofortification

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 23:46


    Yields are generally lower than those of unfortified varieties and there's little evidence it works. Biofortification is a waste of land and money.

    Making Mr Song's Cheese

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 25:42


    The standard story is that ethnic Chinese don't eat cheese or drink milk because they are lactose intolerant. They do, but it's complicated

    What Price Chicken Wings?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 22:27


    A chicken has two wings, two legs, two breasts; how does the market cope when all people want is wings?

    Patrik Johansson, the Butter Viking

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2023 23:05


    Patrik Johansson blends ancient knowledge and modern science to craft exquisite butter: hand-made, intensely flavourful and scarce.

    butter viking patrik johansson
    Food Security in Egypt

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 29:02


    The price of subsidised bread in Egypt has not changed in decades, though the bread shrunk. That remains a huge challenge to security, for the government and the people.

    Fully Tested Tuna

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2023 20:25


    One tin of tuna may contain 10 times more mercury than another, and there's no way to tell them apart.

    Biodiversity at Liberty

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2023 25:28


    How farmers in Belgium and the south of France are taking advantage of new a EU regulation to become more sustainable

    Feed Your Baby Like a Fascist

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2022 16:03


    Mussolini made the trains run on time, but that doesn't work for hungry infants

    Some thoughts on markets and such

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 23:44


    Speculators can actually drive prices higher, which was news to me

    A Restaurant’s Reckoning

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 34:41


    “The corollary to white innocence is white passivity, the feeling that what one's ancestors did was so messed up that it couldn't possibly make a difference where one eats a barbecue sandwich.”

    How to be a good host and a good guest

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022 23:35


    Asking for a doctor's note when your guest says they are allergic or intolerant is not an option

    Feeding children well

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 25:07


    There's a huge difference between neophobia and picky eating, just as there is between food and nutrition. How best to undertake the tricky business of helping children to eat well.

    In search of tomato gold

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 20:20


    Organic growers and breeders in Europe are preparing to take advantage of their new freedom to sow biodiversity

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