Flavor chemist Marie Wright discusses the secrets of natural flavors, the challenges of flavoring plant-based burgers, and teaches Dan how to taste food like a pro. They debate the rise of natural and artificial flavors in processed foods and their impact on the obesity epidemic.

Comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is known for his thoughtful and pointed takes on race. He joins us to discuss McRib conspiracy theories, the dangers of touring the South as a black comic, and the advantages of bad service and Confederate flags. Plus Roy talks about what he learned about food from his father over the course of their conflicted relationship.This episode originally aired on February 11, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Gianna Palmer and mixing by Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell. Transcription by Emily Nguyen.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

“Tell me about your mama’s kitchen.” That’s how Michele Norris, former host of NPR’s All Things Considered, starts conversations with the likes of Michelle Obama and Matthew Broderick on her podcast Your Mama’s Kitchen. So naturally, Dan turns the tables and asks Michele about her own mama’s kitchen — and how those earliest food memories shape us. Then Michele and Dan take a call from a woman who’s struggling with her mother’s food choices since her mom developed dementia, and they respond to listeners’ hot takes and food disputes, including from a caller who has strong feelings about cooked fruit.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Shantel Holder, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell. Transcription by Emily Nguyen.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Actor Claudia Jessie is just as nonconformist as Eloise, her character on the hit Netflix show Bridgerton. She lived on a houseboat for three years, doesn’t have social media, and opposes multi-tasking. She likes living at a slower pace — and she has the same attitude when it comes to food. Claudia chats with Dan about chip butties, “shelf sweeping” (think: Chopped), and why she sort of wishes she waited until she was a bit older to go vegan. Then, she embodies Eloise to take a BuzzFeed quiz that promises to tell you which Bridgerton character you are based on the desserts you choose. Does the quiz know Eloise as well as Claudia does?The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, Grace Rubin, and Jared O'Connell. Publishing by Shantel Holder and transcription by Emily Nguyen.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Explore how parents use food to connect their adopted children to their cultural origins. Learn about the challenges and joys of maintaining cultural heritage through food experiences. Hear stories of Korean adoptees reconnecting with their roots through traditional dishes and family reunions.

Sotheby’s is about to put a trove of Georgia O'Keeffe items up for sale. While the auction will include paintings likely to go for millions of dollars, we're interested in something less valuable, but to us, way more exciting — O'Keeffe's box of grease-stained, handwritten recipes. This week Dan goes to see the recipes himself and talks with art experts, O’Keeffe scholars, and a woman who cooked for O'Keeffe towards the end of her life to find out what the recipes say about the artist. As for the auction? Well, it doesn't go exactly as planned.To see all of Georgia O'Keeffe's digitized recipes, visit Yale's Beinecke Library website.This episode originally aired on March 29, 2020, and was produced by Emma Morgenstern and Harry Huggins. It was edited by Tracey Samuelson, and mixed by Jared O’Connell. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Music producer benny blanco talks about his new cookbook and passion for throwing great parties. He shares his love for the George Foreman grill, the dessert that impressed SZA, and why he compares himself to a duck on a pond.

The food-obsessed comic discusses eating with his five children, navigating birthday parties and buffets, his dad's steaks, and when it's OK to lie to your kids. Plus he explains why he's the Jean-Claude Van Damme of eating on television.This episode originally aired on July 4, 2016, and July 20, 2015. It was produced by Dan Pashman and Anne Saini, with editing help from Shoshana Gold. Special thanks to Paula Szuchman. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, Shantel Holder, and Jared O'Connell.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Priya Krishna, a cookbook author with a passion for childhood travelogs, discusses her new cookbook for kids. She emphasizes the importance of writing recipes for children and shares insights from young recipe testers. The podcast explores the evolution of Indian cuisine, the impact of diverse voices in cookbooks, and the process of crafting a narrative for young readers.

Dips are having a moment — from a dips-only restaurant in Atlanta to Martin Short playing a character who only eats dips. But TV host and Cosmo columnist Alyse Whitney was a self-described Dip Queen long before they got hot, and she proves it in her new cookbook, Big Dip Energy: 88 Parties in a Bowl for Snacking, Dinner, Dessert, and Beyond. She joins Dan in the studio to share her royal decrees on the right shape for a dipper, using raw vegetables to dip, and the ethics of double dipping. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell, with help this week from Shantel Holder. Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.