Gastropod looks at food through the lens of science and history.
Co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley serve up a brand new episode every two weeks.
When is a Pancake Not A Pancake?
We aren't afraid to ask the big questions here at Gastropod, such as: what exactly is a pancake? If you think you know the answer, prepare to have your mind blown. It turns out the sweet, syrup-covered stack of American breakfast fame are far from the only members of the pancake family—and there are some truly controversial cakes in the wider pan family. Speaking of controversy: if you've made instant pancakes from a certain famous mix, you might not realize the racist history behind it. Join us for the shocking story of Aunt Jemima, stay for the great pancake debate, and don't blame us if you end up craving something flattish, fluffy, and floppy for your next meal!
Episode Notes
KC Hysmith
Writer KC Hysmith is a food scholar and recipe developer, currently at work on a book about cake.
Ken Albala
Ken Albala is a food historian and professor at the University of the Pacific. You may remember him from two previous Gastropod episodes: How Ketchup Got Thick and Beans, Beans, The Magical Fruit. He has authored more than 25 books on food, including Pancake: A Global History.
Riché Richardson
Riché Richardson is a professor of African American literature and chair of the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University. She published a 2015 editorial in The New York Times called "Can We Please, Finally, Get Rid of ‘Aunt Jemima’?"
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for the Public Understanding of Science, Technology, and Economics
This episode of Gastropod was supported by a generous grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for the Public Understanding of Science, Technology, and Economics. Check out the other books, movies, shows, podcasts, and more that they support here.
Transcript
Click here for a transcript of the show. Please note that the transcript is provided as a courtesy and may contain errors.