We obsess about food to learn more about people. The Sporkful isn't for foodies, it's for eaters. Hosted by Dan Pashman, who's... more
"I've always been a fan of food," comedian Fortune Feimster says in her 2020 stand up special, Sweet and Salty.... more
Tunde Wey learned to cook at home with his family in Nigeria. Sean Sherman grew up on the Pine Ridge... more
A couple years ago, Abigail Keel started having debilitating attacks of vertigo. Once she got a diagnosis, the treatment seemed... more
"White people are comfortable anywhere," says restaurateur Andy Shallal. "In order for a black person to walk into a space,... more
What do Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The Diary of Anne Frank have in common? A... more
Jake Cohen didn’t care much about Jewish food when he went to culinary school and worked in high end restaurants.... more
Before the James Beard Awards, there was the man himself. Beard was the first celebrity chef of the TV era,... more
Sam Kass shares stories of his time as the Obama family’s chef — cooking on Air Force One, smuggling special... more
Bobby Flay has competed in more than 700 TV cooking challenges and written a dozen cookbooks. But at heart, he... more
We cook up a Diwali feast with a Trinidadian mother and daughter and discuss straddling cultures with the Indian-American DJ... more
Twenty years ago, Morgan Spurlock released his low-budget documentary Super Size Me, and achieved success that most documentary filmmakers can... more
Food Network star Jet Tila’s parents opened the first Thai market in the US in 1972. Now he’s trying to... more
Comedian Ed Gamble calls himself a “very greedy boy.” That’s because he’s always loved food, from the diary entry he... more
Dan eats fresh mozzarella with the former Van Halen frontman and drinks beer out of paper cups with the legendary... more
In honor of National Pasta Month, Dan shares the story of how his pasta shape, cascatelli, ended up in a... more
Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, we’re talking with two cookbook authors about how Jewish food around the world has... more
We explore the history of an iconic American food couple — cereal and milk — with help from New York... more
Today we're bringing you a rare behind-the-scenes look at a collaboration between two giant American food brands: Taco Bell and... more
In 2016, Jack Daniel’s announced the company would make changes to its official history. They planned to honor Nathan “Nearest”... more
In cooking and eating, sound is the forgotten sense. But you can tell whether you're cutting scallions correctly, or how... more
Dan brings his whole family on the podcast this week to answer your questions, just as they did in an... more
José Ralat’s job at Texas Monthly magazine is so unique that when he got it five years ago, it made... more
Dan and Radiolab's Jad Abumrad explore the new frontier of weed-infused foods with a pastry chef. They'll tell you how... more
As the Minnesota State Fair kicks into high gear, we’re talking with one of the state’s most iconic food personalities.... more
Why are politicians trying to ban lab-grown meat? Is Chipotle secretly serving smaller portions? And just how good is that... more
The founder of Milk Street hates celebrations and says pleasure is annoying. This week, Chris Kimball tells us why he... more
Jameela Jamil may be best known for her role on the NBC show The Good Place. On the show, her... more
Pretty much every restaurant has salads, and yet how often do you get really excited to eat one? In restaurants... more
Is it unethical to sample an ice cream shop's flavors and not buy anything? A married couple calls in for... more
Celery doesn't get a lot of love these days. But it was the avocado toast of the late 1800s and... more
Food writer Khushbu Shah and chef Edy Massih each released their first cookbooks this spring. Both works are part of... more
In this episode of the Sporkful, a former Shea Stadium food vendor tells Dan about the worst gig in the... more
We’re back with our annual game show Two Chefs And A Lie! Dan talks with three “chefs.” Two of them... more
Recently, a friend of restaurant critic Tim Hayward called him a glutton. This week, our friends at the Life and... more
After months of searching, we finally meet Ted Ngoy, aka "the Donut King," and learn what happened to him. He's... more
After escaping Cambodia's Killing Fields, Ted Ngoy built a donut empire in California. Then he lost it all, and disappeared.... more
Everything Molly Baz puts out — from her best-selling cookbooks Cook This Book and More Is More, to her Instagram... more
In 2016, the Library of Congress posted Rosa Parks' personal documents online for the first time. Buried under postcards from... more
For years, chef Yia Vang operated his restaurant Union Hmong Kitchen in a trailer outside of a brewery in Minneapolis.... more
In the second half of our Best of the Book Tour series, we’re answering your questions! We’ll tackle the most... more
The comic, actor, writer, and podcast host, best known as Conan O’Brien’s late night TV sidekick, tells us why he... more
For six weeks this spring, Dan hit the road for the biggest tour in Sporkful history, all in celebration of... more
“Natural flavors” show up on ingredient lists for all kinds of foods. But what does that mean exactly? We get... more
Comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is known for his thoughtful and pointed takes on race. He joins... more
“Tell me about your mama’s kitchen.” That’s how Michele Norris, former host of NPR’s All Things Considered, starts conversations with... more
Actor Claudia Jessie is just as nonconformist as Eloise, her character on the hit Netflix show Bridgerton. She lived on... more
How do parents who adopt kids from other countries use food to connect their children to their birthplace? And what... more
Sotheby’s is about to put a trove of Georgia O'Keeffe items up for sale. While the auction will include paintings... more
Music producer and artist benny blanco has credits on 29 number one songs, working with stars such as Katy Perry,... more
The food-obsessed comic discusses eating with his five children, navigating birthday parties and buffets, his dad's steaks, and when it's... more
Cookbook author Priya Krishna was a world traveler as a kid. Because of her mom’s job in the airline industry,... more
Dips are having a moment — from a dips-only restaurant in Atlanta to Martin Short playing a character who only... more
You may think you know LeVar Burton. After starring in the seminal 1977 mini-series Roots, he hosted Reading Rainbow and... more
Naama Shefi remembers visiting her husband’s grandmother for the first time, and being astonished by the stories tucked into each... more
Laura and Beth Winters are fraternal twins who come from a family of proud picky eaters. But after high school,... more
You probably know Guy Fieri from his TV shows: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and Guy's Grocery Games. Or maybe you... more
In the final episode of “Anything’s Pastable,” the recipes are done — but they’re all in Google Docs. Now Dan has... more
As Dan’s cookbook deadline approaches, recipe testing kicks into high gear — and he attempts to develop a few recipes... more
In part two of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan embarks on an epic trip across Italy in search of lesser-known pasta dishes... more
After Dan’s pasta shape, cascatelli, went viral, people everywhere were cooking with it and sending him photos of what they... more
Gary Gulman did so many food bits early in his stand-up career that he joked he was "a strictly food-based... more
Violence, death threats, and bagels, oh my! In this final episode of Deep Dish season one, Sohla and Ham explore... more
One table in New York's Adda Indian Canteen is underperforming the others. And in a business with razor-thin margins, that's... more
Stanley cups are all the rage, but did you know they’ve been around for decades? So what happened to make... more
Tacos al pastor are an iconic Mexico City dish — but a relatively new addition to Mexican cuisine. And they... more
New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells has been called the most feared food writer in America. He can make... more
In 1964 Rocky Aoki, a Japanese immigrant, created hibachi restaurants in America when he opened his first Benihana. Rocky later... more
Today on Deep Dish, Sohla and Ham explore the history of Korea through the story of a rice cake. Tteokbokki... more
Introducing Deep Dish, a new podcast from The Sporkful hosted by Sohla and Ham El-Waylly! Sohla and Ham are chefs,... more
Over the past few years there has been an explosion in new products in grocery stores, from barbecue sauces to... more
Ben Abbott wants to pair his meals with drinks, but as a Mormon, he doesn't drink alcohol. So Dan journeys... more
The most common New Year’s resolution Americans make is to lose weight. For many years, that was Aubrey Gordon’s resolution,... more
From tortilla chips to tree bark, from fancy cheese to toe cheese, there’s a world of smells all around us... more
What foods do Sporkful listeners resolve to eat more of in the new year, and why? And what’s Dan’s New... more
Samin Nosrat, author of the bestselling cookbook "Salt Fat Acid Heat," joins Dan to talk about feeling like an outsider,... more
Since the Michelin Guide was created in 1926, it has awarded about 3,000 stars to select restaurants around the world.... more
We are back with another Salad Spinner, and this time it’s our year end edition! Remember when Starbucks debuted olive... more
The native Minnesotan explains why a little internal bleeding can't keep her from a treat, and why the way she... more
Fuchsia Dunlop has written some of the best known English-language books on Chinese cooking, spending years at a time immersing... more
When Jody Scaravella lost his grandma, his mom, and his sister within a few years, he opened a restaurant in... more
Starting this week we're pulling one classic Sporkful from the deep freezer every other Friday and sharing it with you!... more
Tiffanie Barriere is an award-winning bartender and cocktail educator who goes by the title “The Drinking Coach.” As the holidays... more
How did the U.S. military create a pizza that soldiers could eat on the battlefield? Our friends at the podcast... more
Sohla El-Waylly — chef, recipe developer, YouTube star — just released her first cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a... more
Major announcement! Dan’s first cookbook, Anything’s Pastable, is available for preorder wherever books are sold starting today! This collection of... more
Back in 2018, we talked with chef and recipe developer Yewande Komolafe about her experience as an undocumented immigrant. She... more
We are back with the Salad Spinner! This is our rapid fire roundtable discussion of the latest food news, from... more
Curtis Chin was practically raised at Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, his family’s restaurant in Detroit. It was a restaurant that served... more
School is back in session. And for kids, lunch period is the closest you get to being on your own... more
Husband-and-wife comedians and podcast hosts Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher often perform standup together. In their Netflix special they offer... more
Back in 2017, a far-right politician in France angered his supporters and caused a small scandal. The faux pas? Enjoying... more
On today’s show, we’re featuring two new cookbooks that we’re excited about, and the stories of the authors behind them.... more
Breeders at Washington State University spent 20 years developing a completely new variety of apple: Cosmic Crisp. What exactly does... more
We asked for your food fights and hot takes, and you delivered! We hear about a 20-year dispute over a... more
Foraged ingredients have become all the rage in high end restaurants, part of the move toward hyperlocal, farm-to-table ingredients. Of... more
While the villages to the east and west have charming Main Streets, the small town of Greenlawn, sandwiched in between,... more
Today we tackle news in the world of food that’s at turns substantive, silly, and surprising in a new series... more
A few years ago, Tommy Pico, a queer indigenous American poet, and lover of junk food, set out to learn... more
When the first Barbie Dreamhouse came out in 1962, it didn’t have a kitchen. Fast forward to today and there... more
Once known for its glacial pace, ice news today is breaking. In the wake of Starbucks’ recent announcement that they’re... more
It’s time for our annual game show, 2 Chefs And A Lie! The game is simple. Dan talks with three... more
This week in honor of July 4th, we’re exploring an important part of American history – the contributions of enslaved... more
How do you feed yourself on a hike that’s more than 2,200 miles long and takes six months to complete?... more
The stand-up comedian Zarna Garg spent 16 years as a stay-at-home mom. Now she sells out shows across the country... more
Remember that time you bought an apple in Canada or a piece of cheese in France and “forgot” to declare... more
Top Chef judge Gail Simmons never thought she’d have a career in food. Sure, her mom ran a cooking school... more
In the 1980s, six women on an island off the coast of Massachusetts began selling lobster rolls as a church... more
Comedian and podcaster Jamie Loftus set out on a cross-country road trip to try to figure out: Why do hot... more
When the California government stepped in to try to prevent abalone from going extinct, it also criminalized the food traditions... more
This week we're exploring the musical history of jelly, from the Harlem Renaissance to Beyoncé and beyond. Along the way,... more
This week in honor of July 4th, we’re exploring an important part of American history – the contributions of enslaved Black chefs,... more