The Plants We Eat

The Plants We Eat episodes:

• 09.15.2020

  Jackfruit

  I know, it doesn’t sound tasty at all, but if you’re a vegetarian looking for BBQ then this big guy is about as good as it gets!

  
• 09.01.2020

  Tamarind

  It’s great to be back! Let’s start with a sticky little (okay, big) legume with a big flavor profile!

  
• 03.09.2020

  Silkworm Pupae

  Cows provide us with leather and meat, but use a lot of grass, grain, and water. Silkworms provide us with silk and silkworm pupae, and all it costs are a few mulberry leaves!

  
• 03.02.2020

  Black Soldier Fly

  No meal is complete without maggots…

  
• 02.24.2020

  Mealworms

  Beetles…not just for breakfast anymore!

  
• 02.19.2020

  Crickets

  The first in a short series that we’re calling The Bugs We Eat. Sure it seems gross, but they’re actually pretty good!

  
• 01.06.2020

  Marsh Mallow

  Yes, Marsh Mallows are a real thing — and no, those fluffy white clouds you are placing into your hot cocoa are not real marshmallows.

  
• 12.30.2019

  Durian

  How did it take us so long to get to The King of Fruits?

  
• 12.23.2019

  Holly

  Don’t eat the berries! But the leaves….well, as long they’re from the proper holly they’re not bad at all!

  
• 12.16.2019

  Prickly Pear

  A delicious snack once you get past the sharp bits!

  
• 11.04.2019

  Passion Fruit

  The most amazing flower you will ever see, and a tasty fruit too!

  
• 10.29.2019

  Sesame

  It makes your muscles big….kinda.

  
• 10.21.2019

  Millet

  Gluten Free means Flat Cookies

  
• 10.14.2019

  Soy

  An Asian plant that isn’t really grown in Asia that much anymore.

  
• 10.09.2019

  Coconut

  Is it a seed or a sports drink?

  
• 10.01.2019

  GMOs

  For our 50th podcast — Should we care whether a food is genetically modified? The short answer is yes. The long answer is quite a bit more complicated.

  
• 09.23.2019

  Papaya

  If it weren’t for genetically modified papaya we might not have papaya at all.

  
• 09.16.2019

  Lychee

  A tasty little fruit that takes dozens if not hundreds of children’s lives every year.

  
• 06.03.2019

  Spikenard

  And for our last podcast of season 2, a (very) oldie but goodie!

  
• 05.27.2019

  Paw Paw

  What fruit is native to the United States, tastes oddly tropical, and is about as popular as eating mud? Yep, you got it — the Paw Paw.

  
• 05.20.2019

  Rhubarb

  Pies…and poison?

  
• 05.09.2019

  Comfrey

  Don’t eat it. Ever.

  
• 04.30.2019

  Hazelnut

  Is it a hazelnut…or a filbert?

  
• 04.18.2019

  Pomegranate

  What does this attractive fruit have to do with nasty parasites? Listen and find out!

  
• 04.01.2019

  Mustard

  Let’s not kid ourselves, this stuff is a weed…..but what a tasty weed it is!

  
• 03.25.2019

  Sassafras

  Sassafras is best known as the source of the flavor for rootbeer, except that it isn’t anymore — because it’s potentially quite dangerous.

  
• 03.18.2019

  Rutabaga

  What do you get when you cross a turnip with a cabbage?

  
• 03.12.2019

  Dates

  An amazing fruit picked from a palm tree.

  
• 02.25.2019

  Cattails

  If you were stranded on a desert island with only one plant, this is the one you should be stuck with!

  
• 02.11.2019

  Cinnamon

  Tree bark never tasted so good!

  
• 02.04.2019

  Pineapple

  With many flowers that fuse to become a single fruit, this South American native is a truly unique plant.

  
• 01.25.2019

  Hops

  If you like your beer hoppy then you’ve got to know this little gem of a flower!

  
• 12.29.2018

  Capers

  Not daring robberies or clever thefts, capers are little pickled….no wait, that would be telling! Listen to the podcast and find out. And if you have exciting plant ideas for our next season of The Plants We Eat then e-mail...

  
• 12.18.2018

  Saffron

  This is the most expensive spice in the world. Who would have thought it would have such a huge following in central Pennsylvania?

  
• 12.10.2018

  Clove

  ‘Tis the season to find out what cloves really are!

  
• 12.03.2018

  Vanilla

  The title says vanilla, but you can’t discuss vanilla without discussing the 12 year old orphaned slave who made vanilla production possible.

  
• 11.26.2018

  Peach

  Despite the term “Georgia Peach” the peach isn’t really a southern crop naturally, it became one out of necessity.

  
• 11.19.2018

  Cranberries

  It’s almost Thanksgiving! Time to pay homage to a sour native with a cult following.

  
• 11.12.2018

  Wasabi

  Have you ever had wasabi? Really?

  
• 11.05.2018

  Oregano

  Would you like some strawberry leaves with that?

  
• 10.30.2018

  Paprika

  Paprika: Sometimes it’s dried, powdered peppers, and sometimes there’s a little something extra.

  
• 10.22.2018

  Bananas

  Why the heck are banana seedless? And what is the difference between a banana and a plantain?

  
• 10.16.2018

  Rose Hips

  High in vitamin C, tasty, and readily available in backyards across America, this just might be the perfect scavenger food!

  
• 10.08.2018

  Pecans

  Pecans are an American original, but not all of them are eaten here. Just ask the Chinese.

  
• 10.03.2018

  Coffee

  From a beautiful shrub with stunning red berries to the roaster and finally your mug, coffee is as interesting as it is delicious.

  
• 09.25.2018

  Tomato

  To the uninitiated tomatoes seem like an amazing addition to any menu, but it isn’t that simple. Over the centuries tomatoes have been a part of both delicious, and deadly, meals.

  
• 09.18.2018

  Chocolate

  Everybody loves chocolate, but where does it really come from?

  
• 09.10.2018

  Stevia

  The sweetest plant you’ll ever meet.

  
• 08.22.2018

  Strawberry

  The story of the modern strawberry is really the story of a French spy and a brilliant teenager.

  
• 08.14.2018

  Garlic

  Garlic is one of those rare plants that just doesn’t like to make seeds very much.