Deep fried deliciousness is the order of the day as we tackle these delightful side dishes and decide whether either is suitable for your diet.

• National Onion Rings Day - National Day Calendar
• The True Origins of 11 of Your Favorite Fried Foods - Thrillist
• Are French Fries Truly French - National Geographic
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_peroxidation

The weather's heating up, so it's time to cool down with a couple of refreshing soft drinks that got their start in the 1800s and have had some dubious health benefits attributed to them over time.

• Sarsaparilla in Syphilis
• Sarsparilla - American Indian Health and Diet Project
• Temperance drinks: everything in moderation - The Guardian
• Soda: The Dubious History (And Great Flavor) of Vernors Ginger Ale - Serious Eats
• The Effect of a Standardized Ginger Extract on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea-Related Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Moderately or Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy: A Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Trial

The battle of the berries will pit two fruits that on the surface seem like they should be similar, but at least one harbors a dark secret.

• Blueberries: A Biography - Smithsonian Magazine
• Health and History of Highbush Blueberries - University of Vermont
• Celebrating the Blueberry's 100th Birthday - USDA
• Raspberry - Encyclopedia Brittanica

When it's taco night, which grain do you want your tortillas to be made of? Our opinions may differ on that, but we re-unite for our quest to determine how deadly these seemingly innocuous taco-holsters really are and to try to figure out whether one stands out from the other nutritionally.

• History of Tortillas
• Old El Paso - Why Not Both

This episode takes us underground to explore the wonderful world of root vegetables and dig deep to unearth their origin stories, discuss their place in scientific studies, and make a judgement on which you should be eating more often.

This week we take a dip with two of the most popular snacks to see if we have any strong opinions on the subject, figure out how many wars each has caused, and eventually talk about whether or not you should be eating them in the first place.

• Holy Guacamole: How the Hass Avocado Conquered the World - Smithsonian Magazine
• Give Chickpeas A Chance: Why Hummus Unites, And Divides, The Mideast - NPR
• Who invented hummus? - BBC

It's the 30th episode, and that means that it's time for another royal rumble. This time we explore the artery clogging world of fats, and talk about what makes some better for you than others, how they retain their distinctive flavors, and which has a rebellion named after it. 

• Spread the Word: Butter Has an Epic Backstory - NPR
• Deep History of Coconuts Decoded - The Source

More sandwiches for everyone! This time around they get even less healthy, as we delve into the briny depths and processed...glop tubes (?) behind these popular sandwiches. What we find may not be particularly healthy, but it sure tastes good (depending on which of us you ask).

• My Grandfather Invented the Reuben Sandwich. Right? - NY Times
• The History of the Reuben Sandwich - Kitchen Project
• Philly Cheesesteak Illustrated History - First We Feast
• A Brief History of the Cheesesteak - Thrillist
• The Day They Took the Cheese Out of Cheez Whiz - National Post

We take a trip to the fair this episode as we compare these two indulgent foods, discussing their similar origin stories, dubious nutritional value, and reminiscing about horrible school cafeteria food.

• Texas Corndogs Recipe - Martha Stewart
• Corn Dog Recipe - Alton Brown
• The Short, Sad History of the Corn Dog - Village Voice
• The Complicated History of the Frito Pie
• Frito Pie Explained

This episode the focus is on two regional seafood-based sandwiches with remarkably similar origin stories. In the end it all comes down to the fats - does the fried seafood in the Po Boy condemn it or is the mayo/butter covered lobster fatty enough to win the race to the bottom?

Messy History of the Po Boy