Psychology of Food

Guest: Rachel Herz, author, "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind our Relationship with Food,"  and Adjunct Professor, Brown University and Boston College

There is much, much more to your food preferences than you’d think—beyond your tongue, your brain and nose play invaluable roles in helping you love bacon, chocolate, and pickles. 

 

Miracle Fruit 

Guest: Linda Bartoshuk, Bushnell Professor, Food Science & Human Nutrition, University of Florida

Miracle fruit can do something truly miraculous—turn sour foods sweet. 

 

Umami: The 5th Basic Flavor

Guest: Gary Beauchamp, Distinguished Member, Emeritus Director and President, Monell Chemical Senses Center

Umami, the mysterious fifth basic flavor, wasn’t identified until the early 1900s. But it's been linked to a feeling of satiation and its been quite a buzzword for the last couple decades. Still, its entree into our vocabulary was accompanied by a bit of drama surrounding the seasoning MSG. 

 

From Spain to Abroad: The Basque Diaspora

Guest: Anne-Marie Chiramberro, blogger, "Hella Basque"

Did you know there could be as many as 100,000 people in America who claim Basque descent? 

 

The Kurds

Guest: Stephen Mansfield, author, "The Miracle of the Kurds: A Remarkable Story of Hope Reborn in Northern Iraq"

You’ve seen their name scroll across the news, you’ve read about them as key players in the Iraqi conflict, but you’re not quite sure who they are, what makes them different, and why they’ve picked the battles that they have. Tune in to learn more about this remarkable group of people, the Kurds.