Smartest Year Ever

Some people say cilantro tastes fresh and citrusy. Others say it tastes like dish soap. Why?

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores one of the most divisive herbs on earth—and what your DNA has to do with it. From the genetic receptor that triggers the soap effect to famous chefs who hate it, this story blends biology, culture, and evolution into a fresh take on a controversial leaf.

Whether you’re team cilantro or team soap, you’ll never look at tacos—or your genome—the same way again.

Follow along as we wrap up Food Facts Week with one final strange, surprising, and strangely polarizing story.

Sources:

• Eriksson, N., et al. (2012). A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference. Flavour, 1(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/2044-7248-1-22
  

• McGee, H. (2004). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Scribner.
  

• NPR. (2012). Cilantro Haters, It's Not Your Fault. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/05/14/152665420/cilantro-haters-its-not-your-fault
  

• The New York Times. (2010). Cilantro Haters, It’s Genetic. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html
  

#foodfacts #cilantro

#dailyfacts #foodhistory #DidYouKnow #genetics #biology Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Was Chef Boyardee just a cartoon mascot on a can of ravioli? Think again. In this episode, Gordy dives into the incredible true story of the man behind the red label: a teenage immigrant prodigy who would go on to cater a presidential wedding, found a national food empire, and even aid the U.S. military during World War II.

From Cleveland restaurant kitchens to wartime food factories, this episode of Smartest Year Ever uncovers how a real chef became one of the most iconic names in American grocery store history. And yes—his real name wasn’t Boyardee.

It’s one of the strangest, most surprising food stories of the 20th century—and one that may make you see that red can in a whole new light.

👉 New episodes every day. Stay curious. Stay clever.

Sources

• Vinton, K. (2016). The real Chef Boyardee was a war hero. Forbes.
  

• Jurafsky, D. (2014). The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu. W. W. Norton & Company.
  

• U.S. Army Quartermaster Foundation. (n.d.). Chef Boyardee wartime food production records.
  

• NPR. (2013). Chef Boy-Ar-Dee: The Real Story.
  

• New York Times, Obituary. (1985). Ettore Boiardi, 87, Founder of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee.
  

#FoodFacts #ChefBoyardee #FoodHistory #cannedgoods #americanfood #DailyFacts #SmartestYearEver #DidYouKnow Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Why are salt and pepper the table default around the world? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the culinary history, chemical power, and colonial legacy behind the spice duo we never question. From Roman soldiers being paid in salt to French chefs turning black pepper into a fine dining staple, the answer to why these two spices became the global standard is more fascinating—and more political—than you think.

This is Food Facts Week, where each day we unpack the strange, surprising, and oddly powerful stories behind what’s on your plate.

👉 If you're a food lover, a history nerd, or just curious about why we eat the way we do, this one’s for you.

Sources:

• Kurlansky, M. (2003). Salt: A World History. Penguin Books.
  

• Turner, J. (2005). Spice: The History of a Temptation. Vintage.
  

• Davidson, A. (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  

• BBC Travel. (2020). Why Salt and Pepper Became the Table Duo.
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. (2016). The Surprising History of Pepper.
  

• National French Archives. French Cooking in the 17th Century: La Varenne and the Birth of Haute Cuisine.
  

• NPR. (2014). The Splendid Table: Jacques Pépin Interview.
  

#foodfacts #spicehistory #culinarytraditions #foodhistory #blackpepper #saltandpepper #SmartestYearEver Music thanks to Zapsplat.

There’s no food more iconic—or more deceptively simple—than the sandwich. But where did the name come from? And did one British aristocrat really invent it?

On today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down the surprising, global, and very old history of sandwiches—from gambling lords in 18th-century England to ancient religious traditions, medieval trenchers, and international street food.

We trace the rise of the sandwich from John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich—a man too busy (or too addicted) to stop eating—to the modern global sandwich renaissance. You’ll hear about matzah and lamb, pita and laffa, PB&Js and Bánh mìs, and the question that haunts us all: is a hot dog a sandwich?

This episode is part of Food Facts Week—7 straight days of strange, surprising, and delicious food history facts.

👉 Subscribe to stay smart daily—and become a better conversationalist one fact at a time.

Sources

• Davidson, A. (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  

• Smith, A. F. (2013). Sandwich: A Global History. Reaktion Books.
  

• BBC. (2016). The Real Story Behind the Earl of Sandwich.
  

• Oxford English Dictionary. Entry for "sandwich."
  

• Monticello.org. Jefferson’s Sandwich References.
  

• Jewish Virtual Library. Hillel and the Origins of the Sandwich.
  

• British Sandwich Association. (2006). Legal Definitions for VAT.
  

• National Geographic. (2019). A Brief History of the Sandwich.
  

#foodfacts #sandwichhistory #dailyfacts #foodhistory #DidYouKnow #learnsomethingnew #sandwich Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Why do we call them French fries?

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the surprising global history of one of the world’s most beloved foods. From Belgian peasants to French revolutionaries, from American soldiers to fast food giants, this story has it all: miscommunication, cultural pride, and deep-fried international drama.

It’s Day 3 of Food Facts Week—and today’s episode might make you question everything you thought you knew about your favorite side dish.

Come for the fries. Stay for the geopolitical tantrums.

Sources:

• Leclercq, P. (2015). French Fries: A Belgian Invention? Food & History.
  

• BBC Travel. (2018). Why French Fries Might Not Be French.
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. Who Really Invented French Fries?
  

• National Geographic. (2019). The Surprising History of French Fries.
  

• McDonald’s Corporate Archives. Fry Preparation History.
  

• The Guardian. (2021). France vs. Belgium: The Battle Over Fries.
  

• U.S. Congressional Record. (2003). “Freedom Fries” Debate.
  

• Jefferson Papers. Monticello.org. Potatoes “in the French manner.”
  

#foodfacts #FrenchFries #dailyfacts #foodhistory #DidYouKnow #SmartestYearEver

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Who really invented the potato chip?Was it an act of culinary genius—or just a frustrated chef slicing out of spite?

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the salty, crispy, and surprisingly murky origin of the potato chip. From a legendary restaurant in Saratoga Springs to industrial food innovation, it’s a story that combines spite-driven creativity, clever marketing, and one of the most important inventions in snack food history.

Discover the myth, the truth, and the billion-dollar empire behind one of America’s favorite junk foods—plus the woman who changed everything with a wax paper bag.

This is Food Facts Week—a new bite-sized food history every day.

Follow for daily facts that stick in your brain like crumbs in a chip bag.

Sources:

• Kitchiner, W. (1817). The Cook's Oracle. London: John Hatchard.
  

• Smith, A. F. (1999). Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn and Chips. University of South Carolina Press.
  

• Potato chip. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/potato-chip
  

• Severson, K. (1995, July). A Crunchy Legacy: Saratoga Springs and the Potato Chip. The New York Times.
  

• NPR. (2013, August 23). The Woman Who Invented the Potato Chip Bag. https://www.npr.org
  

• Frito-Lay. (n.d.). Company History. https://www.fritolay.com
  

• National Potato Council. (2024). Industry Statistics. https://www.nationalpotatocouncil.org
  

#potatochips #foodfacts #dailyfacts #foodhistory #snackfacts #curiousminds #SmartestYearEver

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

To kick off Food Facts Week, Gordy digs into one of the strangest names in American cuisine: why do we call them “hot dogs”? The story of this iconic street food is full of immigrant history, language twists, cartoon myths, and a whole lot of meat-based suspicion.

From college slang and 19th-century food fears to the murky mystery of a missing cartoon and a real U.S. council dedicated to sausages, this episode serves up the real story behind a name we never question—but probably should. It’s weird, it’s funny, and it’s 100% true.

This is the first episode of Food Facts Week, so stick around all week for more strange, surprising, and unforgettable food origin stories.

New episodes daily. Stay curious, stay clever.

Sources:

• Smith, A. F. (2008). Hot Dog: A Global History. Reaktion Books.
  

• Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Entry on “hot dog.”
  

• U.S. Library of Congress. (n.d.). Who invented the hot dog? https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/who-invented-the-hot-dog/
  

• National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. (n.d.). https://www.hot-dog.org/
  

• Sinclair, U. (1906). The Jungle. Doubleday, Page & Company.
  

• Popik, B. (n.d.). Hot Dog Etymology. https://www.barrypopik.com
  

• Yale Alumni Magazine. (n.d.). The Long, Strange History of the Hot Dog. https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/5288
  

#FoodFactsWeek #HotDogHistory #Linguistics #CuriousCulture #AmericanFoodLore Music thanks to Zapsplat.

What does the Richter scale actually measure—and what would the most powerful earthquake in recorded history feel like?

In this episode, Gordy breaks down the science of seismic waves, the logarithmic scale that changed the way we understand earthquakes, and the terrifying real-world consequences of Earth’s most violent tectonic shifts. From magnitude vs. energy to why a small number jump means massive differences in destruction, you’ll walk away with a new respect for what those Richter numbers really mean.

Plus: the real story of the largest earthquake ever recorded, how we measure quakes today, and the top seismic danger zones in the U.S.

This is one of those episodes that might just change how you look at the ground beneath your feet.

Sources:

• United States Geological Survey. (2025). Moment Magnitude, Richter Scale – What Are the Different Magnitude Scales, and Why Are There So Many? https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/magnitude-types
  

• United States Geological Survey. (2025). Earthquake Magnitude, Energy Release, and Shaking Intensity. https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/earthquake-magnitude-energy-release-and-shaking-intensity
  

• United States Geological Survey. (2025). 20 Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900. https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/browse/largest-world.php
  

• Encyclopædia Britannica. (2025). Richter Scale. https://www.britannica.com/science/Richter-scale
  

#EarthquakeFacts #Seismology #NaturalDisasters #RichterScale #SmartestYearEver #earthquakes #geology #earthscience Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Was Napoleon actually short… or is that just one of history’s most effective smear campaigns?In this episode, Gordy investigates the real height of Napoleon Bonaparte, uncovers the origins of the “Napoleon Complex”, and explores how British propaganda shaped centuries of perception—all thanks to a little misunderstanding about inches.

From unit conversions to military mythmaking, this episode reveals how historical reputation can be shaped by something as small as a ruler. And how even the most dominant figures in history can be reduced to punchlines by clever cartoons.

Perfect for fans of historical myths, pop psychology, and funny facts you can drop at a party. This one packs a full-sized dose of truth.

Sources:

• Connelly, O. (2006). Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Military Campaigns. Rowman & Littlefield.
  

• Ellis, G. (1997). Napoleon: Profiles in Power. Longman.
  

• British Museum. (n.d.). Political Caricatures of Napoleon Collection.
  

• University of Central Lancashire. (2007). Short Man Syndrome: Myth or Reality?
  

• Glover, M. (2001). The Napoleonic Wars: An Illustrated History. Hippocrene Books.
  

#NapoleonFacts #HistoryMyths #HistoricalTruths #hiddenhistory #historyfacts #politicalcomics #MilitaryHistory #DidYouKnow #SmartestYearEver Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Why did Yankee Doodle stick a feather in his cap… and call it macaroni? It sounds ridiculous today—but in the 18th century, that line packed a punch. In this July 4th episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy investigates one of America’s most iconic lyrics to uncover a forgotten world of British fashion slang, cultural mockery, and patriotic transformation.

From powdered wigs to wartime parodies, from militia mockery to national identity, this bizarre lyric tells the story of how Americans turned insult into anthem. You'll never hear "Yankee Doodle" the same way again.

If you're curious about the real history behind American folk songs, Revolutionary War propaganda, and why calling someone "macaroni" was once the sickest burn imaginable, this episode is for you.

No days off. New fact daily.

Sources:

• Philbrick, N. (2013). Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution. Viking.
  

• Crawford, R. (2001). America’s Musical Life: A History. W. W. Norton & Company.
  

• Lichtenwanger, W. (1982). The Songs of the Revolution. Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress, 39(3), 253–273.
  

• Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). Yankee Doodle: History of an American Tune.
  

• Library of Congress. (n.d.). The Origins of Yankee Doodle. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200000001/
  

#AmericanHistory #FolkMusic #RevolutionaryWar #DailyFacts #USHistory #yankeedoodle #musichistory Music thanks to Zapsplat.