Arguing About Food

The American Konbini Olympics


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On the drive back from Indianapolis, Olivia and Nate (along with guest appearances from their spouses Eric and Aislinn) engage in a roaming, chaotic food tribunal—starting with a full breakdown of Freddy’s and where it belongs in the fast food hierarchy. From there, the crew revives the “Konbini Olympics” concept and runs an American convenience-store version, complete with rules, pre-taste predictions, and post-taste scoring. A parade of aggressively engineered snacks and drinks gets put on trial, with the conversation spiraling into texture debates, aftertaste conspiracies, and what science has unleashed upon our highways. Along the way, they take live comments and questions, detour into steak preferences, and confess their most shameful gas station comfort foods. It’s four people in a car trying to survive a road trip while eating novelty items, and it predictably descends into chaos.

00:21 — Freddy’s stop: first-timer reactions, menu highlights, and fast food hierarchy discussion

05:10 — Why certain fast food items are “never available”

06:10 — Taco Bell discourse: identity, expectations, and comparison debates

08:28 — Cheese curds discussion: texture, breading, and what defines a good curd

11:40 — The original Tokyo Konbini Olympics explained + rules for the American version

16:20 — Item #1 taste test: novelty candy (pre-score vs post-score)

20:20 — Item #2 taste test: neon soda experiment

25:10 — Item #3 taste test: unconventional meat snack

28:50 — Item #4 taste test: packaged sweet snack

32:50 — Item #5 taste test: soft-baked pastry with fruit filling

36:40 — Item #6 taste test: pre-made PB&J

39:50 — Live question: favorite cut of steak

41:40 — Gas station food confessions and road trip staples

45:50 — The case for American convenience stores becoming more konbini-like

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Arguing About FoodBy Nate Duncan

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