Need a break from your endless queue of true crime pods? Add something new to your rotation with these five podcasts which explore the intersection of food and culture. From food trucks to farming, this collection of shows spans a diverse range of food systems topics.
Rebel Eaters Club
Virgie Tovar, activist and author, addresses weight-based discrimination and body image in her conversational podcast, Rebel Eaters Club, a show about “breaking up with diet culture…one corndog at a time.” A journal prompt accompanies each episode and can be found on the show website along with other learning and listening opportunities.
The Food Truck Scholar
Dr. Ariel Smith’s podcast, The Food Truck Scholar, focuses on the importance of Black-owned food trucks and the history of the mobile food industry. Resistance, cultural preservation, community strength, and education are the central themes of the show. If you’re looking to start a food truck, be sure to check out her book, Before You Launch A Food Truck: 8 Questions Every Aspiring Food Trucker Should Ask.
Black in the Garden
Self-described “millenial black plant enthusiast,” Colah B Tawkin, explores the “intersection of Black Culture and horticulture in a world where all the garden fairies and most of the gnomes are white,” in her podcast Black in the Garden. Tawkin and her guest experts talk seeds, soil, ethics, and history while “celebrating the Black experience in the garden.”
Food Heaven
Registered dietitians, Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones, share accessible recipes, meal prep tips, and nutritional insight in their inclusive wellness podcast, Food Heaven. The pair host an array of health and nutrition experts to discuss topics of food and culture. In addition to their podcast, their website hosts a blog, recipes, courses, and their cookbook.
Setting the Table
From Whetstone Radio Collective comes Setting the Table, a podcast hosted by food writer Deb Freeman that “explores the stories and histories of African American cuisine and foodways.” Through baking, barbeque, and brewing, Freeman weaves stories of past, present, and future food narratives with a Black culinary focus.
Emily Row is the Media & Brand Manager at Taste the Local Difference. Contact her at [email protected]