# The Science of Sake: Fermentation, Culture, and History with Dr. Eric Rath

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/foodie-pharmacology-podcast-796502/the-science-of-sake-fermentation-culture-and-history-with-dr-eric-rath
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/foodie-pharmacology-podcast-796502/the-science-of-sake-fermentation-culture-and-history-with-dr-eric-rath.md
Podcast: [Foodie Pharmacology Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/foodie-pharmacology-podcast-796502)
Published: 2026-02-16T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://FoodiePharmacology.podbean.com/e/the-science-of-sake-fermentation-culture-and-history-with-dr-eric-rath/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/q66z6x2pc6usexuh/The_Science_of_Sake_with_Dr_Eric_Rath_Foodie_Pharmacology_with_Cassandra_Quave818qg.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/foodie-pharmacology-podcast-796502/episodes/the-science-of-sake-fermentation-culture-and-history-with-dr-eric-rath
Duration seconds: 2402

## Resource

Sake sits at the intersection of fermentation science, ritual, and food culture. In this episode of Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave is joined by Dr. Eric C. Rath, professor of history at the University of Kansas and author of Kanpai: The History of Sake. Together, they explore what sake really is, how fermentation with koji mold transforms rice into alcohol, and why sake has played such a central role in Japanese ritual, everyday life, and food culture. The conversation also traces the history of home brewing, the rise of izakaya gastropubs, and the emergence of American sake as both adaptation and innovation.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/foodie-pharmacology-podcast-796502/episodes/the-science-of-sake-fermentation-culture-and-history-with-dr-eric-rath/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/foodie-pharmacology-podcast-796502/the-science-of-sake-fermentation-culture-and-history-with-dr-eric-rath.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.