{"podcast":{"title":"Gastropod","slug":"gastropod-946737","podcast_index_feed_id":946737,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/VMP6255701211","website_url":"https://gastropod.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/97d6d85e-e320-11eb-be6b-3ff4d7cb8782/image/3af290d77dd48789f45dcd5a93483cd1.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley","episode_count":292,"summary":"Food with a side of science and history. Every other week, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley serve up a brand new episode exploring the hidden history and surprising science behind a different food- or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, from cutlery to chile peppers, and from microbes to Malbec. We interview experts, visit labs, fields, and archaeological digs, and generally have lots of fun while discovering new ways to think about and understand the world through food. Find us online at gastropod.com, follow us on Twitter @gastropodcast, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/gastropodcast.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T08:18:35.860140+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/gastropod-946737"},"episode":{"title":"Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!","slug":"is-your-cinnamon-fake-where-does-kefir-come-from-plus-why-is-citric-acid-in-everything-ask-gastropod","published_at":"2025-12-16T15:56:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/gastropod-946737/is-your-cinnamon-fake-where-does-kefir-come-from-plus-why-is-citric-acid-in-everything-ask-gastropod","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/gastropod-946737","url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP2087639455.mp3?updated=1765900936","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP2087639455.mp3?updated=1765900936","summary":"The season for holiday baking is upon us, and before you spice up your cookies and pies, you’ll probably want to know: is most of the cinnamon on grocery store shelves actually fake? That’s one question we’re investigating this week on behalf of you, dear listeners, in the latest installment of our popular Ask Gastropod series! This episode, we've got the scoop on what's real when it comes to cinnamon—because your buns deserve the truth. We're also putting our detective hats on to figure out where in the world kefir comes from, in an epic tale that involves mummies, a prince, and a potential kidnapping. Finally, if you look at almost any label, from jam to ice cream to soda to sausage, you'll find one shared ingredient: citric acid. What on Earth is this additive doing in everything, how is its spread connected to a technology that has saved millions of lives—and is it safe to eat? Listen in for a festive feast of listener curiosity, and keep your awesome questions coming our way! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices","meta_description":"The season for holiday baking is upon us, and before you spice up your cookies and pies, you’ll probably want to know: is most of the cinnamon on grocery…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2553,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/gastropod-946737/episodes/is-your-cinnamon-fake-where-does-kefir-come-from-plus-why-is-citric-acid-in-everything-ask-gastropod/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/gastropod-946737/is-your-cinnamon-fake-where-does-kefir-come-from-plus-why-is-citric-acid-in-everything-ask-gastropod.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}