What is tea art, and when and how did it emerge as a social practice? In this episode, Daniel Bender of Gastronomica hosts anthropologist Thiago Braga in a conversation about the aesthetics of tea in urban China. Drawing on his latest research, featured in Gastronomica’s newest issue (Summer 2023), Thiago...

Allison Lakin of Lakin's Gorges Cheese is the Head Cheesemaker and Owner of East Forty Farm.

Brooklyn cheesemonger turned affineur and educator, Mary Casella joins us to talk about her upcoming presentation for the Daphne Zepos Research Award. Plus, we review what she has found so far in her project as well as what's next for her gender study of the dairy industry. Photo Courtesy of...

Sharing and eating food together is a common way to build connection, but how does one maintain family ties when separated by hundreds of miles? In this episode, Singapore-based anthropologist Indira Arumugam chronicles her family’s migration through a story of salt, sun, and time. In conversation with Gastronomica Editorial Collective...

This episode of Meant to be Eaten was produced in collaboration with Gastronomica Journal. Melissa Fuster, from Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies, is in for Coral Lee. A conversation with Azri Amram. Can food serve as a tool to build bridges in times of conflict? Azri Amram takes us...

This episode of Meant to be Eaten was produced in collaboration with Gastronomica Journal. Bob Valgenti, from Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies, is in for Coral Lee. A conversation with Rose Wellman. Jello is a beloved dessert and also an unexpected source of religious debate. Anthropologist Rose Wellman shares...

Why and how do we gather around food? Food photographer, Penny de Los Santos, discusses her "anthropologic findings" while shooting for Nat Geo, her research in Dearborn, MI, and what exactly "food landscapes" can reveal about their respective cultures. Penny's photographs have been in National Geographic, Food Wine, and...

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, John Fraser takes an anthropological approach to restaurant life. Nix, his latest offering, is steps away from the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC, and aims to create a category for vegetarian cuisine that is all it’s own. Here, Fraser flexes his creative muscles...

Bust out the wine, cheese, and paperbacks (but don't even bother with the "I didn't have time to do the reading" excuses): the Reading Things book club is in session. Claire and Erica discuss this month's book, Euphoria by Lily King, which includes a fictional casting of the movie version...

On today’s episode of Animal Instinct, guest Dr. Patricia C. Wright talks about her work studying wild lemurs in Madagascar. Dr. Wright is a Distinguished Professor at Stony Brook University, NY, and a founder of the Centre ValBio Research Station in Madagascar, a "green" sustainable hub of research, environmental arts...