Savor

Savor has been answering the question "why do we like what we like?" for nearly 900 episodes, and hosts Anney Reese and Lauren Vogelbaum still haven't run out of material. Originally launched as FoodStuff on HowStuffWorks, the show rebranded under iHeartPodcasts and kept doing exactly what it does best: tracing the science, history, and cultural quirks behind the things we eat and drink. Each episode picks a single topic -- pecans, chewing gum, amaretto, cottage cheese, cassoulet -- and spends about 37 minutes pulling apart everything that makes it interesting. The approach is research-heavy but never dry. Anney and Lauren have an easy rapport that keeps the facts moving without turning episodes into lectures. They'll tell you where an ingredient came from, how it traveled across continents, why certain cultures embraced it while others didn't, and what the food science says about its flavor profile. The range is impressive. One week you're learning about the cultural politics of cottage cheese, and the next you're hearing how amaretto went from Italian monastery to your cocktail glass. With a back catalog stretching to 2017, there's an enormous library to work through if you're just discovering the show. New episodes still arrive weekly, maintaining a consistency that plenty of podcasts struggle with after this many years. The 4.3-star rating across nearly 1,500 Apple Podcasts reviews reflects a dedicated audience that appreciates substance over flash. Savor won't teach you how to cook anything, but it'll make you understand your food in a way that changes how you think about every meal.