7 Food And Cooking Podcasts You Should Be Listening to

I’m a big podcast enthusiast. I listen to them as I’m running errands, working out at the gym, taking walks, cleaning my apartment, going on long drives…you name it, if there’s an audio void to fill, I’ll queue up a podcast. While there are countless ‘casts available for just about any topic you can imagine, my preferred genre is, predictably, food (though true crime is a close second). Food and cooking-related podcasts are not only great for amusement purposes, they’re also an amazing resource for tips on everything from cooking technique to the science behind how we perceive taste.

Below are my 7 favorite food and cooking podcasts that you should definitely be listening to if you’re a fellow kitchen nerd.

1) Bon Appetit Foodcast

Hosted by the popular magazine’s own Editor-in-Chief, Adam Rapoport, the Bon Appetit Foodcast is a delicious blend of entertainment and knowledge. Weekly episodes vary, sometimes featuring guests (think prominent chefs, cookbook authors, restaurateurs, industry experts), and sometimes highlighting special projects tackled by top-tier staff members (Andrew Knowlton, Deputy Editor and Carla Lalli Music, Food Director, appear frequently on the Foodcast). The production is top-notch, subjects are always relevant to the goings-on of today’s food world, and you absolutely do not have to be a reader of the print magazine in order to appreciate the podcast.

2) Milk Street Radio 

Milk Street is the latest product of Christopher Kimball’s iconic legacy of cooking and culinary teaching, and the weekly radio show-turned-podcast is a wonderful resource for home cooks of all skill levels. Each week, Milk Street Radio features an expert guest or an in-depth report from the industry, a “Milk Street Basic” practical tip, and at least two segments of Christopher and his co-host, Sara Moulton, answering caller questions. I learn something new or useful almost every time I listen to an episode of this podcast!

3) The Splendid Table

I’d be remiss not to include this one on my list, as The Splendid Table has been around since long before podcasts ever came into existence, beginning first as the title of Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s debut book, then evolving into a radio program in 1994. The original tagline was “the radio program for people who love to eat,” and its popularity has continued into our modern, ultra-digital age. While Lynne herself announced in February that she will be retiring at the end of 2017, she and the new host, Francis Lam, have been sharing the mic on an alternating basis in order to ease listeners into the transition. The program itself is remaining largely unchanged, with special guests from all corners of the food world.

4) BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme

With delightful British accents as a bonus, BBC’s The Food Programme is also a longstanding broadcast that began as a radio program and has evolved into a podcast. This is great news for us listeners, as there are literally hundreds of episodes in the archive just waiting to be devoured by our hungry ears. Food Programme topics range widely, analyzing the principles of dining alone one week, reflecting on Georgian feasts another, and the perils of being a chef in the Antarctic on yet another. This podcast is educational, entertaining, and consistently fantastic.

5) Radio Cherry Bombe 

A fun niche in the ever-expanding food world, Cherry Bombe is a biannual print publication celebrating women and food. Their weekly podcast, Radio Cherry Bombe, features host and co-founder, Kerry Diamond, and an exciting mix of guests (usually women!) from all walks of the food and cooking scene. Production quality is excellent (this is a program of the Heritage Radio Network, which has specialized in food radio since 2009) and you need not be a woman to appreciate—or learn from—this outstanding podcast.

6) A Taste of the Past

Another program of the Heritage Radio Network, A Taste of the Past is hosted by culinary historian, Linda Pelaccio. As the name implies, this podcast usually has a historic angle on its topics of food, cookery, and culture. Authors are frequent guests on the show, from cookbooks to food memoirs to historical accounts of how food and cooking has shaped our world, Linda and her guests delve deep into the how and why of culinary topics that many of us probably wouldn’t give thought to on our own. Fascinating and educational!

7) Prince Street

This one is unique, both in that episodes are monthly (rather than weekly), and that it is a Dean & Deluca product. Yes, the upscale food store has a podcast, and no, the program is not a giant ad for the grocer. It’s a smart, well-crafted podcast that often looks at how food ties into today’s cultural issues. There are cooking tips from guests and hosts alike (Alex Guarnaschelli of Iron Chef and Chopped is a frequent co-host), meaningful stories, and pleasant, jazzy musical transitions.

Honorable Mentions

These are also wonderful, food-related podcasts that I encourage you to check out if you’re hungry for more:

• Gastropod – “Food with a side of history and science”
• Munchies  – A food podcast by Vice
• Eater Upsell  – Eater’s own podcast
• FoodStuff – Of the glorious HowStuffWorks empire
• Gravy  – The podcast of the Southern Foodways Alliance
• Delicious – From the UK magazine of the same name
• Sporkful – “It’s not for foodies, it’s for eaters”

All the podcasts I’ve mentioned are available through your preferred podcast streaming app (I use CastBox for Android), so try out an episode next time you’re chopping your way through a mountain of veggies, pursuing the farmer’s market, or toiling away on the treadmill. If you have a favorite food or cooking podcast I haven’t mentioned here, please share it in the comments!