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Esculent: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Elizabeth McQueen
A food podcast that explores how humans have defined what is, and isn’t, edible.
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- 1 weeks ago42 min
Consuming Mezcal
The enduring fascination with the “authentic” drives tourists to seek the artisanally-produced mezcal, especially in Oaxaca, where Daniela and Elizabeth find themselves in Esculent’s fourth episode of this season. Through their navigation of different topics like rising housing prices, Michelin star systems, and alcohol consumption during times of the pandemic, we take a look at the relationship both researchers have to tourism, raising the question: Is there such a thing as responsible, conscious tourism? Featuring Asamblea de los Pueblos Indígenas del Istmo en Defensa de la Tierra y el Territorio, or APIIDTT, an organization representing community and agrarian authorities from Zapotec, Ikoots, Zoque, and Mixe communities in Oaxaca. Host: Elizabeth McQueen & Daniela Gutierrez-Flores Partner: Mi Oaxaca Editors: Santiago Reyes & Stace Baran Production Intern: Alyssa Pulido Theme by Ronan Delisle This podcast is supported by the University of California Humanities Research Institute and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Center at Florida State University.
- 2 weeks ago30 min
Serving Mezcal
At Masala y Maíz in Mexico City, no bottle goes to waste once it’s been opened. Join us for Esculent’s third episode with special guest and Director of Beverage and Culture, Sergio del Castillo and co-chef Saqib Keval, as they describe the restaurant’s cocktail program and the ethics that goes into its creation. With knowledgeable descriptions and different processes that go into making each spirit on the menu, guests are invited to taste for themselves, encountering new flavors and ingredients to learn how they’re made, and how those intimate tastes grow in relation to spirits. Host: Elizabeth McQueen & Daniela Gutierrez-Flores Partner: Mi Oaxaca Editors: Santiago Reyes & Stace Baran Production Intern: Alyssa Pulido Theme by Ronan Delisle This podcast is supported by the University of California Humanities Research Institute and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Center at Florida State University.
- 3 weeks ago38 min
The Taste of Mezcal
When mezcal evokes memories of mom’s kitchen or relatives spritzing the spirit to the earth, it becomes clear that smoke has never been adequate to describe a taste of mezcal. In Esculent’s next episode, we are joined by Mi Oaxaca’s founder, Fabiola Santiago, as we take a look at the different ways people encounter mezcal — either through tasting wheels, aromas, or the memories and relations we ascribe to the beverage. How can we fill in the gaps from tasting wheels that enforce Eurocentric aromas? Together, we think about how one can “taste” mezcal in ways that create relations, rather than orchestrate erasure. Host: Elizabeth McQueen & Fabiola Santiago Partner: Mi Oaxaca Editors: Santiago Reyes & Stace Baran Production Intern: Alyssa Pulido Theme by Ronan Delisle This podcast is supported by the University of California Humanities Research Institute and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Center at Florida State University.
- May 14, 202650 min
A Sticky History of Mezcal
When studying the history of mezcal, why begin with the milky, lightly fermented beverage pulque? In Esculent’s new season, we are joined once again by Professor Daniela Gutiérrez Flores as we navigate the archives detailing the cultural significance of the maguey plant in Mesoamerica. From discussing pulque’s role in sacred ritual to examining the colonial context of mezcal–both from maguey– we begin to center the narrative on Indigenous practices and experiences. Host: Elizabeth McQueen & Daniela Gutierrez-Flores Partner: Mi Oaxaca Editors: Santiago Reyes & Stace Baran Production Intern: Alyssa Pulido Theme by Ronan Delisle This podcast is supported by the University of California Humanities Research Institute and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Center at Florida State University.
- May 14, 20264 min
Season 7: Mezcal
This season welcomes co-host Daniela Gutiérrez Flores as we prepare to travel with Fabiola Santiago and the organization Mi Oaxaca -- we are honored to be thinking, sensing, and traveling with care over the next episodes, all about mezcal. Host: Elizabeth McQueen & Daniela Gutiérrez Flores Partner: Mi Oaxaca Editors: Santiago Reyes & Stace Baran Production Intern: Alyssa Pulido Theme by Ronan Delisle This podcast is supported by the University of California Humanities Research Institute and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Center at Florida State University.
- Dec 23, 202544 min
Curating Living Archives with Kyria Boundy-Mills
What does it mean to steward a living archive? Kyria Boundy-Mills, curator of the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, joins Esculent to discuss the care and preservation of thousands of yeast strains. The collection extends far beyond familiar fermenters like bread and beer yeasts, encompassing species drawn from insect ecologies, plants, soils, and unexpected environments. In this episode, we explore how yeasts become technologies of esculence, such as how isolating, storing, and characterizing microbial life supports food science research. Boundy-Mills’ work reveals the archival dimensions of microbial collections, and what infrastructure is utilized to maintain those archives. Tasting: J. Street Chocolate with Shared Cultures’ cacao-nib miso (featuring koji culture) Viewing: Closing scene of Wonka (2023) Host: Professor Elizabeth McQueen & Professor Charlotte Biltekoff Producer: Stace Baran Theme by: Ronan Delisle Esculent is brought to you by Professor Charlotte Biltekoff and the Darrell Corti Endowed Professorship in Food, Wine and Culture at University of California, Davis.
- Dec 16, 202551 min
Scaling Taste with Professor David Block
What happens when the science of winemaking meets the emerging world of cultivated meat? Distinguished Professor David Block joins Esculent to discuss how engineering principles, chemistry, and scale shape technologies of taste. This episode also considers mouthfeel—how the tactile sensation of food and drink becomes central, or is becoming central, to the experience of the esculent in the food industry. Together, we reflect on how scaling, precision, and sensory expectations intersect in both traditional and experimental forms of food production. Tasting: TCHO “Napa Noir” dark chocolate with cacao nibs, aged in red wine barrels and infused with cabernet sauvignon sea salt from Clif Family Winery Viewing: Wonkavision, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) Host: Professor Elizabeth McQueen & Professor Charlotte Biltekoff Producer: Stace Baran Theme by: Ronan Delisle Esculent is brought to you by Professor Charlotte Biltekoff and the Darrell Corti Endowed Professorship in Food, Wine and Culture at University of California, Davis.
- Dec 9, 202552 min
Microbial Worlds with Professor Maria Marco
Microorganisms structure not only our foods but our bodies. Professor Maria Marco joins Esculent to discuss her research on bacteria, fermentation, probiotics, and the gustatory systems that support microbial life. While microbes often appear in consumer culture as wellness buzzwords, Professor Marco offers a another perspective on how microorganisms function as part of systems of eating. This episode examines how microbes participate in the making of the esculent, and the questions that linger on the edges of studying nonhuman participants in processes of eating. Tasting: Bouchard Probiotic Dark Belgian Chocolate (72%), infused with Bifidobacterium longum Viewing: The Fizzy-Lifting Drink, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) Host: Professor Elizabeth McQueen & Professor Charlotte Biltekoff Producer: Stace Baran Theme by: Ronan Delisle Esculent is brought to you by Professor Charlotte Biltekoff and the Darrell Corti Endowed Professorship in Food, Wine and Culture at University of California, Davis.
About Esculent
A food podcast that explores how humans have defined what is, and isn’t, edible.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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