Podcasts are a great way to learn new things, chase boredom away and engage with media in a more curated way than traditional radio can ever provide.
There are podcasts about everything, from magazine-type topics, like news, politics and pop culture, to more focused topics, like sports and science. There are plenty of obscure niches, too — if you want to take a deep dive into any of your hobbies or passions, there is almost certainly already a podcast all about it.
There are also hundreds of podcasts about food and beverage, including some produced right here in Pennsylvania. Here are nine podcasts that, if you care about local food, are definitely worth the download:
2 Weird Hungry Girls
https://www.instagram.com/p/BITROz3gug-/
A Lancaster-based chef, food writer and storyteller, Phoebe Canakis of Phoebe’s Pure Food produces and hosts 2 Weird Hungry Girls — a name that pretty much says it all! Canakis and various co-hosts explore all kinds of cooking and food-related topics, from baking fails to food safety to making perfect pierogies.
Other chefs and food experts make guest appearances on the show, like Clinical Herbalist Susanna Reppert-Brill of The Rosemary House (in Mechanicsburg, PA) who was in the episode, The Timeless Magic of Herbs. The conversations are casual, easygoing and friendly, with plenty of tips and insight for home cooks along the way.
All In Foodz from Penn State’s Food Decisions Research Laboratory
The All In Foodz podcast is produced by Penn State’s Food Decisions Research Laboratory, part of its School of Hospitality Management. The podcast aims to address the multi-layered question: How do we choose what to eat, where, with whom, and when?
Each episode tackles a different topic, such as “Technology’s Impact on Food,” “Growing Up Allergic,” and “Dietary Change: It Takes a Family.” The stories on the podcast are addressed from the perspective of the food system environment and are shaped by individuals’ personal experiences and food-provider points of view. Many Penn State faculty members and alumni are guests on the show and they weigh in with expert opinions.
Beer Busters
https://www.instagram.com/p/BshDlcOgKLc/
Beer Busters is a podcast for local beer nerds (own that label with pride!). It was started in May of 2013 by brothers Dan and Wayne Baker and their cousin, Steph Heffner, all based in the greater Philadelphia area. Focused on craft beer and homebrewing, the podcast has grown into a bi-weekly podcast with all kinds of guests — fellow craft beer enthusiasts and homebrewers and leaders in the craft beer industry — as well as a digital magazine with beer reviews, news and more.
If you’ve always wanted to learn more about your favorite local brewer, this is a podcast worth bingeing. Recent episodes include interviews with Ethan Tripp of Fermentary Form, Eric Yost and Corey Ross of Suburban Brewing and a recap of the PA Dutch Brewers Festival.
Local Mouthful
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoH-_5DBIm-/
Two Philly food powerhouses, Joy Manning (Better Without Booze, Edible Philly) and Marisa McClellan (Food in Jars) teamed up to create a podcast celebrating local foods and home cooking: Local Mouthful. The episodes are like sitting in on warm, intimate coffee dates between food-obsessed friends sharing notes on favorite recipes, troubleshooting kitchen missteps, swapping cookbook tips and sharing little moments from everyday life.
They often incorporate local foods, as the podcast’s name suggests, including an episode in Fall 2018, where the duo visited Liana Ottaviani, the manager of Fantes Kitchen Shop (an amazing store in the Italian Market), who walked them through her family’s red gravy.
Fry Days in PGH
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd2gpVBDaYP/
A city as obsessed with french fries as Pittsburgh deserves an entire podcast about fries, right? And that’s where Fry Days in PGH comes in! Hosted by local writer Angelica Ross, this podcast includes interviews with interesting people and discusses Ross’ favorite spots to indulge in deep-fried spuds.
She recently chatted with Trevett Hooper, the chef/owner of Legume Bistro and Butterjoint, and in another episode, interviews Madeline Quigley, a blogger and food writer. So it’s intelligent conversation and french fry fandom, a very good combo indeed!
Full Belly Laughs
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLtnYirh_hI/
Food and comedy belong together more often! Full Belly Laughs, a Philly-based podcast, is like eavesdropping on a dinner party where only funny, clever people are invited.
The premise of each episode is that three different comedians join host Brian Durkin for a meal. After eating and discussing their food, they swap stories and then wrap up the show with some light trivia. Topics range from where to find the best vegan fast food in Philly to the concept of loud chewing, with plenty of laughs to be had each time.
Good Food Pittsburgh Radio
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs_bnBCAq1b/
Good Food Pittsburgh is a food news website all about the various culinary happenings in Pittsburgh, and, along with plenty of blog posts, it also hosts its own podcast. The host, Emily Catalano, and frequent guests talk shop on all the comings and going in the local food scene, like where the coziest restaurants for winter are and the city’s undeniable brewery boom.
If you want to know what’s what in Pittsburgh’s dining landscape, this is one podcast you must subscribe to!
Jawn Appétit
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYMAUNHh37e/
Jawn Appetit is all about food happenings in Philly and the surrounding region. If there are restaurant openings, special events or other exciting stuff happening in the City of Brotherly Love, hosts Roy and Chanell Burton have got the scoop and are ready to share all the news with their listeners!
They also share their food experiences on travel adventures to places like Hawaii and Washington, D.C. But, they mostly keep it close to home with Philly-related news and notes.
Yes Chef, with Chad Kubanoff
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs10QqVD1Qd/
We’ve already shared our appreciation for Chef Chad Kubanoff, a Bucks County-based chef who has started his own food video and podcasting company while he works on his next restaurant project. Kubanoff’s podcast, Yes Chef, takes a deep dive into chef life, with one-hour interviews with people from all across the local culinary community.
Past guests included Bryan Mayer, the former butcher at Kensington Quarters, Mark Fischer of Castle Valley Mill and Malaika Spencer of Roots to River Farm. As a veteran of the restaurant world himself, Kubanoff gets down to the real talk with guests who are often candid and open about the struggles, passion and heartbreak that come along with the job.
Are there PA-based food podcasts we missed? What are your favorites? Let us know!
- Feature photo: Pexels
