Smart Mouth

218
Food #157

An addictively illuminating, often hilarious, conversational podcast about the surprising historiesbehind the foods we love.Hosted by independent journalist and food anthropologist, Katherine Spiers (LA Times, LA Weekly, KCET, Eater, How to Eat L.A.). Guests include Anthony Bourdain, Georgia Hardstark, Jacques Pepin, Llewellyn Clarke, Sarah Kuhn, Claudette Zepeda, Jon Garbus, Danny Trejo, Flula Borg and many other compelling people who eat food!

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Recent Reviews
  • ~Ashley
    A delicious way to enjoy history!
    Thank you for all of these thoughtful and impeccably researched episodes!
  • Nick McNulty
    A great food podcast
    Smart Mouth has been a wonderful look into the history of food and the future of recipes. Interviews are quick witted and the historical details are top notch (particularly the episde about Toll House cookies). If you live in the LA area, Katherine is a great follow to let you know the best places to eat each weekend. As the show has progressed, however, it has slowly started to morph into "here's why your favorite food is actually problematic/racist." In the recent episode about hotdogs, it only took three minutes to digress into a discussion about how much they hate the police.
  • Over the Loon
    Nerdy and awesome
    Loving this podcast. The host, Katherine, is funny and passionate. I never thought I would care about highly specific morsels of food history but here we are. It’s also very much not just about food, though. This show has a POV and a personality and I have laughed out loud several times. Recommend!
  • Dan1777999877
    Fun listen!
    Smart Mouth has me laughing out loud and learning something new every episode - which is a rare combo! Big fan of Katherine and the guests that she has on. Everyone brings such a unique perspective.
  • Bee V. Brown
    A Food Lover/History Lover’s Haven
    I found this podcast through Alie Ward, host of Ologies, and have since been unable to separate from it! I anxiously await every new episode, salivating by the end and full of knowledge and nostalgia. Learning about the history and colonization behind our most iconic dishes/ingredients, hearing the ways the host and guests pronounce or name regional/foreign dishes, and getting a glimpse of what (mainly) shapes North America’s (sometimes ignored) rich and vibrant culinary cultural heritage makes this so worth indulging in!
  • wolffe14639
    Excellent foodie podcast
    Fun foodie podcast with a good mix of history, humor, and the guests’s personal experiences.
  • Sexy Cat Dad
    Katherine is the best
    Such great interviews and wonderful hidden history of the food you love.
  • kittenkate88
    Not informational enough but also not fun to listen to
    Only listened to one episode- admittedly an old one for a specific interview but not definitively researched enough and just did not like the interview style /editorial direction. Maybe some of the history is correct but she doesn’t exude confidence, and thus I feel it is more of a “I heard this once” instead of integrated fun facts. The interview style is self-centered- i.e. instead of asking a chef about Super Bowl recipes she goes on a rant about how football is bad and hopes it turns into a good holiday and no future kids don’t even remember it was once a football event.
  • TammyMinDC
    If you like food and you like history...
    this podcast is for you! First of all, I’m just gonna say it: Katherine has one of the best voices in podcasting! I love history and I enjoy food, and every episode is such an interesting deep dive on topics I usually have never given thought to. The conversations are great and offer diverse perspectives. The guest’s passion for the topic at hand is matched by Katherine’s passion to research and drop all the knowledge! Consistently one of my faves!
  • AndyT1999
    Smart Mouth for educated eaters
    Great interviews, great information. Every time I listen I learn something new. It’s fun, informative and makes you hungry for more.
  • 13Jim69
    Sometimes good
    I really like this podcast when the topic is completely food, when it strays into babbling left wing politics is when it goes down hill. The Iceland broccoli episode is a case in point. Crying about a president 20 years ago doesn’t really go with broccoli.
  • Pavlakovich
    An Audible Aperitif
    Audio food programs have seldom done much for me, since hearing is the only sense food doesn't stimulate. But Katherine's presentation is still quite sating. She's smart, funny and delightful. Each week she comes in well prepared on the topic. The guests on the episodes I've listened to have been interesting and engaging, and Katherine is quite capable as a host to allow them to shine and position them to be at their best. Listen and you'll see the Table Cakes crew are worthy your adoration,
  • benjamin88dude
    Fun Foodie Podcast!
    Love this podcast; it’s super fun! She covers pretty much all food types. I think I like the longer episodes better because usually those delve into food history a little bit more, which I find fascinating and often wild. I do wish the host wasn’t so opposed to people who have different political views than her. This country is doomed if we don’t even want to try to come together at all. As she points out many times, she hopes to get rid of listeners of this podcast who are also Trump voters. Seems like a defeated way of thinking for either side... anyway... Fun in regards to food, though. Lol.
  • ebraverman
    New season on point!
    Love this podcast!! The host, Katherine, and her guests always have great rapport, and I love how she uses food as the centerpiece of the interviews, but the guests end up filling in the ‘food history’ aspect with their personal memories and stories AROUND the food in question. Always such a fun listen. Loving the new season!!
  • Ms-Meika
    An educational trip through the history of culture and food
    Host Katherine Spiers does her homework for every episode and does such an insightful job of showing all of the many different ways that food and culture intersect and how food has the power to change and shape regions and societies. I find myself learning so many new things about some foods that I thought I knew a lot about. Definitely worth a listen.
  • ariewest
    I love Smart Mouth!
    Easy listening and super interesting!! I always have fun facts to pull out at barbecues and dinner parties thanks to Katherine and her guests!
  • Hammond, Destroyer of Pigs
    “A point against him for supporting Joe Biden” in Key Lime pie episode
    We’re done here.
  • H_LouVou
    Cheers
    I found this podcast as an ‘Ologies’ subscriber. I very much enjoyed the ‘Soda Pop’ trilogy, my vote for Ginger Ale was reposted in Instagram stories. Thank you.
  • mightykumquat
    What a treat!
    Came across this podcast with guest Meatball! Fell in love since! Katherine is such a engaging and interesting host!
  • Bobby B's Pizza
    Great podcast
    Great podcast, great chit chat, great history, just great. I have a large vocabulary
  • AmyGinIowa
    Good for foodies!
    I like this podcast. Sometimes there’s a bit too much chit chat before they get to the subject at hand. I enjoy the guests but I never know who they are ( probably because of my age... I knew Jacque Pepin). Keep up the good work!
  • overoverunder
    Informative and fun
    Smart Mouth is a wonderful podcast for anyone intereted in the beauty behind seemingly mundane foods, and for anyone eager to drill down into the food media scene at large. Highly recommend.
  • timmy f.b.
    The best
    High brow, low brow, all the best and later for the rest. Katherine jas that great combo of excitement for the good stuff and healthy disrespect for the bad. My kind of podcast!
  • elenacalifornia
    Food geek?
    Then you’ve found the right place. I’ve listened to a couple episodes and this is so much fun and informative. Dives pretty deep. I’m subscribed!
  • jfeiwojf0wie
    Blah blah blah
    I don’t like it a little
  • ywoulducare?
    FIVE STARS
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Katie Joy B.
    Entertaining, Educational & Hilarious
    Katherine and her awesome guests are HILARIOUS. I laugh throughout the entirety of the episode, but somehow always end up learning a ton! They're sneaky with the education, but upfront with the entertainment. Thanks for putting out such a wonderful show Katherine - keep up the great work!
  • Jason_Indy
    Really enjoyed the “Santa Barbara” series
    The last few episodes with food people industry people in Santa Barbara were great! I didn’t know much about Santa Barbara before and had a preconceived notion of it being pretty wealthy all around. The episodes painted a different picture. Keep up the excellent work!
  • koenig.253
    Interesting & Approachable Interviews
    The informal nature of Katherine’s interviews leads to many delightful asides & anecdotes peppered throughout the episode. They always talk through the topic du jour, delving into origins, developments, and appropriations of the various dishes or foods being discussed.
  • andymckim
    How...
    ... does a person who hates so many foods host a food podcast?
  • Jeremy Charles Bowditch
    great pod!
    Katherine always tells me the why and how of my favorite foods!
  • Moria V.
    Such a weird podcast
    I don’t get having on interesting, accomplished guests and then the host basically lectures *them* on a subject she seems to have looked up in Wikipedia just before the show. She has the air of an overindulged college freshman just home from school, lecturing the family with all her new ideas that every adult has long processed.
  • Nessalouise
    Love it!
    I enjoy this postcard so much! I like food, I like comedy, I like listening to things, it’s a win-win-win. The host, Katherine Spiers, is so great! And she a local PNWerner, so it’s fun to hear about her food experiences growing up in my city. The conversation is always wonderfully intelligent and respectful of the host and guest.
  • eyeponder
    A very thankful Taurus.
    This is my favorite food podcast and I've been listening to it every week for the past year! Being a tTaurus, I love food and Smart Mouth is the perfect blend of funny & fascinating. Thank you Katherine, (and her guests) for teaching me more about food and for representing Los Angeles!
  • Nurse1680
    My favorite podcast. Great content!
    Katherine’s podcast is informative as well as entertaining. I look forward to each episode. Katherine does her research. I enjoy her interaction with her guest. Thank you for your creating a great podcast and sharing your vast knowledge about the food culture.
  • Hfox16
    Five Star Food-Cast!
    LOVE Smart Mouth! Katherine talks about the type of food I love in a way I can actually understand. It's informative, digestible (pun intended) and a delight to listen to!
  • Shermelo
    A+
    I love getting to know Katherine and her guests through their conversations about what we eat and why we eat it. I've learned so much from listening to this podcast! I am often afraid to think about food because of cost and healthy scarcity and I now know that I can't afford not to think about what I am eating and who I am sharing it with.
  • hunytaco
    Smart and passionate
    First heard Katherine on Press Play with Madeline Brand and was amazed at how much more she knew about the Chinese food I grew up eating than I even I knew. She has the answers for all the food questions I didn't know I had.
  • boobear2245
    Best food pod on ITunes!
    Absolutely hilarious and interesting podcast. Listen to the episode with Sam Pancake and I’ve fallen in love with this show. I’ll definitely be back for more!
  • Paul Bernou
    Love this podcast
    I started listening after hearing Katherine on the Fork Reporter. I listened to every available podcast last week and loved them all. Funny, intelligent, and just terrific. Between podcasts I'll be looking for Katherine's articles on the internet. Everyone should be listening.
  • NinakiPapadaki
    Fun & Informative
    Great hostess, entertaining guests, and interesting content. Been recommending this podcast to all my friends, having so much fun learning about food while laughing along with Katherine's natural witty banter with her guests.
  • Too many goats
    Best Quality
    Smart, well paced and informative. Smart Mouth is the best.
  • returnoftheunicorn
    quickly has climbed the ranks to become one of my favs
    Smart Mouth is a witty, well-researched and funny journey into the origins of food. Katherine explores the essence of her guests through one favorite dish or snack, and dives into the cultural context and implications of these meals. If you're a food lover, or just enjoy learning about history, you'll really go bananas for Smart Mouth. You might even learn about bananas in the process!
  • tjchambers
    Tasty! Thoughtful! Tasteful!
    A wonderful show which balances interview, information, and healthy portions of fun. I still feel like her name should be pronounced "Spears", but that's just me. Otherwise, Katherine and the podcast are outstanding!
  • tibird70
    This woman is DOPE!
    This might be my new fav podcast bc she talks about good food and places to find good food while interviewing some heavy hitters like my the guy I want to change lives w , Anthony Bourdain among others . Every time I listen I find something out I didn't know about someone's culture or best Korean BBQ in LA . makes me wonder what else I don't know .. I can't wait to find out . Thanks Katherine !
  • John Spiers
    A Concerned Listener
    I hope this pans out, because who the hell is going to take care of me when I am an old man? Dad
  • Marcos Luevanos
    DE-LISTEN-CIOUS!
    This podcast couldn't be more fun or informative. Katherine has great guests and an accessible conversational style. It's like listening to an audible food almanac, but way more fun! Do yourself a favor and lend her your ears so that you can pass of this knowledge as your own, and impress your peers at social gatherings of the box variety!
  • kidicarus222
    What a talent!
    Katherine Spiers brings a commanding knowledge of the food world to the table, and she's more fun than a party-sized bucket of flan. I heartily recommend Smart Mouth to all my friends and acquaintances!
  • safe_in_the_city
    Great show!
    I was a huge fan of Katherines old podcast how it got in your mouth, was so so sad to see that end. But I am really enjoying this new endeavor, the format is fun, a more personal approach to food with brief history lessons from some great chefs, looking forward to many more episodes.
  • lauren.575
    love the host, great guests
    Katherine Spiers is so entertaining & intelligent, it’s a privilege to be a fly on the wall and get to listen to her talk with famous chefs i’m already obsessed with (omg marcus samuelsson omg)
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