Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!

2025-12-16 · 43 min · 11 entities

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Asserted relationships

→ hosted by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley person

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Feed author/publisher: Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
→ discusses History website

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→ discusses Science concept

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→ discusses Arts concept

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→ discusses food concept

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Entities found in this episode

concepts 7

mentioned Science concept

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Feed category: Science
mentioned Arts concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Arts
mentioned food concept

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Feed category: Food
mentioned Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod concept

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evidence rules-v5
Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!
discusses Science concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science
discusses Arts concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Arts
discusses food concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Food

persons 2

mentioned Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
hosted by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

websites 2

mentioned History website

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: History
discusses History website

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: History

Episode description as stored

The season for holiday baking is upon us, and before you spice up your cookies and pies, you’ll probably want to know: is most of the cinnamon on grocery store shelves actually fake? That’s one question we’re investigating this week on behalf of you, dear listeners, in the latest installment of our popular Ask Gastropod series! This episode, we've got the scoop on what's real when it comes to cinnamon—because your buns deserve the truth. We're also putting our detective hats on to figure out where in the world kefir comes from, in an epic tale that involves mummies, a prince, and a potential kidnapping. Finally, if you look at almost any label, from jam to ice cream to soda to sausage, you'll find one shared ingredient: citric acid. What on Earth is this additive doing in everything, how is its spread connected to a technology that has saved millions of lives—and is it safe to eat? Listen in for a festive feast of listener curiosity, and keep your awesome questions coming our way! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices