Just in time for the holidays, Ask Gastropod is back with a plate full of listener questions for your listening delight! You came to us with mysteries both large and small, both ancient and eternal, and, honestly, all totally fascinating. Such as: What is up with ranch dressing, and how did a bottled salad dressing invented by a plumber and owned by a cleaning products company become *the* flavor of America? What did Europe's oldest human mummy, found frozen in the Alps, eat before his mountain trek—and why could no one find his stomach for twenty years? And, in news you can use this holiday season, why does a “food coma” make you drowsy and slow after a big holiday meal? We’ve got the answers to all of these fabulous listener queries in our latest installment, featuring murder in the Alps, a bathtub full of ranch, and more sea slugs than you might expect. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hi, my name is Josh Gosloski.
I'm from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
And I have a question for you.
About ranch ranch dressing.
I'm curious about why it's so popular and where it comes from.
So, hi, I'm Laura calling from Salt Lake City, Utah.
And my question for Gastropod is, what.
Is a food coma?
And is there anything I can do about it once I have one, other.
Than taking a nap?
Gastropod listeners are a curious bunch, and we say that in the fondest possible.
Way because we ourselves are endlessly curious.
That's why we launched gastropod.
We love hearing your questions too.
And this episode we're here with some answers.
Gastropod is, of course, the podcast that looks at food through the lens of science and history.
I'm Nicola Twilley.
And I'm Cynthia Graber.
And our end of the year gift to you is the answer to some of the mysteries that have been keeping you up at night.
Like, why is everyone dipping everything in ranch dressing these days?