Digesting Food Studies

Canadian Food Studies/La Revue canadienne des études sur l'alimentation

Digesting Food Studies is a podcast that helps break down research on food systems into manageable portions. It’s for listeners who are learning and teaching about food studies, for those working in fields and factories, and for people in policy and politics, making the rules that govern and guide us. From food justice to sustainability to intercultural identity, from the technologies of agriculture to the relationships embedded in Indigenous foodways, each episode helps digest one big idea. As a tool for teaching, a guide for new researchers, or inspiration for practitioners and activists, Digesting Food Studies bridges the gap between academese and everyday eating. This podcast is supported in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies. Concentré d’études sur l’alimentation est un podcast qui vous aide à absorber la recherche sur les systèmes alimentaires une bouchée à la fois. Il s'adresse aux personnes qui apprennent et enseignent les études sur l'alimentation, à celles qui travaillent dans les champs et les usines, ainsi qu'aux personnes qui travaillent dans le domaine de la politique. De la justice alimentaire à la durabilité en passant par l'identité interculturelle, les technologies agricoles et la relationalité inhérente dans la connaissance autochtone, chaque épisode vous aidera à intégrer une grande idée. Outil d'enseignement, guide pour les nouveaux chercheurs ou source d'inspiration pour les praticiens et les activistes, Concentré d’études sur l’alimentation comble l’écart entre le monde universitaire et l’acte de manger. Pour accéder aux notes sur les émissions ainsi que les transcriptions des épisodes traduites en français, visitez le site web de l’Association canadienne des études sur l’alimentation. Ce podcast est soutenu en partie par le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, l'Université Lakehead, et l'Association canadienne des études sur l'alimentation.

  1. Reading Menus as History

    19 MAR

    Reading Menus as History

    This episode considers the menu as documentation of cultural history and as representation of restaurant offerings. From our guests’ points of view, menus tell official stories of options and choice making, while also keeping certain things off the record. Alexia Moyer starts things off with a menu planning cookbook from 1967, followed up by a conversation with Koby Song-Nichols about his article, “Can historians order off the menu?”, from Vol. 11, No. 2 of Canadian Food Studies, published in August 2024. Finally, Anson Hunt shares his thoughts on how menus play their role in the ‘conversations’ that take place in and around restaurants. Guests: Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal. Koby Song-Nichols is a historian and food studies scholar based in Toronto whose research follows the ways Chinese Canadians and Chinese Americans have used food within intercultural and intergenerational relationships and communities. Anson Hunt is a PhD student at Carleton University whose research revolves around alternative food systems and the potential roles of chefs and restaurants in the production and reception of food information. Mentioned in this episode: Northern Cookbook edited by Eleanor A. EllisFor a selected list of menu collections, see the appendix in Koby Song-Nichols’ article, “Can Historians Order off the Menu?” Credits: Host/Producer: David Szanto Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt Audio consultant: Zélie Scherrer Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha on Pixabay Additional music: Noru on Pixabay Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb on Pixabay Image: Merethe Liljedahl on Pixabay #DigestingFoodStudies Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.

    30 min
  2. Social Economy of Food

    5 MAR

    Social Economy of Food

    This episode explores how the economies of food systems might be re-thought and reoriented towards creating integrated value exchanges beyond just the financial kind. Sharing, gifting, and informal economies have been around forever, and they might be seeing a new resurgence that offers promise for the long-term. Alexia Moyer starts things off with gifts from Sandro Botticelli and Catherine Parr Traill, followed up by a conversation with Irena Knezevic, one of the guest editors of the themed issue of Canadian Food Studies, “The social and informal economy of food” (Vol. 6, No. 3), published in November 2019. Finally, Christophe Dubois shares his thoughts on social gastronomy and Mary Anne Martin’s use of feminist theory to explore urban agriculture. Guests: Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal. Irena Knezevic is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University. She studies communication, culture, and health, including such themes as food labelling, health communications and advertising, and health equity. Christophe Dubois is a recent graduate of the master’s program in social work at l’Université du Québec à Montréal. A former restaurant cook, he currently devotes his time to the practice of social gastronomy, helping young people develop skills and work experience in food. Mentioned in this episode: - La Gastronomie sociale, documentary series - “Venus and the Three Graces Presenting Gifts to a Young Woman” by Sandro Boticelli - The Female Emigrant’s Guide by Catherine Parr Traill Credits: Host/Producer: David Szanto Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt Audio consultant: Zélie Scherrer Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha on Pixabay Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb and freesound_community on Pixabay Photo: anonymous #DigestingFoodStudies Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.

    32 min
  3. On the Nanaimo Bar Trail

    19 FEB

    On the Nanaimo Bar Trail

    Certain foods are named for the places they come from, but many foods acquire place-based names for quite different reasons. This episode peels back the layers of that oh-so-Canadian treat, the Nanaimo Bar. Lenore Newman fills us in on his history and heritage, while also commenting on the quasi-luxury that the dessert represented in past, and maybe still does. Sandwiching this exploration, Alexia Moyer tells us about the iconic French pastry, the Paris-Brest, and Julia Mitchell responds to Lenore’s article, “Notes from the Nanaimo Bar Trail.” Guests: Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal. Lenore Newman is a professor in the department of Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley, as well as Director of its Food and Agriculture Institute. Julia Mitchell is a master student in arts and communication at Carleton University, exploring the use of French terminology on English-language menus. Mentioned in this episode: - Speaking in Cod Tongues by Lenore Newman - La Poutine by Geneviève Sicotte - Paris-Brest (pastry) - “But is it Authentic?” by Lisa Heldke Credits: Host/Producer: David Szanto Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt Audio consultant: Zélie Scherrer Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha on Pixabay Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb and freesound_community on Pixabay Photo: Joy (CC-BY 2.0, no changes made) #DigestingFoodStudies Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.

    27 min
  4. Fisheries Diversification

    5 FEB

    Fisheries Diversification

    Diversification is a survival strategy that applies to many aspects of food systems, from biomes to economies to cuisine. This episode is about many of those things, including green sea urchins and the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation’s approach to fisheries and food-making. The Canadian Food Studies publication in focus is Charlotte Gagnon-Lewis’s “Fishing amongst industrial ghosts: The challenges of green sea urchin diversification in Eastern Canada,” from Vol. 12, No. 1 (2025). Alexia Moyer shares a story of the Gulf of St-Lawrence and master student Adelle D’Urzo Paugh responds to Charlotte’s article with reflections on participatory co-learning and the Capitalocene. Guests: Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal. Charlotte Gagnon-Lewis is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Ottawa, where she takes a political ecology lens to the socio-ecological entanglements of food systems. Adelle D’Urzo Paugh is a master’s student in Environmental Studies at Queen's University, examining the use of participatory research and survey tools in small-scale fisheries networks. Mentioned in this episode: - The Montreal Biodome - Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation - Maqahamok, a Wolastoqey pub in Cacouna, QC Credits: Host/Producer: David Szanto Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha on Pixabay Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb and freesound_community on Pixabay Photo: Hannah Robinson #DigestingFoodStudies Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.

    27 min
  5. Flexitarianism

    22 ENE

    Flexitarianism

    Are you a carnivore? A vegan? A frugivore? Or do you fall in between categories of eater, identifying more as a flexitarian? As we learn from this episode’s guest author, Kelsey Speakman, flexitarianism is a complex space of food making, ethical and multispecies relationships, and marketing rhetoric. Her article on the subject, “Beef, Beans, or Byproducts? Following Flexitarianism’s Finances,” comes from Vol. 11, No. 4 of Canadian Food Studies. Sandwiching this meat-alternatives theme are Alexia Moyer on a powerful kitchen implement, and Milka Milicevic on the power of true alternatives in eating. Guests: Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal. Kelsey Speakman is a lecturer at the University of Toronto and spends her research energies looking at multispecies interactions in consumer culture and ethical relationships in food provisioning. Milka Milicevic is in her fourth year in the Honors Bachelor of Food Studies program at George Brown College, with previous professional experience in nutrition and market research. Mentioned in this episode: - George Brown Polytechnic’s Honours Bachelor of Food Studies - The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl and Cyril Kornbluth Credits: Host/Producer: David Szanto Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha on Pixabay Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb and freesound_community on Pixabay Photos: Alexia Moyer #DigestingFoodStudies Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.

    24 min
  6. Eating & Social Isolation

    8 ENE

    Eating & Social Isolation

    Eating and togetherness go hand in hand, or at least, that’s what our socioculture tells us. Yet many people, particularly seniors, live and dine alone. Even outside the home, eating can be an isolating experience. This episode probes how sound and space can encourage sociability and sharing, though it always takes an effort for that to happen. The Canadian Food Studies publication in focus is Melanie Binette’s “Invisible guests: A sound installation in a Montréal community restaurant,” from Vol. 4, No. 2 (2017). Alexia Moyer shares two very different soundscapes, and Art History master student, Samphe Ballamingie, responds to the sound installation at the centre of Melanie’s text. Guests: Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal. Melanie Binette is an interdisciplinary artist, performer, and researcher who co-founded Milieu de Nulle Part, a performance collective dedicated to in situ and in socius performance. Samphe Ballamingie is a filmmaker, video editor, writer, and podcaster who is currently doing a master’s degree in Art History at Concordia University in Montreal. Mentioned in this episode: - Milieu de Nulle Part - Natalie Doonan – Le Sensorium - Le Chic Resto Pop - Stats Canada – single-person households Credits: Host/Producer: David Szanto Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha on Pixabay Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb and freesound_community on Pixabay Soundscapes: Rotterdam Library—Library 03 090724.wav by LG—Attribution 4.0; Montreal restaurant—restaurant.wav by rivernile7—Attribution 3.0 Image: Patrick Ma #DigestingFoodStudies Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.

    28 min
  7. Centralization of Power in Food Systems

    11/12/2025

    Centralization of Power in Food Systems

    There’s a lot of power in food and food systems. This episode explores the centralization of that power, particularly the ways in which corporations and governments operate and control spaces of production and transformation. The issue of Canadian Food Studies in focus is Vol. 2, No. 2 (2015), including its subsection, “Financialization in the Food System,” which our guest, Jennifer Clapp, co–guest edited. Alexia Moyer shares learnings from Brian Brett’s book, Trauma Farm, and PhD student Heidi Janes responds to a selection of CFS articles about corporate power. Guests: Alexia Moyer is co-Managing Editor of Canadian Food Studies and a founding member of the editorial collective, red line-ligne rouge, based in Montreal. Jennifer Clapp is a Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo. She is a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems as well as the Scientific Advisory Committee of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. Heidi Janes is a PhD student in Political Science at the University of Victoria, where she researches corporate power in the food system and how philanthropic and humanitarian logics play roles in the political economy. Mentioned in this episode: Food by Jennifer Clapp Titans of Industrial Agriculture by Jennifer Clapp IPES-Food "Land Squeeze" Report “Watt” on Wikipedia Credits: Host/Producer: David Szanto Executive Producers: Rachel Engler-Stringer, Laurence Godin, Charles Levkoe, Phil Loring, Kristen Lowitt Music: Alex Guz and Evgeny Bardyuzha and freesound_community on Pixabay Sound Effects: Aviana_Phoenix and BenKirb on Pixabay Image: Johnson Martin on Pixabay #DigestingFoodStudies Digesting Food Studies is funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies.

    31 min

Acerca de

Digesting Food Studies is a podcast that helps break down research on food systems into manageable portions. It’s for listeners who are learning and teaching about food studies, for those working in fields and factories, and for people in policy and politics, making the rules that govern and guide us. From food justice to sustainability to intercultural identity, from the technologies of agriculture to the relationships embedded in Indigenous foodways, each episode helps digest one big idea. As a tool for teaching, a guide for new researchers, or inspiration for practitioners and activists, Digesting Food Studies bridges the gap between academese and everyday eating. This podcast is supported in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Lakehead University, and the Canadian Association for Food Studies. Concentré d’études sur l’alimentation est un podcast qui vous aide à absorber la recherche sur les systèmes alimentaires une bouchée à la fois. Il s'adresse aux personnes qui apprennent et enseignent les études sur l'alimentation, à celles qui travaillent dans les champs et les usines, ainsi qu'aux personnes qui travaillent dans le domaine de la politique. De la justice alimentaire à la durabilité en passant par l'identité interculturelle, les technologies agricoles et la relationalité inhérente dans la connaissance autochtone, chaque épisode vous aidera à intégrer une grande idée. Outil d'enseignement, guide pour les nouveaux chercheurs ou source d'inspiration pour les praticiens et les activistes, Concentré d’études sur l’alimentation comble l’écart entre le monde universitaire et l’acte de manger. Pour accéder aux notes sur les émissions ainsi que les transcriptions des épisodes traduites en français, visitez le site web de l’Association canadienne des études sur l’alimentation. Ce podcast est soutenu en partie par le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, l'Université Lakehead, et l'Association canadienne des études sur l'alimentation.

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