Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of Food

Matt Levine NaturalBusinessNews
  • 5.0 (13)
  • FOOD
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of Food

Food isn't just fuel. It's culture. Tradition. Fashion. And Big Business too. Whether exploring why undocumented immigrants feed America or how the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company of the 1870's is remarkably similar to Amazon of today this show is about that business. Wonder what working at Trader Joe's is like? Whether cage free eggs are really cage free? Whether marijuana legalization might change restaurants forever. Novices, geeks or industry pros love us. Cornucopia will open your eyes and maybe your mouths too. If not what you eat, what you talk about while you are eating. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

  1. 01/16/2023

    What You Don't Know About Recycling

    In this episode we look at the history of recycling in America and discuss the good, the bad and the ugly about sorting your trash. While recycling is inherently good its effectiveness is another thing. In other words, recycling was never meant to work. An add on to a linear economic system designed to maximize profits and minimize costs to private industry leaving the costs of cleaning up the trash - or not cleaning it up - to the public.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    45 min

  2. 04/15/2022

    EP 31: Classic Repost: The Easter with No Peeps - Grocery Hell

    ITS BEEN a year since we published our homage to the addictively sweet and garishly bright Easter Peeps . Some might the episode the grocery world's answer to David Sedaris' Santaland Dairies. We just call it GROCERY HELL. The Easter with no Peeps.  Twenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon and in San Francisco a small grocery chain had no peeps at Easter because its distributor was no good. Matt Levine recalls his time working as a sales representative for this incompetent distributor in this funny tale of grocery hell, featuring George the nasty manager and lots of candy too. The names have been changed. The candies have not. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    16 min

  3. 04/15/2022

    Trailer: The Easter with No Peeps

    Twenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon and in San Francisco a small grocery chain had no peeps at Easter because its distributor was no good. Matt Levine recalls his time working as a sales representative for this incompetent distributor in this funny tale of grocery hell, featuring George the nasty manager and lots of candy too. The names have been changed. The candies have not. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    2 min
  4. A History of Bottled Water in America

    07/18/2021

    A History of Bottled Water in America

    Bottled water sold today is a new phenomena, not much older than quarter Tom Brady. Back in the 19th century there were lots and lots of bottled water companies in America. But the advent of municipal waters system in the early 20th century meant nearly of all these early brands disappeared. When Evian arrived in America back in 1978 experts wondered if people would buy bottled water in a country with clean tap water Evian huge success proved that they would. And after that it was off to the races as more and more and more companies started selling bottled water, which was mostly tap water to go.  That is until 2000 when Vitamin Water hit the market and despite being loaded with sugar and no real vitamin nutrition was a huge success and unleashed a never ending stream of so-called enhanced or functional waters. Despite the high price and the fact that common sense suggest these products don't make much sense America has embraced  as much as Beyonce or Taylor Swift.   And more bottled water meant and means more and more plastic bottles too. Only 12% ever get recycled.  Listen up and while we won't quench your thirst buds we're certain to make you think about good old H20 in a brand new way.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    19 min
  5. Ep 29: Here in SF - Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies Part 2

    06/14/2021

    Ep 29: Here in SF - Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies Part 2

    In this episode we'll talk about John Harvey Kellogg and bacon, oat bran and coconut water as well as ask whether the Paleo diet makes sense. Spoiler alert- logic never matters when it comes to diet and food trends.   We'll examine a variety of food trends, how the grow and how they die, as well as the people pulling the levers behind the curtain manufacturing our desires and conventional wisdom too.  This episode is funny, informative and hopefully practical. Our hope is that when you're done listening you'll be far less flummoxed navigating  fast and furious food trends while shopping for groceries and deciding what to eat. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    50 min
  6. Ep; 28: Here in SF- Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies on the Golden Gate. Part 1

    06/07/2021

    Ep; 28: Here in SF- Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies on the Golden Gate. Part 1

    In case you wonder why some people think eating spaghetti and garlic bread is as bad for you as pouring whiskey on your wheaties don't miss this episode. Actually, even if you pour whiskey on your wheaties or use it as pasta sauce, you should listen too.  As the title implies were going to take a look at keto and other high protein  diets, But not to praise or debunk them. But as a starting point to look at something nearly everybody seems to forget. That food trends come and food trends go. In this episode - Part 1, we’ll take at look how two cardiologists named Atkins and Ornish that illuminate why there isnt only ONE right way to eat, discuss why eliminating foods from your diet can can be profound and talk about the pleasure penalty. No the pleasure penalty has nothing to do with your ex or even your current lover. We'll get into it. And also dive into the dark and murky psychological muck to look at why people choose certain ways of eating. In Part 2, Episode 29 coming mid-week, we'll turn back the clock and look at oat brand and pomegranate juice, John Harvey Kellogg and bacon, the sugar industry and coconut too, as we explore the ways conventional wisdom isn't always what it seems. Yeah, trendy diets and foods sometimes are good for you but that people behind the curtain are never stop  looking to create the latest nutritional star as they manufacture new and usually more expensive desires.    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    36 min
  7. Ep. 27: Is That a Sticker on Your Banana? Our New Cornucopia Express Series

    04/23/2021

    Ep. 27: Is That a Sticker on Your Banana? Our New Cornucopia Express Series

    This is the first episode in our new series,  Cornucopia Express: Ten Items or Less (aka: A Podcast in a Hurry). In these four minute-ish episodes we will expand your understanding of the grocery and consumer packaged goods business as well leave you lots of time to beg your spouse for a foot rub, tell your teenager to turn down the  Ariana Grande, call your parents (and yeah we know you're hoping to get voicemail) and even scream into a pillow when nobody's looking.  In this episode we'll explain why the heck there are stickers on your bananas, granny smiths and other fruits. And a few other interesting tidbits too that will make you smile like eating chilled grapes on a hot summer day without a pandemic. Thanks for listening! And please let us know if like these express episodes or not. We'd love to hear from you.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    5 min

  8. 04/19/2021 · BONUS

    Ep 26B: Bonus-Easter with No Peeps

    After listening to episode 26 The Easter with No Peeps here's a short and sweet bonus episode to help you get the taste of jelly beans out of your mouth.  Matt Levine talks to his ex-boyfriend David Adams too see what he remembers about Matt's grocery hell getting yelled at five days a week. They discover memories are deceiving, discuss pickles (no pun intended), a missing record album and some musical divas too. This episode is short and sweet like their relationship.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

    7 min
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About

Food isn't just fuel. It's culture. Tradition. Fashion. And Big Business too. Whether exploring why undocumented immigrants feed America or how the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company of the 1870's is remarkably similar to Amazon of today this show is about that business. Wonder what working at Trader Joe's is like? Whether cage free eggs are really cage free? Whether marijuana legalization might change restaurants forever. Novices, geeks or industry pros love us. Cornucopia will open your eyes and maybe your mouths too. If not what you eat, what you talk about while you are eating. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support

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