Gastropod Explores the History and Science Behind Food at the Frost Museum

Are oysters an aphrodisiac? Is it possible to hack your taste buds? Miami, you're about to find out.

Journalists Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley are serving up a feast for the ears and eyes during an interactive performance of their award-winning science and food podcast, Gastropod.

"Most food podcasts focus on restaurants and cooking," Twilley says, "but our show is a deep dive into topics you probably had no idea about."

Wednesday, August 1, at the Frost Museum of Science, Graber and Twilley will host a hands-on version of their audio show with a slate of unique food-driven experiments and tastings, including finding ways to manipulate one's taste buds and exploring whether food can actually be an aphrodisiac.

"We structure the events like a three-course meal," Graber says. "We'll get into some fascinating history and do some myth-busting too."

In addition to aphrodisiacs and hacking taste, chocolate will be on the menu when the hosts interview South Florida's Ricardo Trillos of Cao Chocolates.

Graber, a longtime print and radio journalist, and Twilley, a contributing writer for the New Yorker, launched Gastropod in 2014. Every other week, the pair releases a new episode that explores the hidden history and surprising science behind a particular food- or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, cutlery, chili peppers, and even music and Malbec.

Gastropod Live at the Frost. 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, August 1, at the Frost Museum of Science, 1101 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; frostscience.org. Tickets cost $10 for nonmembers and $8 for members via tickets.frostscience.org.