Hungry For MO is a podcast from KCUR Studios where hosts Natasha Bailey and Jenny Vergara celebrate the stories behind Missouri’s iconic foods, from barbecue to pizza and beyond. Supported by the Missouri Humanities Council.
At the turn of the 20th century, a self-taught caterer in Columbia gained national acclaim with her sought-after biscuit recipe. Fisher’s famous beaten biscuits made it onto the plates of presidents and Hollywood stars alike — making her one of the wealthiest Black women around. But her story may have been lost if not for a few determined Missouri women. A tale from the KCUR Studios podcast A People’s History of Kansas City.
22 Dec 2022
What even is Ozark cuisine?
Missouri’s Ozark Mountains are known for their lush wilderness and popular tourist destinations. But what about the food? Like much of Ozark culture, the cuisine remains deeply misunderstood and shrouded in stereotypes. From deep in the forest to upscale restaurants, these food lovers are preserving the Ozarks' past and charting its future.
14 Dec 2022
The salad days of Wish-Bone dressing
In 1948, Phillip Sollomi debuted an Italian vinaigrette at his Kansas City fried chicken restaurant, the Wishbone. An immediate hit, the salad dressing formed the foundation for an empire: You can find that iconic Wish-Bone bottle in nearly every supermarket in the country. Decades after Sollomi left the company, his family has returned to the city to reclaim their legacy.
7 Dec 2022
Black walnut magic
Missouri is home to more black walnut trees than any other place in the world. Its wild nature and distinct flavor means the black walnut often gets passed over for more popular European varieties — the kinds you normally see in grocery stores and restaurants. But these Missourians are making sure that the state’s native nut, and its importance to the culture of this region, gets its day in the sun.
30 Nov 2022
No apologies for St. Louis pizza
Is there any other regional pizza in the country that elicits as much debate and shame as St. Louis-style? A square-cut, thin-crust pie topped with ooey, gooey Provel cheese, this unconventional pizza is the result of decades of St. Louis ingenuity — and yet, even many locals apologize for their unique creation.
21 Nov 2022
A toast to the birthplace of sliced bread
Chillicothe, Missouri, has an unusual claim to fame: It’s the town where sliced bread first debuted back in 1928. But despite being less than a century old, the origin of this revolutionary pantry staple was almost lost to history. A treat from the KCUR Studios podcast A People’s History of Kansas City. Plus: A preview of Hungry For MO’s upcoming second season!
14 Sept 2021
Myth-busting the St. Louis World's Fair
The St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904 forever changed modern American cuisine — popularizing foods like the ice cream cone, hamburgers and iced tea. But what aren't we remembering about this international affair?
7 Sept 2021
Crock-Pots for the people
No Midwestern cookout is complete without a delicious chili or dip simmering in a Crock-Pot. But when the device was first unveiled by a Kansas City company in 1971, it promised something more: freedom.
31 Aug 2021
George Washington Carver’s quiet revolution
George Washington Carver is slotted in American history lessons as "the peanut guy." But this Missourian gave us biofuels, food trucks, plant based meats, alternative medicines, and so much more.
24 Aug 2021
Chinese food, Missouri-style
Missouri claims the creation of two iconic, innovative Chinese dishes — but Springfield cashew chicken and the St. Paul sandwich in St. Louis are more than local curiosities. Each dish tells a story of immigrants who arrived in Missouri and “cooked to survive.”
17 Aug 2021
How Missouri saved wine
If you love French wine and the Napa Valley region of California, then you should really thank Missouri — specifically, the work of a few Missouri winemakers and scientists who saved the industry at a pivotal moment.
10 Aug 2021
Who gets to define Missouri barbecue?
Kansas City and St. Louis are both known as barbecue destinations, but recent efforts to redefine the cuisine have sidelined the Black barbecuers, pitmasters and restaurateurs who made it an institution.
27 Jul 2021
Trailer: Hungry For MO
To celebrate Missouri’s 200th birthday, hosts Natasha Bailey and Jenny Vergara are uncovering the stories behind the iconic foods of the state of Missouri. New episodes every week for six weeks starting on August 10.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
37 ratings
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