The Sporkful Podcast

From the Harlem Renaissance to Beyonce, from Peanut Butter Jelly Time to RuPaul and Big Freedia, jelly has been referenced in music across decades and genres. We explore this history in a special episode of The Sporkful food podcast -- and it all culminates in an original song! Share it on social media with hashtag #SporkfulOfJelly, and please subscribe to The Sporkful podcast wherever you listen! . Music by Allison Leyton-Brown and The Reverend John DeLore Lyrics by The Reverend John DeLore and Dan Pashman Vocals by The Reverend John DeLore, Dan Pashman, Allison Leyton-Brown and Ngofeen Mputubwele

From the Harlem Renaissance to Beyonce, from Peanut Butter Jelly Time to RuPaul and Big Freedia, jelly has been referenced in music across decades and genres. We explore this history in a special episode of The Sporkful food podcast -- and it all culminates in an original song! Here's the karaoke version of the song. Record your own version, share it on social media, and tag it #SporkfulOfJelly! And please subscribe to The Sporkful podcast wherever you listen! . Here are the full lyrics to the song... J-E-L-L-Y (The Jelly Song) I give a jar of jam the respect it deserves And I save a bit of love for those ol’ fruit preserves But my heart will swerve and lift If you sift the fruit chunks out My soul is uncontrollable...as I spread it all about... Oh, Jelly puts the joy in my joyfullest refrain Fruit and pectin is my jam, I spread it on my pain That smooth consistency is the sweetest panacea Can it be that jelly is the key to keeping sane? CHORUS: J-E-L-L-YYYYY Why do I love it just like Romeo loves Juliet? J-E-L-L-YYYYY Why does it set my heart a-flying like a speeding jet? J-E-L-L-YYYYY Why does a spread of it on toast or muffin make me sweat? I’ll tell ya. But I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly yet! Before peanut butter came along my jelly was just fine But spread that peanut butter and the combo is sublime The icing on the cake is the double jelly layers Make that sandwich mine -- It’s peanut butter jelly time! CHORUS: J-E-L-L-YYYYY Why do I love it just like Romeo loves Juliet? J-E-L-L-YYYYY Why does it set my heart a-flying like a speeding jet? J-E-L-L-YYYYY Why does a spread of it on toast or muffin make me sweat? Why? Because! Jelly is the elemental / essence of a fruit condensed / Reduced until its effervescence / drives the primal senses senseless Sealed in jars, my patience tested / pop the top and yes you guessed it! Jelly simply can’t be bested J-E-L-L-Y J-E-L-L-Y J….E….L….L….YYYYYYYYYY Jelly can’t be bested!

This is what it sounds like when you slice scallions correctly, instead of chopping them. Photo: Flickr CC / guy montag

This is what it sounds like when you chop scallions instead of slicing them. Photo: Flickr CC / guy montag

Notice how this sound makes you hungry? That's evolution doing that.

Photo: FlickrCC/Lee McCoy (www.flickr.com/photos/chocolatereviews/) Music: Condiment Junkie (courtesy of Charles Spence)

Photo: FlickrCC/Lee McCoy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/chocolatereviews/) Music: Condiment Junkie (courtesy of Charles Spence)

This week on The Sporkful podcast, the Marc Maron and host Dan Pashman discuss food shame and whether the high from eating sausage gravy is worth the sadness that follows. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts. Photo courtesy of WTF with Marc Maron.

This week on The Sporkful food podcast, kids pitch Dan Pashman and Hillary Frank (Longest Shortest Time) their innovative food concoctions. Is the world ready for hot dogs with peanut butter and chili milkshakes? Subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Richard Drews from Dinky Donuts in Chicago is a former opera singer. Listen to him perform an aria about donuts and bring the crowd at this live taping of The Sporkful podcast to its feet. Hear the whole podcast when you subscribe to The Sporkful in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629

Every parent lies to their kids sometimes, and comedian Jim Gaffigan is no exception. This week on The Sporkful, the food-obsessed comic discusses eating with his five children, navigating birthday parties and buffets, his dad's steaks, and when it's OK to lie to your kids. Subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Muslims around the world are currently celebrating Ramadan, a month during which they fast from dawn to dusk every day for 30 days. This week on The Sporkful Dan Pashman breaks the Ramadan fast with Muslim taxi drivers in NYC, a Texan-Palestinian talks about embracing her Muslim roots after 9/11 and fasting on Ramadan for the first time when she was in her 30s, and Arab-American teens reveal the best and worst parts of Ramadan. Subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on The Sporkful, a flavor chemist explains why the order of your toppings affects how your burger tastes. But Sporkful host Dan Pashman has a theory of his own about putting cheese on burgers. Will they agree? Subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Is vanilla ice cream boring? Weird Al says he used to think so. This week on The Sporkful Dan Pashman investigates how vanilla became the default flavor, when cups or cones are better, and whether those black flecks actually do anything. Then Bon Appetit's Adam Rapoport debates the merits of pie with Dan's Aunt Meryl. Subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Why do our brains go crazy for the melted cheese on a Philly cheesesteak or the crispy fried goodness of scrapple? (And what is scrapple anyway?) The Sporkful's Dan Pashman feasts on some classic Philadelphia fare, then brings samples to a scientist at the Monell Center to find out what makes greasy treats so irresistible. Subscribe to The Sporkful in iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629) or wherever you get your podcast.

The popular comedian talks with The Sporkful's Dan Pashman about the glory of popcorn with Raisinets, his efforts to eat healthier, and the frustrations of getting his autistic son to do the same. Plus he explains why starting out in comedy is a lot like learning to cook. Subscribe to The Sporkful in iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629) or wherever you get your podcast.

The Sporkful's Dan Pashman investigates the true story of a series of office fridge food thefts that happened 13 years ago -- and pays homage to the hit podcast Serial in the process. It's the first episode in The Sporkful's four-part, special investigation of office eating. Subscribe to The Sporkful in iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629) or wherever you get your podcast. And be sure to check out Parts 2-4 in our Office Eating Series at the links below: Office Fridges: What Would the Founding Fathers Do? http://www.sporkful.com/office-fridges-what-would-the-founding-fathers-do/ Even Spies Hate Stale Bread: Secrets Of The CIA Cafeteria Revealed http://www.sporkful.com/spies-hate-stale-bread-secrets-of-the-cia-cafeteria-revealed/ Is Free Office Coffee More Valuable Than Healthcare? http://www.sporkful.com/is-free-office-coffee-more-valuable-than-healthcare/

This week on The Sporkful Dan and Radiolab's Jad Abumrad explore the new frontier of weed-infused foods. They tell you how it tastes, how it makes them feel, and what happens when you eat way too much of it. Subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

The All-American hot dog has achieved fame and mass-market success, but has it ditched its sausage family roots? This week on The Sporkful it’s a Sausage Fest! Dan Pashman and Chicago Tribune food writer Kevin Pang share their favorite encased meats and debate sausage fundamentals, like ideal length, girth, texture, and filling density. Subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dan Pashman offers some advice for light beer companies in this clip from The Sporkful podcast. This week on the show, drinks columnist Matthew Latkiewicz talks Buzz Management, and the founders of the Bitch Beer blog help Dan pair beer with weather forecasts. Pour yourself a cold one and get comfy. Subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Would you eat brains from a live monkey? How about kale? This week on The Sporkful, Dan interviews former New York Times restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton live at the Brooklyn Food Book Festival. Listen to the audience Q&A and then check out the whole episode at www.sporkful.com. Subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: Flickr/CC: _DJ_

What's the worst gig a ballpark food vendor can get? We find out this week on The Sporkful podcast, when Dan explores the two foods immortalized in "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" with Slate's Mike Pesca, USA TODAY's Ted Berg, and third-generation peanut man Nile Brisson. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

"There are certain foods that just won't go with oil. It's gotta be lard," says this longtime customer at Al & Bea's in LA's Boyle Heights. Is the perfect burrito a feat of engineering or art? Are Chipotle burritos like iPhones? This week on The Sporkful, Dan debates burrito construction and regional rivalries with Bullseye's Jesse Thorn, Good Food's Evan Kleiman, and Vox’s Matt Yglesias. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

What’s the true definition of a sandwich? How is brunch different from breakfast and lunch? This week on The Sporkful, Dan debates food and language with Peter Kim of the Museum of Food and Drink, and Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist podcast. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: Flickr/CC Syn (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tryck/)

In this clip, the popular comedian reveals his go-to snack at the movies. This week on The Sporkful podcast, Ron talks about the frustrations of getting autistic son to eat and why stand-up comedy is like cooking. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

The host of Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods waxes poetic about the merits of anything on top of French fries. This week on The Sporkful podcast, Dan and Andrew talk to the people behind IBM's Chef Watson, a supercomputer working to discover new flavor pairings. Then Dan takes Watson for a test drive with Manoush Zomorodi from New Tech City. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Peter Pan Donuts has been a Brooklyn institution for over 70 years. In this clip, owner Donna Siafakas and her son Peter talk about how the weather affects donut making -- and joke about their secret ingredient. To hear more about donuts, check out this week's Sporkful podcast, in which Dan embarks on a cross-country donut quest to answer one question: What’s the difference between a good donut and a great one? Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dan and Slate's Mike Pesca discuss the value of good office coffee. This week on The Sporkful podcast, Dan visits Mike at the Slate office kitchen and offers an in depth analysis of Mike's sandwich construction methods. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dan talks to two guys who used Freedom of Information Requests to unearth the contents of the CIA cafeteria suggestion box, this week on The Sporkful podcast. It turns out even spies hate stale bread. And as you'll hear in this clip, you don't even want to get folks at the CIA started on something called a Jazz Salad. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

Your philosophy about how a communal fridge should be used says a lot about how you think society should function. This week on The Sporkful podcast, listeners call in with contrasting perspectives. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on The Sporkful, Dan Pashman investigates the true story of a series of office fridge food thefts that happened 13 years ago -- and pay homage to the hit podcast Serial in the process. It's the first episode in The Sporkful's three-part, special investigation of office eating. Listen to the whole episode and subscribe to The Sporkful at itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-s…kful/id350709629 -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on The Sporkful podcast, host Dan Pashman talks to the curator of the Moist Towelette Museum, then discusses whether napkin color affects meal enjoyment and whether restaurants should be banned from using scented hand soap. Listen to the whole episode at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629.

This week on The Sporkful, host Dan Pashman feasts on Philly's most iconic foods, then brings samples to a scientist to find out what makes greasy treats like cheesesteak and scrapple so irresistible. Listen to the whole episode at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629.

The original Chinatown bad boys and Sporkful host Dan Pashman discuss how to tell whether your dumpling skin is too thick. Listen to the whole episode of The Sporkful podcast with Eddie Huang and more at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629.

Food is a huge issue in relationships -- from what you order on a first date to how you cook and eat together after years of marriage. Is polyeatery the key to keeping hearts and bellies happy? Listen to the whole episode of The Sporkful with advice columnist Dan Savage and Death, Sex and Money's Anna Sale and subscribe in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629.

Dan helps Larry in New York engineer a better jelly donut experience. Listen to the whole episode of The Sporkful, including a caller who never looks at menus and another who stores peanuts in his cheeks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629. Photo: Flickr CC / Garrett Ziegler.

Matt Reynolds's obsession with Buffalo wings led to an epic search for the perfect wing and the 2013 documentary comedy "The Great Chicken Wing Hunt." In this clip from The Sporkful podcast, Matt tests Dan's theory that wings are better with the sauce on the side. Listen to the whole episode of The Sporkful in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629 Photo courtesy of Matt Reynolds and The Great Chicken Wing Hunt.

John Nese, the soda-obsessed owner of Galco's Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles, tells Dan about some of his favorite flavors -- like sangria, champagne, and even rose. Listen to the whole episode of The Sporkful in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629.