"This episode of Meant to be Eaten was produced in collaboration with Gastronomica Journal. Bob Valgenti, from Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies, is in for Coral Lee. A conversation with Laurie Bertram. What motivates the passionate defense of a recipe? Historian Laurie Bertram expands on her recent Gastronomica article dedicated to the curious case of Icelandic vínarterta—a cake whose origins and most adamant defenders are, surprisingly, not found in Iceland. Cherished and defended by Icelandic immigrants to North America, the dish’s history highlights how food can serve as the crossing-point for issues of class, gender, geopolitics and cultural identity. "