Curious Minnesota

Nov 14 2024 101 ep. 15 mins 321
Curious Minnesota Podcast artwork

What do you wonder about the people, places and culture of Minnesota? Listen to our community-driven reporting project, which invites listeners to ask questions that our newsroom researches and answers.

  Society & Culture
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Why are Minnesota’s roadside rest areas so nice?

Nov 14 2024 18 mins  
Rest areas are a common site on roadways across Minnesota. While they are easy to overlook, rest areas also serve an important purpose for driver safety. And it turns out that Minnesota has some of the nation's most exceptional rest areas. Reporter Erica Pearson joined host Eric Roper to discuss the history, function and design of these facilities. LINKS: Why are Minnesota’s road

What’s behind the stereotype that Minnesotans don’t like spicy food?

Oct 31 2024 24 mins  
After Gov. Tim Walz joked about the state's low spice tolerance in a campaign video, a reader asked Curious Minnesota about the origins of the idea that Minnesotans don't like spicy food. The cultural stereotype is so pervasive in the state that many restaurants include menu warnings or simply offer versions of dishes with extremely minimal seasoning. Reporter Susan Du joins host E

How did Old Dutch potato chips get started in St. Paul?

Oct 10 2024 14 mins  
The Old Dutch potato chip company is a regional icon in the Midwest, known for its twin pack box. They have been frying potatoes for 90 years. And it all began in a kitchen in St. Paul. Reporter Brooks Johnson joins host Erica Pearson to talk about the company's history and what it was like when he toured their Roseville plant. LINKS: How did Old Dutch potato chips get started in S

How Quonset huts helped solve the post-WWII housing crisis in the Twin Cities

Sep 26 2024 21 mins  
A surplus of military Quonset huts after World War II provided a unique solution to a housing shortage in Minnesota and across the country. Steph Quinn joins host Eric Roper to discuss these temporary neighborhoods. LINKS: How Quonset huts helped solve the post-WWII housing crisis in the Twin Cities

How did the Minnesota Star Tribune get its start?

Aug 29 2024 29 mins  
This special episode of Curious Minnesota was recorded at the State Fair on August 28th. Erica Pearson and Eric Roper discussed the origins of the Minnesota Star Tribune, which dates back to Minneapolis' incorporation as a city in 1867. The Strib is a descendant of three very different papers. The conversation also delved into what life was like on Minneapolis' Newspaper Row. LINKS

Fairgoers tell us their questions about Minnesota

Aug 28 2024 6 mins  
We had a blast chatting with fairgoers on Curious Minnesota Day at the Minnesota Star Tribune's State Fair building. Today's episode is a roundup of the questions we recorded. LINKS: Why Wisconsin claims — incorrectly — to have more lakes than the Land of 10,000 Lakes Why is Minnesota's Democratic Party called the DFL? How Mayo Clinic became one of the world's most famous medic

Why Wisconsin claims — incorrectly — to have more lakes than the Land of 10,000 Lakes

Aug 22 2024 16 mins  
Minnesota takes great pride in its lakes. "10,000 Lakes" is even emblazoned on the state's license plates. But at least some people in Wisconsin think their state has more lakes than Minnesota. It's because there's not one standard for what defines a lake. A reader wanted to know more about why the states are measuring their lakes differently. Erica Pearson, who wrote a story on t

Curious Minnesota at the State Fair! 8/24 (Saturday) and 8/28 (Wednesday)

Aug 19 2024 2 mins  
Curious Minnesota will be hosting events at the Minnesota Star Tribune's State Fair building on Saturday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 28th.

Why did Minneapolis close Nicollet Avenue for a Kmart?

Aug 09 2024 22 mins  
Anyone who has spent time in south Minneapolis over the last 50 years has likely run across the unusual intersection at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue. These are two of the city's most important thoroughfares. But the city decided in the 1970s to close Nicollet at Lake Street so a Kmart store could extend over a portion of two blocks. Adelie Bergström joins host Eric Roper to dis

Why did Minnesota erase much of its German culture?

Jul 19 2024 20 mins  
Minnesota is known for its Scandinavian roots, which are apparent in everything from the Vikings football team to the Norwegian bachelor farmers of Lake Wobegon. But more residents report having German ancestry than Scandinavian. So why isn't that German heritage more reflected more in the state's culture? Reporter Greta Kaul joins host Eric Roper to discuss the effort to erase Ger