Why Edamame Is the Ultimate Road Snack

For reasons beyond comprehension, I’ve driven from Iowa to New York more times than I care to share. What I do want you to know is that two things got me through those trips: podcasts and edamame. Along with the full suite of Stuff You Should Know, On Being, and Inquiring Minds, I munched on edamame all the way home. Here’s why it’s my recommended road snack of choice.

The stretch of flatness — more than 1,000 miles of it — not to mention the time that extends on such a drive, feels perilous on account of the boredom that settles in. Over the course of 16 hours, podcasts help mitigate that, but so do edamame, still in their pods.

Podcasts, edamame pods. This is a thing.

Before I head out on the road, I sauté a huge batch in a fiery concoction of garlic, rice wine vinegar, and Sambal. They get stashed in a cooler and methodically plucked from their container as the miles rack up.

Perhaps it’s the need to wrestle each little bean from the pod that keeps me focused on the road. Maybe it’s the loud flavors that refuse to go unnoticed even after hours of eating them. Then there’s the fact that, even if I go through a whole pack of them on this many-hour drive, the fatigue that a sugary or carb-tastic treat causes never rears its head.

So whenever I hit the road, edamame gets shotgun.

What’s your favorite road snack?