Episodes
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In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about ‘forever’ foods, stocks, soups and sourdough starters that can be replenished again and again and used for weeks, months or even years.
Ruth hears about a beef soup in Bangkok that has been maintained for fifty years, and she bakes a loaf of sourdough bread using a 69 year old starter that’s been kept going by Hobbs House Bakery in the South West of England.
Cookbook writer Fuchsia Dunlop in London, UK talks about the tradition of cooking with an ‘everlasting’ broth in Chinese cuisine.
Annie Ruewerda in New York in the US was charmed by the idea of a perpetual stew, she kept hers going for two months and it became an online hit – bringing hundreds of strangers to her local park to try the stew and add ingredients.
Lee-Ann Jaykus, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and food microbiologist at North Carolina State University in the US explains the food safety rules you need to know if you want to try a perpetual dish at home.
Martha Carlin, Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the US helps unravel the claimed historical origins of perpetual stew.
And our thanks to World Service listeners David Shirley and Mark Wood for telling us about the oldest dishes they’ve eaten.
Produced by Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup
Additional reporting by the BBC’s Ryn Jirenuwat in Bangkok, Thailand.
(Image: beef soup in a huge pot that has been added to over fifty years at a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: David Shirley/BBC)
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Social media is awash with videos of people trying out new recipes at home and exploring the best hidden foodie gems in cities around the world.
The stream of content seems endless – so how do the people making these videos keep up?
Ruth Alexander speaks to three people in the UK, USA and Vietnam about having six meals before 10am, the relentless pressure to keep up with viral trends, and what they cook for themselves when the camera is off.
Tod Inskip, Lylla Nha Vy and Jackie Gebel share the highs and lows of being a “content creator” and why they don’t like the term influencer.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Hannah Bewley and Elisabeth Mahy
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
(Image: Lylla Nha Vy, Tod Inskip and Jackie Gebel. Credit: Composite BBC)
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If you’re a light or moderate drinker, the World Health Organization wants you to know that no level of alcohol is safe for your health.
But just how big is that risk and might it be one you’re willing to take? And what happened to the idea that a glass of red wine might be good for you?
In this programme Ruth Alexander finds out about the studies the guidance has been based on, and the statistical risk of dying from alcohol-related disease.
Dr Tim Stockwell, Scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, is the author of a meta-analysis of 107 studies that look at the links between ill health and alcohol. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter is Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge in the UK, he explains how we can make sense of risk as individuals.
And Anna Tait in the UK, Amelie Hauenstein in Germany, David Matayabas in the US and Bill Quinn in Australia talk about how much alcohol they drink, and what moderation looks like to them.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(image: four hands raising pints of beer in a ‘cheers’ gesture. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
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Is it worth taking collagen? With cosmetic companies and A-listers claiming it can slow the effects of ageing, the market for collagen supplements is booming. How sure is the science though?
Ruth Alexander speaks to experts about what we do and don’t know about what these powders, gels and capsules are doing inside our bodies.
She hears from a personal trainer and runner in her 50s about why she takes it daily, and speaks to the CEO of a company selling collagen products in this increasingly competitive market.
New avenues of research are opening up as well, with sports scientists investigating whether an increase in collagen production can help athletes recover from injury more quickly.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Hannah Bewley
(Image: A serving of supplement powder. Credit: Getty Images)
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Have you visited a food hall recently? It’s a venue bringing together multiple independent food and drink businesses, often with communal seating.
We look at the ways in which food halls are being used to bring consumers and spend to new areas, raising the value of surrounding offices, apartments and other businesses.
In this programme Devina Gupta visits Society food hall in Manchester in the UK, where she meets Julia Martinelli, who manages the pizza offering from Noi Quattro restaurant and Reece Gibson, operations manager for Vocation Brewery which runs the bar.
Mariko Oi in Singapore reports from the Maxwell Hawker Centre in Singapore, to explore how today’s food halls have evolved from street food traders.
Frode Rønne Malmo from Mathallen in Oslo, Norway and Spiros Loukopoulos, from Reffen in Copenhagen, Denmark talk about the ways in which their food halls have brought people to the surrounding area. Food hall consultant Philip Colicchio in New York in the US explains why this business model has been so popular.
Presented by Devina Gupta.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
Additional reporting by Mariko Oi.
(Image: a man and a woman enjoying plates of food in a food hall. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
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Strawberries at the airport when meeting your future husband for the first time, finally tasting world famous fish and chips and wondering why on earth the pasta is green.
These are some of this week’s stories of first impressions of food in a new country.
Devina Gupta visits a multilingual cooking class in Manchester, UK, to find out how language, culture and food help people find a home in a new part of the world..
She speaks to a chef who fled Ukraine when the war started and now runs a restaurant in the Netherlands. Nathalia adapted to life there very quickly, but still can’t comprehend why the Dutch eat toast for every meal.
Mariyam and Marius share their love story from across continents, and talk about the dishes – and those strawberries - which brought them together when they finally met.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
Presenter: Devina Gupta Producer: Hannah Bewley Translation: Irena Taranyuk (Image: Devina Gupta has afternoon tea. Credit: BBC)
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Have you heard of ‘super sweet’ sweetcorn?
If you’ve purchased fresh, frozen or tinned sweetcorn in the last few decades there’s a good chance its the super sweet variety. It’s an example of how our fruit and vegetables have been bred over time to make them sweeter, or less bitter. Its partly about appealing to consumer tastes, but can have other advantages such as better storage and reducing food waste.
In this programme Ruth Alexander finds out how and why the taste of our fresh produce is changing, and asks if we’re gaining sweetness, what are we losing?
Ruth visits Barfoots farm on the south coast of England, the biggest supplier of fresh sweetcorn in the UK, all of it super sweet varieties. Plant breeder Dr Michael Mazourek at Cornell University in the United States explains how selective breeding works, and what sort of characteristics have been prioritised by the food industry. Dr Sarah Frith, vet at Melbourne Zoo in Australia explains why they’ve stopped giving fruit to the animals. And Dr Gabriella Morini, chemist at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy explains the latest research on bitter flavours, and why they might be good for us.
If you’d like to contact the programme email [email protected]
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: corn on the cob in the husk, with a background image of a field of sweetcorn plants. Credit: BBC)
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Three million bananas; 600-800 baguettes a day; 47,000 plates...as the world’s elite sportsmen and women arrive in Paris, a huge catering operation awaits them.
Ruth Alexander finds out what it takes to keep the athletes happy and fuel a medal-winning performance.
Team GB pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw talks about her relationship with food during her years as an athlete, and why she’s looking forward to retirement after Paris 2024.
Alicia Glass, senior dietician for Team USA, gives an insight in to how a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the right time can make a big difference.
Reporter Michael Kaloki in Nairobi drops in on Kenya’s sprinters while they’re having lunch to find out what’s on their plates.
And the head of catering for the London 2012 Games Jan Matthews offers advice for the team in Paris this year on how to keep athletes who need a lot of fuel happy.
This programme includes conversations about losing and gaining weight, goal weights and difficult relationships with food that some listeners might find upsetting.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Hannah Bewley, Elisabeth Mahy and Michael Kaloki
(Image: Holly Bradshaw, Team GB pole vaulter, wins bronze at Tokyo 2020. Credit: Reuters)
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Why do we cook? To create flavour, to aid digestion and to release nutrients from our food.
Every time we fry, steam, boil, or bake a series of chemical reactions take place that are key to a dish’s success.
In this programme Ruth Alexander puts questions from the BBC World Service audience to Dr Stuart Farrimond in the UK, author of ‘The Science of Cooking’. Susannah and Aaron Rickard in Australia tell Ruth about the chemical reactions they discovered when researching their cookbook ‘Cooking with Alcohol’. And Krish Ashok in India, author of ‘Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking’, explains the science behind the culinary wisdom of your parents and grandparents.
If you’d like to contact the programme email [email protected]
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: two young girls wearing goggles and aprons conducting a science experiment. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)
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Of the tens of millions of people around the world with autism or down syndrome, only a tiny fraction is in paid employment.
But cooking, making drinks and waiting tables is work where people with learning disabilities can shine.
John Laurenson takes us to a Café Joyeux (Happy Café) in Paris, one of a fast-growing chain of cafe-restaurants where most of the staff have autism or down syndrome and where the croque monsieur comes with a smile.
We also hear from a cafe in Mumbai launched by the mother whose daughter has autism and, in Turkey, the KFCs with a difference.
Find out how café work can transform the lives of employees and owners.
Presenter/Producer: John Laurenson
(Image: Louis, Laura, Anne-France and Arnaud. Credit: BBC)
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Taste, it turns out, is not a matter of opinion. Scientists have discovered that your perception of taste is informed by your genetics.
When we eat or drink something, we may be having an entirely different experience to the person we’re sharing a meal with, or the chef who has prepared it, or the critic who has recommended it.
In this programme Ruth Alexander explores her likes and dislikes and how they might be informed by biology.
Ruth meets Laura Kent of the Yorkshire Wine School in the UK who helps her learn about her sensitivity to acidic and bitter flavours. Ruth speaks to Anne Fadiman, writer and Professor of creative writing at Yale University in the US, who dislikes wine, despite her wine critic father loving it. Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, US, explains the science. Tim Hanni, Master of Wine, and author of ‘Why You Like The Wine You Like’ argues that the wine industry is not paying enough attention to individual tastes. Where does this new science leave wine competitions? David Kermode, judge at the IWSC, International Wine and Spirits Competition, makes the case for the experts.
If you'd like to contact the programme, please contact [email protected].
Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: three people tasting wine. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
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More of us are living in cities and urban farming is on the rise. Can you be sure the city soil you’re growing in is clean enough?
Industry and traffic can contaminate land, but there are ways to deal with the problem.
Ruth Alexander finds out how to test soil, how to clean it, and which fruit and vegetables are the safest to grow on former industrial and commercial sites.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
(Picture: A garden trowel with some soil on it)
Producer: Hannah Bewley
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What’s it like spending 24 hours a day together? Ruth Alexander speaks to couples who run restaurants. She hears how they met, what they argue about and why being a couple might be good for business.
Ruth visits Andrea Follador and Jazz Navin at ‘The Perfect Match’ restaurant in Sale, in the North West of England. Jazz is the chef and Andrea is the sommelier, the two met working at Gordan Ramsay’s ‘The Savoy Grill’ in London. Ruth speaks to Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero, chefs who have lived and worked together in their native Chile, China, and now Singapore where they run fine dining ‘Araya’ restaurant. Rita Sodi and wife Jody Williams ran a restaurant each, and then decided to open one together, 'Via Carota' in New York, United States. Today they run five bars and restaurants together in the city.
If you would like to get in touch with the show please email [email protected].
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: Andrea Follador and Jazz Navin who run ‘The Perfect Match’ restaurant together in North West England. Credit: BBC)
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In a world where ingredients cost more due to war and inflation how is easy is it to make and sell our daily bread?
Ruth Alexander speaks to three bakers about how they started in the industry, the highs and lows and economic pressures in their part of the world.
Alex Oke is the owner of XO Boutique Bakery in Lagos, Nigeria, Tracey Muzzolini is the owner of Christies Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon, Canada and Samer Chamoun is the owner of The Lebanese Bakery, a chain of 12 branches including Beirut, Cairo and London.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Rumella Dasgupta.
(Image: Alex Oke holding a loaf of Nigerian agege bread and Tracey Muzzolini holding a loaf of sourdough bread. Credit: Donna Martins/Chelsea Walton/BBC)
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Ruth Alexander speaks to patients about their experiences of weight-loss drugs.
The new class of drugs impact appetite, making you feel full sooner, and slowing the rate at which your stomach empties. Known as GLP-1 medications, studies suggest that patients can lose 10% or even up to 25% of their body weight depending on which drug they use. For many who have struggled with obesity and obesity related disease the drugs have the potential to transform their health.
However some patients have struggled with the side effects of the drugs and the manufacturers’ own studies indicate that if people stopping taking them, much of the weight lost is regained, making them drugs for life for some.
Ruth Alexander speaks to Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine, Naveed Sattar, at Glasgow University who is Chair of the UK government’s obesity mission. He explains how these drugs work and the potentials costs and savings for the National Health Service, or NHS. Adrienne Bitar, historian at Cornell University in New York, is the author of ‘Diet and the Disease of Civilization’, a study of diet books of the 20th century. She explains the ideas diet culture is built on. And Ruth asks Gary Foster, Chief Scientific Officer at WeightWatchers, what these weight-loss drugs will mean for the multi-billion-dollar diet industry.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
Image: Michelle Herum in Denmark who currently uses a weight loss drug. Credit: Hanne Juul/BBC)
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Devina Gupta takes a food tour of her home city of Delhi to see how people are adapting to rising summer temperatures.
In May this year the city saw a record temperature of almost 50C, and knowing what to eat in such heat can be a challenge.
The changing climate is sparking innovative recipes in restaurant kitchens and bringing traditional practices back to people’s kitchens.
Devina tries old favourites at street markets, a modern twist on a classic drink at a high end restaurant and is (almost) convinced that a vegetable she has hated since childhood might work wonders in the heat.
She hears from public health expert Dr Samar Husayn about why the cold, sweet treats you might reach for on a hot day aren’t always the best.
And she sees the difference between how those who have air-conditioned homes and those who don’t are coping.
Presenter: Devina Gupta
Producer: Hannah Bewley
(Image: A bowl of gourd dip with restaurant workers in the heat in the background. Credit: BBC)
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Ruth Alexander explores the origins and evolution of the humble grab-and-go food the burrito, which started life in northern Mexico, before crossing over into the US and becoming a hit around the world.
Versions of the spicy wrap can be enjoyed in restaurants, street food shacks and supermarket home meal kits all over the world.
We explore the burrito’s contested origins, find out why some Mexican food purists dislike the popular menu item and ask what the future holds for it, and the cuisine more broadly.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
(Picture: a burrito in a restaurant in Juarez, Mexico. Credit: Vianey Alderete Contreras/BBC)
Presented by Ruth Alexander.Produced by Sam Clack.Additional reporting by Vianey Alderete Contreras in Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, United States.
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Cows emit greenhouse gases when they eat, which contributes to global warming. But is it possible to produce meat in a climate-friendly way?
Grace Livingstone visits a carbon neutral certified ranch in Uruguay, where farm manager Sebastian Olaso shows her around. She also meets Javier Secadas, a small farmer who raises cattle on natural grasslands, and agronomist Ignacio Paparamborda, from the University of the Republic in Montevideo.
Grace hears from Pete Smith, Professor of Soils and Global Change at the University of Aberdeen, and Dominik Wisser, Livestock Policy Officer, from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation.
She tries to find out if it is possible to produce meat in a way that is both good for nature and the climate. Or whether we need to stop eating meat to cut emissions.
Presenter/Producer: Grace Livingstone(Image: Cows grazing in Uruguay. Credit: Getty Images)
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Why eat with your hands?
Many food cultures around the world eat using hands, and most of us use our hands some of the time. Do we really need cutlery or chopsticks to eat a salad, peas or rice? And if you were to tackle soup or stew with your hands, how would you go about it?
Michael Kaloki reports from Nairobi, Kenya, where the staple dish ugali, made from maize flour, is traditionally eaten by hand. Michael has observed that people increasingly use cutlery to eat the dish, and he speaks to restaurateurs and customers about why that might be, and what might be lost.
Ruth Alexander learns about the etiquette of eating by hand with food writer and consultant Karen Anand in India. And Ruth explores whether food might be more enjoyable, and even taste better, when eaten by hand. Psychologist Professor Charles Spence from Oxford University, and chef Jozef Youssef of Kitchen Theory in the UK share their research.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
Reporting by Michael Kaloki in Nairobi, Kenya.
(Image: a man’s hands, pulling apart a sweet cake wrapped in dough, with sauce on his hands. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)
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Stunning cakes, colourful salads and intricate garnishes use flowers to entice customers, but there’s more to this trend than just beautiful social media pictures.
Many cultures around the world have eaten flowers for centuries, and some of them pack a serious punch.
Devina Gupta explores the history of edible flowers and visits a site in the UK where they’re grown all year round. She gets quite a shock when trying one particular variety.
We find out why flowers are used on food nowadays, and how generations of knowledge about their use and properties were lost when they were brought to Western countries.
If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email [email protected].
Presented by Devina Gupta
Produced by Julia Paul and Beatrice Pickup
(Image: A nasturtium flower growing. Credit: BBC)
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