The Food Chain

Mar 19 2025 483 ep. 27 mins 37.5k
The Food Chain Podcast artwork

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

  Arts  Society & Culture
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Why is saffron so expensive?

Mar 19 2025 26 mins  
Saffron - the world's most expensive spice - is treasured for its rich aroma, vibrant colour, and unique flavour. But why does it command such a high price?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander uncovers the story of saffron from crocus flower to kitchen, finds out about the labour-intensive harvesting process, and learns about the innovations in lab-grown saffron that c

The art of food branding

Mar 12 2025 26 mins  
Why do brands have such power over us? Ruth Alexander talks to the designers influencing your decisions about what and where you eat. Renowned graphic designer Paula Scher shares her insights on what it takes to create a visual identity that stands the test of time, including her work on the US fast-food restaurant Shake Shack. And Arjen Klinkenberg, the creative mind behi

Why we love noodles

Mar 05 2025 26 mins  
What makes a noodle? Is it the shape? The ingredients? In this programme Devina Gupta explores the history of noodles, tracing their origin back to Third-Century China. She finds out how they came to be eaten in so many different ways in so many different places. Devina enjoys a Tibetan-influenced noodle dish in Delhi’s Monastery Market, a long-time home of Tibetan restaurants an

Bouillon: The story of stock

Feb 26 2025 26 mins  
John Laurenson explores the enduring appeal of stock. A century and a half ago, a butcher at the big Parisian food market Les Halles started selling beef broth – ‘bouillon’ in French - to the people who worked there. In a few years this had developed into what was perhaps the world’s first restaurant chain. By the end of the Nineteenth Century there were hundreds of ‘boui

Masters of the craft

Feb 19 2025 26 mins  
What motivates someone to dedicate years of their life to learning one skill?Ruth Alexander finds out what it takes to master a craft, the exacting standards one must meet, and why it's all worth it.Sushi chef Eddie Chow tells us how it took more than ten years to achieve the title of 'master sushi chef', and the pain of getting there.What does it take to become an illustrious mast

How to make a TV cooking show

Feb 12 2025 26 mins  
We find out the secret recipe that goes into some of the TV food shows watched by millions around the world. From hiring snake wranglers in South Africa to fending off flies in Sweden, three top producers lift the lid on what it takes to serve up a feast of culinary entertainment. Seasoned professionals Avril Beaven (Great British Menu), Irene Wong (Man Fire Food) and Jane Kennedy

The world's oldest restaurants

Feb 05 2025 26 mins  
People have been eating out in restaurants and bars for hundreds of years, and some of those early establishments are still open today. This week Ruth Alexander meets the people running some of the world’s oldest restaurants. When so many close within the first 12 months of opening, what’s the secret to centuries-old success?Antonio Gonzales Gomez runs Botin, in the Spanish cap

Crunch!

Jan 29 2025 28 mins  
Why do we enjoy foods that crunch? Listener Sheila Harris contacted The Food Chain with that question and asked us to find out if the food texture has any benefits. Ruth Alexander speaks to Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, US, who says that crunchy foods signal freshness and help our brains decide if a food is safe to eat. P

Is anyone following dietary guidelines?

Jan 22 2025 26 mins  
Around 100 countries have official dietary guidelines, and more are on their way. But who is following them? Ruth Alexander asks how realistic healthy-eating advice is as she explores how official recommendations are developed, what they’re trying to achieve, and the obstacles standing in our way. We hear from Fatima Hachem, Senior Nutrition Officer at the United Nation’s Food

Should we eat less rice?

Jan 15 2025 29 mins  
Rice is the main staple for over half the world’s population. The crop has problems though – it is vulnerable to climate change, whether that’s drought or flooding. It’s also a crop that contributes to climate change, as it uses more water than other grain crops and is frequently grown in flooded conditions. Rice production is also a big source of methane emissions. In this