Generations of Makers, Growers, and Chefs
From bakers to wine makers, chefs and farmers, these episodes trace food back along its generational roots and celebrate the third, fourth, fifth - even eighth - generation sons and daughters keeping family businesses and traditions alive.
Food ties us to our predecessors, and it’s what we pass down, in new iterations, to those who come after us. It’s a tangible manifestation of memory and adaptation.
By: Anna Oakes
Japan Eats! Episode 232: Fourth Generation Sushi Chef Goes Global: Our guest is Yoshi Tezuka, the 4th generation sushi chef at Matsunozushi in Tokyo, which was founded in 1910. In this episode, we will discuss why Yoshi decided to make sushi for an international audience, the challenges he faces in making sushi outside Japan, his philosophy of sustainability, how to pair fish with wine (Yoshi is a certified wine sommelier too) and much, much more.
The Speakeasy Episode 422: Little Book, Big Ideas: Eighth generation Beam Distiller Freddie Noe joins the band to talk about growing into the family business and how his Little Book series lead to experimentation within that legacy.
Why Food? Episode 172: Margaret Nyamumbo: Kahawa 1893 Coffee: Join us for a conversation with Margaret Nyamumbo, founder of Kahawa 1893. Margaret is a third generation coffee farmer and grew up on a farm in Kenya before immigrating to the USA. After earning her MBA from Harvard, she went on to work on Wall Street when she rediscovered her passion for coffee. She founded Kahawa 1893 with a mission to close the gender gap in coffee. In Kenya, over 90% of labor in coffee comes from women, but they aren't fairly compensated because they don't own the land. Kahawa 1893 coffee is roasted and distributed from San Francisco and the brand recently launched in Trader Joe's as the first Black & woman-owned coffee brand to launch in the grocery chain.
Cooking in Mexican from A to Z Episode 13: Mole Through the Generations: Zarela & Aarón explore the layered flavors and history of mole. There is a different mole for every palate and protein, from negro to colaradito to rojo. Zarela and Aarón are thrilled to welcome another mother-son duo, Susana Trilling and Kaelin Ulrich, to help ensure they cover it all.
Jupiter's Almanac Episode 1: Welcome to Gilliard Farms: For the inaugural episode of Jupiter’s Almanac, host Matthew Raiford introduces himself, along with his family history and the history of his farm. These lineages go hand in hand, dating back nearly 150 years ago when Matthew’s great-great-great grandfather, Jupiter Gilliard, bought Gilliard Farms. Matthew and his partner Jovan Sage share what the land is like today and discuss both how they care for it and keep its legacy alive. The second half of the show dives into the history of Coastal Georgia, Gullah Geechee culture, and the foodways Matthew has inherited.
Tech Bites Episode 190: Retro Innovation with Apollonia Poilâne of Poilâne Bread: Are we really inventing better new technologies in food production or is the best tech retro innovation? Host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with Apollonia Poilâne, the third generation baker from the world-renowned Poilâne bakery in Paris. Her grandfather Pierre opened the bakery 1932, producing the “hug-sized” sourdough loaves - hearty, affordable and made to keep well - that quickly became their signature bread.
Apollonia spent long hours under the tutelage of the head baker Felix, and learned to bake without recipes and by using her five senses, eventually becoming adept at recognizing the distinct tastes, smells and sounds Poilâne’s baked goods produced. She has translated her family baking history a cookbook, Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery. Poilâne now sells more than 5,000 loaves of bread and baked goods daily, including supplying more than 2,000 Parisian restaurants and sending their loaves worldwide to 40 different countries.
The Speakeasy Episode 346: Sean Mother F#%>ing Kenyon: An interview with Denver’s legendary hospitalitarian and third generation bartender Sean Kenyon. Sother caught up with Sean to talk about Sean’s philosophy of bartending and hospitality as well as his popular Denver bars Williams and Graham, Occidental, and American Bonded.
Why Food? Episode 174: Bobbie Garbutt: 4th Generation Nutmeg Farmer: Join us for a conversation with Bobbie Garbutt, live from Grenada! A 4th generation cocoa and spice farmer in Grenada, Bobbie didn't envision her career in agriculture. Kicking off working life as a production assistant for a fashion label in London, her curiosity about food systems led her to jump ship and start her own catering company before the pandemic brought it to a grinding halt. The extended time spent at home allowed her to rediscover the unique significance of her mother's family farm in the Caribbean. Now working in regenerative agricultural initiatives across East Africa and Grenada, she's on a mission to inspire a movement back to the land--through making farming prosperous by rewarding good growing.
The Grape Nation Episode 132: Victor Urrutia Ybarra, CEO, CVNE Wine, Rioja, Spain: Victor Urrutia is the CEO of Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana also known as CVNE or CUNE. He is fifth generation and only the seventh person to run this family business. CVNE is a storied Rioja producer dating back to 1879. Under Victor’s tenure, CVNE has combined traditional winemaking methods with modern innovation.
The Food Seen Episode 349: Zaro's Family Bakery: The fourth generation of Zaro's Family Bakery, is run by four Zaros: Michael, Brian, Scott and Richie. These three brothers and one cousin, bake the breads and pastries of their birthright, as native New Yorkers, instilling an institution with braided challahs and black & white cookies. Over 1.5 million people pass by their storefronts every day, conveniently located at transportation hubs like Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station and Port Authority, it's no wonder that traveling back in time, still tastes so sweet.
The Farm Report Episode 278: Raising the World's Absolute Best Chicken with Joyce Farms: Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Joyce Farms is a family-run operation dedicated to raising high-quality all-natural meats–including poultry, beef, and game – for chefs, artisanal butchers, and educated consumers across the United States. Among their offerings of heritage breed poultry is the world’s best chicken: the Poulet Rouge Fermier, a French farm chicken. Brothers Ryan and Stuart Joyce, the third generation of the Joyce family to be involved in the company, join host Holli Cederholm for a peek into the process of raising heritage chickens in accordance to France’s Label Rouge program.
Japan Eats! Episode 233: Dassai And Beyond: Kazuhiro Sakurai is the 4th generation and CEO of Asahi Shuzo, which is the maker of Dassai sake. You may have heard of Dassai, because you can find it in many bars and restaurants worldwide. Dassai’s success did not happen overnight. Kazuhiro and his father/the third generation Hiroshi Sakurai shifted the corporate philosophy drastically and since then, their innovative approach to sake production has inspired the entire industry.
