Vicarious Summer Vacations: A Global Food Tour
By: Bianca Garcia
Wherever you’re listening from this summer— whether it’s the familiar living room sofa or an international tarmac— travel with HRN on the culinary explorations of your dreams. We’ve compiled episodes featuring interviews about food cultures on every continent (yes, even Antarctica) to curate the ultimate audio food tour. Takeoff below and learn how much food can tell us about a place.
Asia:
Eat Your Words Episode 396: Coconut and Sambal with Lara Lee: On Eat Your Words, Cathy dials up Lara Lee, whose acclaimed new book celebrates Indonesian cuisine. Hear how Lara's fond memories of cooking with her grandmother inspired her to explore her food and culture more, and how Indonesian cooking can be replicated anywhere in the world.
A Taste of the Past Episode 380: Taiwan Noodle Culture and the 100yr-old Recipe: A-Sha Noodles is the cult-favorite noodle brand known for its patented, 100-year-old legacy noodle recipe from Tainan, Taiwan. Starting in one market in 1977, the company's product is now recognized around the globe. A-Sha Foods USA has been recognized as one of the top 100 fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine and selected as one of the Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time for more than five consecutive years. Founder and CEO Young Chang talks about the 100-year-old recipe and its place in Taiwanese noodle culture.
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Native Episode 23: Eating Viet Nam: Pack your bags! Briana Kurtz is headed back to Vietnam and brings the Native audience another round of delectable Vietnamese dishes with guest Graham Holliday. A journalist and blogger from a small town in northern England, Graham explains he wasn't always keen on travel. But in his early twenties, a picture of Hanoi, Vietnam sparked a curiosity that propelled him halfway across the globe. He didn't want to be a tourist in an alien land, though; he was determined to live it. An ordinary guy who liked trying interesting food, he moved to the capital city and embarked on a quest to find real Vietnamese food, which brings Briana to chat about his new book "Eating Viet Nam: Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table." Tune in as Graham shares not only his favorite part of Vietnamese food but also bites of the many fresh dishes, pungent and bursting with flavor, which he came to love while also distinguishing cultural and flavorful differences between northern and southern Vietnam. This program was brought to you by Myriad Restaurant Group. "The thing is with Vietnamese food, generally, I can't think of one dish that doesn't take a long time to prepare." "Vietnamese street food... the food is just one part of the street is the rest!" --Graham Holliday on Native
A Taste of the Past Episode 113: Burmese Cuisine with Naomi Duguid: Host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Canadian food writer Noami Duguid, who has authored seminal books such as "Seductions of Rice" and "Burma: Rivers of Flavor." Tune in and hear what it's like being an outsider in a foreign land and how Noami navigates cultures and communities to learn about the cuisine that lives amongst them. Find out how the politically oppressed people of Burma operate in their kitchens what makes their food simultaneously accessible and unique. From fish paste to garlic, discover the layered flavors of Burma and the delicious dishes that come from them.
Europe:
Let’s Talk About Food Episode 38: Who Would’t Want to Escape to Italy Right Now?: This episode is a real treat for those of us with wanderlust. A married couple – Rachel Greenberger and Cristiano Bonino. Rachel is a 2020 Eisenhower Fellow working on Regenerative Agriculture and Food Systems – she was one of the creators of Food Sol – a thought leadership initiative for Food Entrepreneurs at Babson College. Rachel also works with her husband, Cristiano, on his Italian Tour Company Food.Stories.Travel. I love his voice – and couldn’t we all use a little escape to the countryside of Italy right now? Spoiler alert: There’s a lot of anchovies in this piece.
A Taste of The Past Episode 171: Beyond Bratwurst: German cuisine is often thought of as brats and not much else. Ursula Heinzelmann is here to change that perception and she's this week's guest on A Taste of the Past. Ursula is an acclaimed German food and wine writer, a sommelier, and a gastronome. She's written numerous books on the subject of German cuisine and has twice been awarded the annual Sophie Coe Prize in Food History at the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, most recently in 2006. Her latest book is called Beyond Bratwurst: A History of Food in Germany. "If I had to define German food - it would be diversity, always."
Dyed Green Episode 15: The Pocket, the Head, & the Heart: Farming for the Future in the Burren: The Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue described being born in the Burren, with its surreal, limestone landscape as a “huge, wild invitation to extend your imagination.” Located in County Clare, on Ireland’s west coast, not only is the Burren is one of the country’s most biodiverse regions—seventy percent of Irish native flora can be found there—it has been grazed for 6,000 years. Today, the Burren is celebrated for its High Nature Value farming, a forward-thinking sustainable management practice which allow farmers to make a living while fostering the delicate ecological balance the area requires. On this episode, meet Brendan Dunford of the Burrenbeo Trust about the role of farmers in protecting landscapes and improving environmental health, the benefits of results-based payment systems, and how appealing to a farmer’s pocket, head, and heart is the best way to encourage them to farm for nature and the climate. Tune in for an upbeat, inspirational conversation featuring a true climate visionary.
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Native Episode 1: Turkey: Black Sea Cuisine: Host Briana Kurtz welcomes Robyn Eckhardt to the program. Robyn is known for her food and travel writing, specifically in Turkey and Asia, and today Briana chats with Robyn about the cuisine of the Black Sea Coast in Turkey. Explaining the staple food items of the area, Briana asks Robyn about her breakfast, lunch, and dinner habits in Turkey and gets a detailed account of Robyn's daily diet on while on move. After the break, Briana asks Robyn to expand on the basics about her time spent in Turkey - how she gets around as well as how the political climate affects her work. Tune in to hear a great account of the history of the coast of the Black Sea and its food customs! "Once you get beyond Istanbul, especially out east, it's very much a locavore diet, and not because it's cool to be a locavore or the people are rediscovering being locavores, it's people out here always have. They eat what is grown and harvested, fished, and raised around them."
Eat Your Words Episode 294: Scandinavian Comfort Food: Host Cathy Erway is joined by Trine Hahnemann, owner and CEO of Hahnemann’s Kitchen and enthusiastic advocate for sustainable solutions, organic sourcing and food made with love. Hahnemann has also written eleven cookbooks in her native language Danish and also five in English, including The Scandinavian Cookbook and Scandinavian Baking. She is an enthusiastic advocate for sustainable solutions, organic sourcing and food made with love, and is a passionate opponent of food waste. "Food is money; why would you want to throw it out?"
Africa:
Item 13 Episode 37: Spending Time in a Ugandan Kitchen with Sophie Musoki: Sophia Musoki is a Ugandan food blogger, writer and photographer whose work through A Kitchen in Uganda has been instrumental in bringing Ugandan cuisine to the world. She has been featured on Cuisine Noir, CNN, City Press and many other publications. Sophie has self published 3 e-books one of which won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2015. Her blog has been nominated for the prestigious Saveur Magazine blog award in the food culture category. She is a strong advocate for eating local, exploring Uganda food and way of cooking and using indigenous produce to make scrumptious meals. As a self-taught food photographer, she is on a mission to photograph African food and document food experiences in a positive light. As a food writer, she is passionate about experimenting with and writing about local indigenous produce on her blog while giving her readers practical ways they can incorporate this food in their daily lives.
Item 13 Episode 30: Ivorian Food Culture with Yasmine Fofana, Afrofoodie: Yasmine Fofana is the pioneer when it comes to promoting the culinary scene of Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa). She not only launched the 1st food blog of Côte d’Ivoire in 2012: “Journal d’une Foodie” now rebranded as “Afrofoodie”, she also launched Côte d’Ivoire's 1st Restaurant week: “Abidjan Restaurant Week”. Thanks to her continuous efforts in sharing the Ivorian culinary scene with the world, Yasmine was selected as a Mandela Washington Fellow 2016 under President Obama’s Young Africa Leaders Initiative.
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The Naturalist Episode 53: Namibia: Bernie takes us on a tour of The Republic of Namibia, a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. Tune in and learn about bird guano, stick insects, and wildlife in the area. By the end of the show, you'll be a few steps closer to buying your plane tickets and seeing for yourself!
Item 13 Episode 6: Nomadic Dining with Chef Fatmata Binta: Promoting “Fulani Cuisine to the World,” Fatmata Binta was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone to first-generation Sierra Leonean Fulanis of Guinean descent. She describes herself as the Fulani Chef, a classic nomad. She has traveled to several continents and has worked with many African chefs. Chef Binta has also been featured on several TV shows and media outlets across the African continent. She is now based in Accra, Ghana where she is building a rich culinary experience through her Fulani traditional dining pop ups. Her vision is to promote Fulani culture through food, bring people closer and to promote African cuisine to the world.
North America:
Eat Your Heartland Out Episode 34: The Effervescent World of Midwestern Craft Soda… or Pop: Meet makers and purveyors of unique pop products. Mark Lazarchic, better known as Soda Pop Mark, brings us to Blue Sun Soda in Minnesota where he claims they have the largest collection of sodas in the world. Bob Hansen, owner of Spring Grove Soda, gives us a history lesson on his brand that has been around for over a century. And, Lesley Kline, founder of Kast Iron Soda, tells us how her soda fountain is helping to reinvigorate the main street of small town Ohio.
Beer Sessions Radio Episode 578: Atlantic Canada’s Unique Beer Scene: On the show is Chris McDonald from Atlantic Canada Beer Blog in Atlantic Canada; Chris Reynolds from Bar Stillwell in Halifax, Canada; Craig Pinhey, a writer from Rothesay, Canada; and Jeremy White from Big Spruce Brewing in Baddeck, Canada. The group kicks off the conversation with an introduction to Atlantic Canada, focusing on the remarkable cask ale, which has been pouring since 1985 and later influenced the East Coast craft beer scene. Jimmy is completely new to Atlantic, so the gang also tosses in travel tips and recommendations for when things start opening back up. To try and get a gist for the history, Jimmy then sparks a lively conversation about old traditions and strange rules within the Atlantic beer scene. For the second half, Jeremy joins in to talk about Big Spruce Brewing, and praises Bar Stillwell for trendsetting across Atlantic. Bringing the conversation back to cask ale, the gang describes the subtle texture and unique carbonation that makes cask ale so appealing. And finally, Chris shouts out a new bar opening this week in Newfoundland, getting everyone excited for summer.
Feast Yr Ears Episode 206: From Boston with Love: Elle Simone is a joy to speak with. Her story is one of resilience and change, embracing new opportunities with open arms and an open heart. Tune in to hear Elle and Harry catch up about Elle's work at America's Test Kitchen, both on screen and off, and how she went from Social work, to being houseless to the screen all along tuning in to the power of the universe.
Cooking in Mexican from A to Z Episode 20: Fall in Love with Oaxaca: Aarón and Zarela welcome Bricia Lopez for a love letter to the food and culture of Oaxaca. Bricia and her siblings run Guelaguetza, the restaurant her father started 27 years ago. Bricia believes that Oaxaca's most unique asset is its diversity of chiles, spices and herbs, so they've started an online marketplace to sell those products as well. Together, Zarela, Aarón and Bricia share their insights into the Oaxacan ingredients, traditions, and personality. Plus, they explore the market culture of Oaxaca, and discuss the Oaxacan Mezcal tradition and the ways in which it is or is not a matriarchal society.
South America:
Buenlimón Radio Episode 53: El ritual de la mesa: Buenlimón Radio regresa con un corto especial abriendo una nueva temporada. Un trozo del libro de cocina escrito por nuestra Mariana, titulado Colombiana, recién lanzado por Harper Wave. El libro se sumerge en la tradición rica de nuestra tierra natal, pintando una imagen vívida de la cultura culinaria y las raíces de Mariana. Este episodio se produjo en colaboración con un grupo artístico colombiano, “El Dorado,” hace poco.
Buenlimón Radio returns with a short special, as we launch our new season. A morsel of the cookbook written by our own Mariana, titled Colombiana, and recently launched by Harper Wave. The book dives into the rich traditions of our home country, painting a vivid image of its culinary culture and Mariana's roots. This episode was recently produced in collaboration with a Colombian artist group, "El Dorado." ¡Buen provecho!
Eat Your Words Episode 393: The Chilean Kitchen: Cathy dials up the authors of The Chilean Kitchen, Pilar Hernandez and Eileen Smith. They discuss the classics of Chilean cuisine and the rich history of influences that has molded it over the centuries.
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Special Features Episode 47: Brazil’s Drink of Choice: Cachaca is the third most consumed spirit in the world, with a history over 500 years old and its starting to make waves here in the US.
Cooking in Mexican from A to Z Episode 8: Plantains: The People’s Ingredient: Zarela and Aarón welcome one of Aarón's early mentors, Jorge Adriazola, to tackle the many uses of plantains. They share recipes of the various ways in which plantains are prepared throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and South America. Jorge walks through how to prepare Tostones (pro tip from Aarón: the same technique works for homemade french fries as well) and Zarela and Jorge sing the praises of home-rendered lard. Plus, the three of them pay homage to several luminaries of Latin American cooking who paved the way for chefs like Jorge and Aarón.
Australia:
Heritage Radio Network on Tour Episode 378: Jane Lopes + Jonathan Ross on Australian Wine at Charleston Wine + Food 2022: Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross join The Grape Nation's Sam Benrubi to tell the stories of their interlinked careers and talk about all things Australian wine. They are a husband and wife duo behind the Australian wine imports company, Legend. Jane is a Nashville-based sommelier, importer, and author. She has worked at New York's Eleven Madison Park, Nashville's The Catbird Seat, Chicago's The Violet Hour, and most recently as the wine director at Attica, one of Australia's most celebrated restaurants. In September of 2018, Jane passed the Master Sommelier exam, becoming the only woman in Australia to do so, and one of only 34 women in the world (and less than 300 people in total since the 1960s). In September of 2019, she published her first book, a personal and educational guide to wine called Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles. Jonathan Ross is a New Jersey-born sommelier who spent most of his career working in the New York restaurant industry. Jon’s time in NYC was capped off by a 5-year stint as the head sommelier at Eleven Madison Park, which culminated in the restaurant’s rise to the top spot on the San Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurant List. In 2017, Jon passed the master sommelier exam, and relocated with his now wife, Jane Lopes, to Melbourne where he joined the Rockpool Dining Group as beverage director. While in Australia, he also curated the Qantas in-flight and lounge wine offerings, and launched Micro Wines, a boutique wine label sold domestically and exported to the US.
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Greenhorns Radio Episode 296: Greg Hart, The Family Farm: Greg Hart farms 1500 acres in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. He works on the property with his wife and 3 young children, as well as 3 other workers and various WWOOFers from all around the world. The Harts practise regenerative agriculture and try to raise awareness about the urgent need to transition to a food production system based on nature that heals the earth and society.
HRN Happy Hour Episode 17: An Aussie Afternoon with Two Hands: On this episode of HRN Happy Hour, Kat & Caity learn all about Australian café culture (and fairy bread) from Henry Roberts and Giles Russell, the Aussies behind Two Hands! Two Hands is an Australian cafe and restaurant created by expats Henry Roberts and Giles Russell, with the goal of building a tight-knit community and bringing a piece of home to New York City. From the elevated coffee selection to the warm space and fresh cuisine, the concept provides a welcoming, relaxed vibe amongst the chaos of the city’s culinary landscape. The name is representative of the handmade nature of the concept, both the effort that went into creating its original location from the ground up and the care involved in the making of each dish. Two Hands’ menu takes inspiration from Australian culture, serving nutritious and balanced foods that are meant to be enjoyed amongst friends. As a pioneer in the cafe space, Giles and Henry seek to create a new community space for their guests to escape to, as if they’ve been transported to an airy beachfront restaurant. In the last several years, Australian cafes have had a profound renaissance in New York, with Two Hands stepping out as the clear leader in the pack.
Antarctica:
A Taste of the Past Episode 142: Antarctic Cuisine: Linda Pelaccio is talking with Jason Anthony, author of the recent Hoosh. But what is 'hoosh'? Antarctic explorers used ingredients like pemmican and melted snow to create a stew that they named hoosh; find out how a diet of hoosh lead to vitamin deficiencies on the cold continent. Tune in to hear about Jason's seasons in Antarctica, and what food he packed for a hundred-day excursion into the center of the continent. What foods are most desired by Antarctic explorers? Also, tune in to hear about early explorers' roasted penguin recipes, and find out how Jason and his colleagues preserved fresh produce in their sleeping bags!
"Antarctica went from being an unknown blank spot on the map to a known blank spot on the map. Explorers knew from Arctic exploration that you needed more calories in cold temperatures, but the problem was that they were unable to bring enough supplies to Antarctica on their ships to sustain themselves. I think the unstated thesis of my book is: the worse the food, the better the story!" - Jason Anthony on A Taste of the Past
Meat and Three Episode 58: What’s Cooler than Being Cool?: We're embracing the wintry weather to bring you stories about extreme cold. In the second feature, Jessica Krainchich then takes us to Antarctica for a conversation with artist and pastry chef Rose McAdoo, who uses cakes as her canvas to speak about social justice.
