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 programme Ruth Alexander hears about the possible solutions to these problems. Dr Yvonne Pinto, Director General of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines talks about their work developing new varieties of rice, and new more sustainable farming techniques. One rice company trialling these techniques is Tilda in the UK. General Manager Jean-Philippe Laborde explains what difference it’s made to water and fertiliser use as well as methane emissions. Given the problems with rice, should we just eat less of it? Jakob Klein, anthropologist at SOAS University of London explains the Chinese government’s attempts to convince people to eat more potato as a staple food. And we talk about the cultural importance of rice with listeners in the Philippines and Bangladesh. If you’d like to contact the programme email [email protected] Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a steaming bowl of rice with chopsticks above it holding a mouthful of white rice grains. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
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29:48
What's the point of cookbooks?
When there are so many recipes available for free online, why does anyone still buy cookbooks? In this programme we look into the business of selling cookbooks, what future the format may have and hear about the treasured tomes you turn to time and time again. Ruth Alexander visits Books for Cooks, a specialist cookbook shop in London, to chat to Eric Treuille who cooks lunch for his customers from a different cookbook each day. She speaks to cookbook writers Mogau Seshoene in South Africa, author of ‘The Lazy Makoti’ books, and Joanne Molinaro in the US, author of ‘The Korean Vegan’. Doris Cooper tells Ruth what a publisher is looking for in a cookbook. She tells Ruth about her big hits and misses as editor-in-chief of Simon Element, a division of Simon and Schuster in New York. And listeners in Italy, Malta and the US tell us about their favourite cookbooks. If you would like to contact the programme email [email protected]. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: Ruth Alexander with her grandmother’s cookbook, which still holds her handwritten pastry recipe. Credit: BBC)
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29:07
Has Christmas food gone mad?
Prosecco flavoured crisps? Eggnog chicken? Sticky toffee pudding trifle? The innovation for novelty Christmas products seems endless, but is there the appetite? Ruth Alexander lifts the lid on an industry churning out festive food hits, and flops, in the race for Christmas tastebuds. She visits the Good Housekeeping Institute in London to take part in an opulent dessert testing event, deciding which puddings are the best on the shelves this year. Eric Nummelin and Mike Vahabi from Hela Spice in Toronto, Canada, reveal the wacky inventions they have come up with for this year, and how inspiration can strike at any time. A former buyer for a large European supermarket chain talks about how to “win” Christmas with headline-grabbing products, and what happens when shoppers try things once and don’t go back for more. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Hannah Bewley (Image: Colourful Christmas treats and biscuits. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
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26:29
Stadium food
Which food do you associate with your favourite sport? Pie and chips at an English football match, biriyanis at the cricket in Pakistan or grilling meat in the parking lot outside an American football game – there are some tasty traditions which go hand-in-hand with sport across the world. Ruth Alexander hears how a traditional rice dish can bring two rival nations together over a game of cricket, and how a disappointing sausage roll before a football game led one man on a country-wide quest for better food for fans. Over a pile of warming chips on a frosty night in South Manchester, Ruth discovers how getting the food right off the pitch might help a team’s fortune improve on the pitch. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Hannah Bewley Additional reporting: Ben Derico(Image: a box of chips with gravy and curry sauce held beside a football pitch. Credit: BBC)
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26:28
Croffle, anyone?
Crookie, anyone? Cronut, croffle? Ruth Alexander looks at the rise of the dessert café and the extraordinary creations it’s spawned. She visits one such café in Manchester with roses adorning the walls, and chocolate adorning almost everything else. And speaks to a food blogger in Dubai and a café owner in USA about the latest trends and the businesses who have been serving puddings for decades. Find out what the latest fashions are in dessert, and how quickly a new invention can sweep the world. Going out for pudding has become the thing to do in many places and the more extravagant your order, the better. In fact, going out for pudding has never been so fashionable – or has it? Presenter: Ruth AlexanderProducers: Rumella Dasgupta and Hannah Bewley (Image: A selection of sweet desserts. Credit: BBC)
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