This week we're looking at the fundamentals of rice wine, a staple of many east Asian cultures. Rice wine, like any wine, is filled with nuance and complexity both in flavor and manufacture. There's so much that defines a good rice wine and sak

Maple Syrup Part 2: Opportunity Makes the Thief

Jul 27th, 2021 42m 59s

This week we continue to look at maple syrup and some amazing stories behind it. We explore the greatest heist in Canadian history, the origins of maple syrup and more! Don't forget to check out planet pantry pod on Instagram and Patreon or ema

Maple Syrup

Jul 17th, 2021 30m 59s

In this week's episode we begin to explore maple syrup. I learn about the origins of it in pre Colombian North America, I reckon with my image of Canada and with my education on indigenous culture as a kid. We also learn about one of nature's m

Horseradish, Wasabi and Purple Chrain

Jul 5th, 2021 28m 32s

This week we're learning about horseradish and wasabi. These two amazing plants have evolved to what they are today completely independent from each other on opposite sides of the world and today they serve similar purposes while also maintaini

Cardamom: The Queen of Spices

Jun 29th, 2021 29m 14s

This week we look at cardamom, the queen of spices and her history. There's a lot to unpack here and the way that cardamom has evolved as a commodity and the way it's sold today is pretty representative of a lot of problems with our food system

Teff: The Cradle of Humanity and Her Staple Grain

Jun 22nd, 2021 33m 16s

This week we go into teff, teff flour and injera. We focus quite a bit on the history of Ethiopia, the focus this week is making sure that as we embrace a new wave of Ethiopian/Eritrean food in the west, we can do so with some historical contex

Nutella: Where A Quarter Of The World's Hazelnuts Go

Jun 8th, 2021 23m 8s

In this episode we explore the history of nutella, one of the world's favorite sweet treats. It's brought joy to billions since the end of world war two and the company that made it is also behind some of our other favorites.Check out the patr

Cheese: Understand Your Feta Betta

Jun 1st, 2021 26m 54s

In this episode we dive into the world of cheese and all of the practices and micro organisms that make the many varieties possible. This concludes our series on dairy, it's been a lot of work but I'm definitely walking away with a much better

Yogurt: There Are Wizards Among Us

May 24th, 2021 24m 53s

In this episode we learn about some of the amazing products that can be produced by fermenting milk. We look at what makes yogurt possible, the story of kefir in Russia and viili in Finland among many more! As usual, if you have any notes, corr

Butter: Clarifying A Cultured Fat

May 17th, 2021 24m 27s

Butter is such an important part of so many culinary traditions and this week we go into some of its history and uses. We also take a look at clarified butter which has some unique applications and really demonstrates the massive versatility of

Milk: Mammals And Their Mammories

May 10th, 2021 23m 33s

This week we explore the world of milk and the animals that produce it. We learn about the various types of milk around the world, how milk is produced in the body and how cows milk came to dominate the dairy industry. If you have any correcti

Kvass or: How I learned To Stop Worrying and Love Fermentation

May 2nd, 2021 21m 47s

In this episode, we explore the world of lacto and wild fermentation through the lens of kvass; a drink, a food or a concept depending on who you ask. This serves as a primer for a type of fermentation that will come up a lot on this show becau

Instant Noodles: One Man's Mission To Feed The World

Apr 25th, 2021 30m 17s

In this week's episode we explore the history and global significance of Instant Noodles. There's a beautiful story behind this humble food that millions, if not billions, eat every day. I hope you all enjoy but as always if you have any correc

Mustard: A Big Family With A Spicy Cousin

Apr 18th, 2021 26m 37s

Mustard is a really unique spice in that it grows pretty much anywhere you'll let it, it's even invasive in a lot of places! This week we explore how the three main varieties of mustard came to be and how we use them today. We also touch on the

Plantains Ep.2: The dark and the bright

Apr 11th, 2021 27m 15s

This week we continue our exploration of the history of bananas and plantains from where we left off last week in West Africa as they make their way accross the atlantic. This episode gets a little heavy but I hope that you take away a new unde

Banana/Plantains Episode 1: Seafarers

Apr 4th, 2021 25m 31s

In this episode we'll be exploring the Seafaring people who share common origins as speakers of the Austronesian family of languages and how they brought bananas from modern day New Guinea all the way to Madagascar and maybe beyond. Once we've

Soy Sauce Part 3: Soy Sauce Today

Mar 28th, 2021 32m 7s

This week we explore the more recent history of Japan and how shoyu evolved around it. We'll see how shoyu changed with the introduction of new technologies and techniques and how Japanese shoyu makers have worked to preserve the tradition of t

Soy Sauce Episode 2: Soy Travels

Mar 23rd, 2021 22m 47s

In this episode we explore how jiangs and douchi travel from their homes in China accross Asia. We focus specifically on the path which leads to Japan via Korea to bring us the shoyu, miso and tamari that we're so familiar with today. As always

Soy Sauce Episode 1: Ancestors

Mar 14th, 2021 26m 57s

In this inaugural episode of the planet pantry podcast we'll be exploring the ancient predecessors to soy sauce and miso; Chinese Jiangs and Douchi. We'll also be exploring the history of ancient China and some mythology to better understand th

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