Podcast Episodes

Ken Hom's 'Chinese Cookery'

In 1982, after a two-year global search, the BBC auditioned Ken Hom to be the star of a new Chinese cookery TV series.

In the show, called Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery, he introduced viewers to dishes li…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

The disputed history of pad Thai

It’s one of the most popular dishes in South East Asian cooking and for many it’s seen as Thailand’s national dish. However, the origins of pad Thai are disputed.

Some believe it was created and take…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Flavr Savr tomato: The world's first genetically-engineered food

In 1994, biotech company Calgene brought the world's first genetically-modified food to supermarket shelves.

The Flavr Savr tomato kept fresh for 30 days and could be shipped long distances without go…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Kiwi: How New Zealand hijacked China's fruit

The kiwi fruit is synonymous with New Zealand in the minds of most European and American shoppers.

But the hairy fruit actually comes from China and was once known as the Chinese gooseberry.

So how di…

Published on 2 years ago

Inventing Nutella

In 1946, Italian confectioner Pietro Ferrero set out to bring chocolate to the masses. His recipe evolved over the years to become a world-famous product.

Thomas Chatenier from the manufacturer tells …

Published on 2 years ago

'The bad boy of Welsh politics'

In the 1960s, the singer Dafydd Iwan started campaigning for the Welsh language to gain official status in Wales.

For years, Dafydd received little support. In January 1969 he decided to up the press…

Published on 2 years ago

Al Jazeera Three: Imprisoned in Egypt

In 2014 three journalists were sentenced to seven years in jail in Egypt.

Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed became known as the Al Jazeera Three.

The jail terms handed out to them led to a…

Published on 2 years ago

The mysterious death of Pablo Neruda

In late 1973, Chile was in turmoil. General Augusto Pinochet had led a military coup deposing the socialist president Salvador Allende who was now dead.

The army was rounding up leftists; torturing, i…

Published on 2 years ago

The assassination of King Faisal

On 25 March 1975, Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal was murdered, shot by his nephew as he bent to kiss him as a greeting.

The king’s oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani was standing beside him when the gun went …

Published on 2 years ago

Tsunami devastates Samoa

On 29 September 2009, a devastating tsunami hit Samoa, killing 149 people and leaving a trail of destruction. For Lumepa Hald it was a terrifying day which resulted in a tragic loss. She tells h…

Published on 2 years ago