Thirty Minutes or Less

Thirty Minutes or Less

When pizza chef Raffaele Esposito took his cheesy wares to King Umberto the I of Italy in 1889, he never expected to kickstart a series of bizarre innovations. Guided by host Gus Pheloung, this journey of invention will reveal why Russian cosmonauts can't have pepperoni and what ordering a pizza from the Nintendo Wii sounds like. Plus, the origin of chocolate milk and the chicken barbequed by 1,000 mirrors.

Birthday

In celebration for the recent birthday of host Gus Pheloung, he discovers incredible birthday food traditions from around the world. Join the party as we tuck into a chocolate truffle named after a Brazilian brigadier, noodles that increase your lifespan (but can decrease it just as fast) and the cake that Danish children just love decapitating. Plus, the origins of the brownie and an African sandwich that's three meals in one.

Teacake

Where some see a chocolate-covered marshmallow, Gus Pheloung sees a £3.5 million astronaut. Join him as he looks back on the teacake's best bits, featuring chocolate-y pyrotechnics and the Commonwealth Games. Plus, the deeply confusing origins of macaroni and cheese and rice crackers filled with wasps.

Zombie

Everyone knows zombies. The shuffling, undead creatures that eat everyone's brains. Right? In the debut episode of The Fridge of Knowledge, Gus Pheloung explores pop culture, festivals and poetry to uncover flesh, watermelons and freeze-dried space food make up the undead's preferred dining experience. Plus, the origin of guacamole and the flammable Norwegian cheese that tastes like caramel.