Episode 14: Cheese, part 1. The accidental invention that changed food forever

Episode 14: Cheese, part 1. The accidental invention that changed food forever

Who invented cheese? It turns out...we don't actually know. In this first episode of a new cheese mini-series, we're traveling back roughly 8,000 years to explore one of humanity's oldest processed foods. From the first domesticated sheep and goats in the Fertile Crescent to archaeological discoveries in Poland, Ancient Egyptian tombs, Mesopotamian records and the Roman Empire, we trace the fascinating journey of how cheese likely came to be and how it changed human history. Along the way, we also break down the basic science of cheesemaking, explain how milk becomes cheese and set the stage for why there are now thousands of cheeses enjoyed around the world. In this episode: * The leading theory behind how cheese was accidentally discovered * Why the domestication of sheep and goats made cheesemaking possible * The Fertile Crescent and the beginnings of dairy farming * The oldest archaeological evidence of cheesemaking in Neolithic Poland * Ancient Mesopotamia's written records of cheese production * The 3,200-year-old cheese discovered in Egypt * Cheese in Ancient Greece and Homer's Odyssey * The Romans and their connection to cheese * The basic science behind how milk becomes cheese * Why thousands of different cheeses exist today * A preview of Part II, where we'll explore blue cheese, mold, aging, lactose and the incredible diversity of cheeses around the world. Connect with Noha * Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com * Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/foodiesinthekitchen_/ ] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@foodiesinthekitchen_]  * Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.foodiescoach.com] References mentioned in the episode: * Evershed, R. P., et al. (2008). Earliest date for milk use in the Near East and southeastern Europe linked to cattle herding. Nature, 455(7212), 528–531. * Salque, M., et al. (2013). Earliest evidence for cheese making in the sixth millennium BC in northern Europe. Nature, 493(7433), 522–525. * Greco, E., et al. (2018). Proteomic characterization of the ancient cheese found in the tomb of Ptahmes (13th century BCE, Saqqara, Egypt). Analytical Chemistry, 90(16), 9673–9679. * Pliny the Elder. Natural History (Naturalis Historia), Book XI and Book XXVIII (1st century CE). English translations available through the Loeb Classical Library and the Perseus Digital Library. * Homer. The Odyssey. (Traditionally dated to the 8th century BCE.) Various modern scholarly translations. * Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Gateway to Dairy Production and Products. * International Dairy Federation (IDF). Cheese production and dairy processing resources. It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc. This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional, or professional advice.

Episode 13: Hawaiian Shave Ice. History, kakigori & global ice desserts

After a short podcast hiatus and a trip to Hawaii, Noha is back with an episode on Hawaiian shave ice: what it is, where it came from and how it's related to other shaved ice desserts around the world. In this episode: * The roots of shave ice * How plantation-era migration helped shape Hawaiian shave ice * The difference between shave ice, kakigori, bingsu, halo-halo, baobing and raspado * Why texture matters so much in frozen desserts * Whether real fruit syrups make shave ice “healthier” * What Foodies in the kitchen is and who it helps * How to make shave ice at home Connect with Noha * Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com * Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/itsneverjustfoodpodcast/] * Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/foodiesinthekitchen_/ ] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@foodiesinthekitchen_]  * Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.foodiescoach.com] References mentioned in the episode: * Allrecipes. “Hawaii’s Iconic Shave Ice Has Centuries-Old History.” Allrecipes, 2021. * Eater. “Shave Ice Desserts, From Snow Cones to Halo-Halo.” Eater, 2018. * Food & Wine. “Fluffy, Light, and As Soft As Snow, Japanese Shaved Ice Is Much More Than a Summer Treat.”Food & Wine, 2024. * KitchenAid Canada. “Shaved Ice and Snow Cones: Understanding the Differences.” KitchenAid Canada. * Korean Cultural Center New York. “Flavor: Bingsu.” Korean Cultural Center New York, 2020. It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc. This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional, or professional advice.

Episode 12: Honey...the ancient sweet made by bees (and why it’s one of the most faked foods on earth)

Episode Description Honey is one of the rare foods we eat that’s essentially a finished, shelf-stable product made by another species. Bees do the work, we take the credit.  Join me as we dive deep into the world of honey exploring its history, process, health benefits and more! In this episode * The oldest known evidence of humans harvesting honey * Why bees make honey   * Who does what in the hive: queen, drones, workers * How honey is made from nectar   * How honey is extracted from comb  * Why honey tastes different   * Raw vs “regular” honey, filtering and why crystallization is normal * Manuka honey: what UMF means and why it’s so expensive * Honey fraud: why it’s one of the most counterfeited foods and what tests are actually reliable * Health evidence  Connect with Noha * Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com * Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/itsneverjustfoodpodcast/] * Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/foodiesinthekitchen_/ ] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@foodiesinthekitchen_]  * Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.foodiescoach.com] References mentioned in the episode * Joint Research Centre, European Commission. (2023). Food fraud: How genuine is your honey?   * European Commission, EU Agri-Food Fraud Network. (2023). EU coordinated action “From the Hives” (Honey 2021–2022).   * European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). (2023). No money for fake honey – From investigation to legislation.  * Atlas Obscura. (2021). A 7,500-Year-Old Cave Painting of Humans Gathering Honey. * Best Bees. (2022). Hive Hierarchy: Drone Bee, Worker Bee, and Queen Bee.  * Cochrane. Oduwole, O., et al. (2018). Honey for acute cough in children.  * Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2026). Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit: Honey before 12 months.  * UMF Honey Association. (n.d.). UMF Certification Comparison.   * Tashkandi, H. (2021). Honey in wound healing: An updated review.   * Chrysostomou, D., et al. (2024). Medical-Grade Honey Is a Versatile Wound Care Product for the Elderly.  It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc. This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional, or professional advice.

Episode 11: Kimchi. History, fermentation science and why it’s more than “spicy cabbage”

Episode Description Kimchi is often treated like a trendy fermented side dish, but it started as a practical survival food and became a cultural cornerstone long before it hit Western grocery stores. In this episode, we go deep into kimchi’s historical roots, how it evolved over time, the science of fermentation, what “probiotics” actually means and what human research suggests about potential health effects.  In this episode * What kimchi is  * The early history of kimchi and how it evolved over time * The chili pepper timeline * Traditional kimchi-making and storage methods vs modern refrigeration and commercial production * Fermentation science * Probiotics: what kimchi can be, and what that word actually requires * What human studies and RCT reviews suggest about potential health effects  * The major types of kimchi  Connect with Noha * Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com * Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [⁠https://www.instagram.com/itsneverjustfoodpodcast/] * Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/foodiesinthekitchen_/⁠ ] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@foodiesinthekitchen_⁠]  * Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.foodiescoach.com] References mentioned in the episode * Surya, R., et al. (2023). Kimchi throughout millennia: a narrative review on the early history and evolution of kimchi.  * UNESCO Archives (2012). Kimjang, Making and Sharing Kimchi. UNESCO Intangible Heritage multimedia archive.  * Cho, J., Lee, D., Yang, C., Jeon, J., Kim, J., Han, H. (2006). Microbial population dynamics of kimchi, a fermented cabbage product.  * Lee, S.H., et al. (2015). Source tracking and succession of kimchi lactic acid bacteria during fermentation. * Song, E., et al. (2023). Effects of kimchi on human health: a scoping review of randomized controlled trials.   * Lee, W., et al. (2024). Effects of kimchi consumption on body fat and intestinal microbiota in overweight and obese adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.  * Cha, J., et al. (2024). Does kimchi deserve the status of a probiotic food?  It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc. This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional or professional advice.

Episode 10: Pizza and its 1000 years of evolution

Episode Description Believe it or not, pizza didn’t start as a global “fast food.” It started as practical street food in Naples, then became a craft, then became a symbol and eventually became a mass-produced product category in a lot of places. In this episode, we explore the history behind pizza, a popular legend, cultural trends and everything in between. In this episode * The earliest known written mention of “pizza”   * Pizza in Naples during the 1700s–1800s * The first pizzeria and what we know from historical records * The Margherita story     * The UNESCO recognition of Neapolitan pizza-making as a cultural practice * Pizza styles beyond Neapolitan (Italy + global styles) * How pizza became industrialized * Pizza meal prep Connect with Noha * Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com * Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [⁠https://www.instagram.com/itsneverjustfoodpodcast/] * Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/foodiesinthekitchen_/⁠ ] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@foodiesinthekitchen_⁠]  * Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.foodiescoach.com] References mentioned in the episode * Mattozzi, Antonio. (2015). Inventing the Pizzeria: A History of Pizza Making in Naples.  * National Geographic. (2022). Pizza Margherita may be fit for a queen, but was it really named after one? * UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. (2017). Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’.  * Bon Appétit. (2018). What Is the Difference Between a Calzone and a Stromboli?  * History Today. (2016). History of Pizza. It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc. This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional or professional advice.