Whether it is Nigella, Stephanie or Yotam on your shelf, there's a good chance that you and I are cooking from the same book. The two best-selling books in Australia in 2024 were both cookbooks — and they were both written by Nagi Maehashi, the founder of the website RecipeTin Eats. Her two books — Dinner and Tonight — have together sold one million copies worldwide. So, what is it about the floury, greasy pages of a cookbook that unite us and shape our conceptions of food?

The cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on the way we eat. Restaurants are struggling, and diners are changing their habits — skipping dessert or opting for water over wine. But it doesn't end there: for many Australians, affording a healthy home-cooked meal is a challenge. Yet, some fine dining restaurants are thriving — so, what's going on?

Onions and their flavourful relatives feature prominently in cuisines across the globe, with a history of cultivation that goes back thousands of years. Onion recipes have even been found on the cuneiform tablets of Ancient Babylonia. So, what is happening under the skin of this many-layered bulb to make it such a versatile and essential ingredient?

You say tomato, I say… bleurgh. How is it that we can have such different experiences of the same foods? Taste and flavour: What are they and how do they work? We meet some of the top flavour scientists working today, including the researcher who discovered that there are 'supertasters' among us.

Is there anything you take more for granted in your kitchen than the cutlery drawer? We hardly give a second thought to the humble tools that carry food from plate to mouth. But maybe we should. There's history here, and stories of changing preferences and assumptions within cultures. Fork or fingers? Cut or tear? They say you are what you eat, but it turns out how you eat matters, too.

Exploring culture through food. Each week Jonathan Green serves up a new dish or ingredient, uncovering the rich layer of stories, traditions, and innovations behind it. From the origins and cultural significance to the science and economics of food, we explore how what we eat shapes and is shaped by our world. From humble street food to gourmet delicacies, discover the fascinating narratives that make every bite a story worth telling.

Broadcast on ABC Radio National on Saturday at 11 am, repeated Friday at 8:30 pm and Sunday at 4:30 am.

We hear about how Paris is transforming itself to tackle climate change, learn about the design history of the bicycle and take a tour for the 21st Century.

Grand tours for the aristocracy in centuries gone by were filled with art and architecture to fulfil the senses.

But what would such a tour look like today if only places created in the 20th and 21st centuries  were on the itinerary?

Richard Weller is a landscape architect who has pondered this question in his latest book, To the ends of the earth- a grand tour for the 21st Century. 

This interview first aired in July 2024.

From the velocipede in the early 1800s to its more modern incarnation, featuring tubular metal frames, wire-spoked wheels, pneumatic tyres, and gears, design writer and critic Colin Bisset gives us a potted history of the development of the bicycle.

This interview first aired in March 2024.

The city of Paris is about to enact an ambitious new climate Plan and at its heart is a commitment to building a cyclist friendly urban centre.

This interview first aired in March 2024.