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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What role has the colour black played in mourning fashions since the time of Queen Victoria?

Dr Lorinda Cramer is a fashion historian at Deakin University. She charts the changing cultural meanings associated with this darkest of hues.

This interview first aired in June 2024.

Colin Bisset takes us on a tour of the some of the world's greatest commemorative monuments.

From London's Albert Memorial to Berlin's November Revolution Monument, they speak of a desire to immortalise and elevate a particular viewpoint of history.

This interview first aired in June 2024.

We explore the cultural meaning of black, celebrate cemeteries as public open space, take a world tour of monuments, and hear about Jamie Oliver's Last Supper.

Chef Jamie Oliver selects the last meal he would have on this earth- his mum's roast dinner.

Surrounded by friends and family, he believes a Sunday roast would be the best final meal, with all the trimmings.

This interview first aired in June 2024.