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: [email protected]
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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.

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: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 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: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 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: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 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: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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.

In Part 2 of this ultra-processed foods series, we go behind the curtain. Not the boring org chart stuff. The unexpected roles and design choices that shape the experience of eating ultra-processed foods, like crunch sound, texture engineering, aroma design, and how foods are built to dissolve and “go down” fast.

In this episode

• What it really means to “design” a food experience

• The crunch and sound piece 

• Texture engineering

• Aroma design

• Melt and flavor release

• Packaging as a crunch and texture protector 

Connect with Noha:

• Topic requests: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode

• Monteiro, C. A., et al.(2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition.  

• Fazzino, T. L., et al.(2019). Hyper-palatable foods: development of a quantitative definition and application to the US food system database. Obesity.  

• Spence, C. (2017). Crispness, the sound of food, and the perception of texture. Flavour.  

• Foodspiracy: Why ultra-processed foods are irresistible and how they impact our health. The Nature of Things 

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.

 Ultra-processed foods are everywhere, but most people don’t fully know what the term means. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we start from the beginning: how the modern ultra-processed food concept emerged, why it was created, and how the NOVA classification system defines ultra-processed foods today. 

In this episode

• The history behind processed foods
• What “ultra-processed” means 
• The modern origin of the term and why researchers introduced it
• NOVA 101: the four groups and what makes a food ultra-processed

Connect with Noha:

• Topic requests: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode

• Monteiro, CA. (2009). Nutrition and health. The issue is not food, nor nutrients, so much as processing. Public Health Nutrition. 

• Monteiro, CA., et al. (2010). Increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods and likely impact on human health: evidence from Brazil. Public Health Nutrition.  

• Monteiro, CA., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition.  
• Braesco, V et al. (2022). Ultra-processed foods: how functional is the NOVA system? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Sadler, CR., et al. (2022). Processed food classification: conceptualisation and challenges in practice. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• da Silva, JT., et al. (2025). Defining ultra-processed foods: a systematic review of classification systems and operational definitions. 
• United States Department of Health and Human Services, United States Department of Agriculture. (2025). Ultra-Processed Foods: Request for Information. Federal Register.
• Health Canada. (2022). Limit highly processed foods. Canada’s Food Guide.

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.

Coriander is either fresh, citrusy, and full of bursts of happiness or it tastes like soap and ruins your entire meal. There seems to be no in-between.

In this episode, we unpack what coriander is, why it has different names, where it comes from, how it shows up in so many cuisines and what the peer-reviewed science says about the soap tasting situation. We also break down coriander leaves vs coriander seeds, compare it to other herbs and get practical with recipes, storage, and substitutions.

In this episode

• Coriander, cilantro, dhania, coriandre, and كزبرة
• Where coriander likely originated  
• The genetics: the 2012 genome-wide association study and OR6A2
• The chemistry behind the soap issue
• Leaves vs seeds
• Coriander compared to other herbs
• Practical and common uses 
• How to cook around cilantro if it tastes like soap  

Connect with Noha:

• Topic requests: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode

• Eriksson, N. et al. (2012). A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference. Flavour.  
• Robino, A. et al. (2019). A Brief Review of Genetic Approaches to the Study of Food Preferences. (Mentions OR6A2 as a candidate receptor activated by aldehydes linked to cilantro odor. 
• Spence, C. (2023). Coriander (cilantro): A most divisive herb.  
• Kumar, S. et al. (2022). Chemical composition of fresh coriander leaves headspace aroma and essential oils.  
• Shahwar, M.K. et al. (2012). Characterization of coriander seeds and leaves volatile extracts.  
• Serious Eats (2019). What is culantro, and how to use it. 

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.

One of my listeners, Emily, shared a question that sent me down a nerdy rabbit hole. She grew up in Canada eating potatoes as a staple and can eat a lot of them with no problem but rice makes her full really fast. Her Indonesian friends are the opposite: they can eat a lot of rice, but potatoes shut them down fast.

In this episode, we explore whether there’s any scientific reason behind this so come join me and find out what the data really says!

In this episode:

• Where potatoes and rice originated, how they spread globally and how many varieties exist
• How we define fullness
• Expected satiety
• Gastric emptying explained and what it implies for rice vs potatoes
• Why rice and potatoes aren’t single foods 
• The genetics angle
• The answer to the question

Connect with Noha:

• Topic requests: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode:

• Spooner, D.M., & colleagues (overview chapters / syntheses on potato domestication and diversity). Cambridge / academic syntheses on potato biodiversity and domestication.
• Zheng, Y. et al. (2016). Rice Domestication Revealed by Reduced Shattering of Archaeological rice from the Lower Yangtze Valley. Scientific Reports.
• Irvine, M.A. et al. (2013). Increased familiarity with eating a food to fullness underlies increased expected satiety. Appetite.
• Amr, A.M. et al. (2024). Potatoes Compared with Rice in Meals with either Animal or Plant Protein Reduce Postprandial Glycemia and Increase Satiety in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study. Journal of Nutrition.
• Debry, G. et al. (1988). Relationship between rate of gastric emptying and glucose and insulin responses to starchy foods. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Holt, S.H.A. et al. (1995). A satiety index of common foods. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Perry, G.H. et al. (2007). Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. Nature Genetics.

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.

Today, we're exploring everything chocolate which wasn't something that ever started out with an intention to be used in sweet concoctions!

In this episode:

• Where chocolate originated and what it looked like
• How chocolate made its way to Europe
• Cacao vs cocoa vs chocolate
• Where cacao grows, harvesting, and the supply chain situation
• How chocolate is made
• The different types of chocolate out there
• Why people crave chocolate
• Health benefits vs risks
• How to temper chocolate at home

Connect with Noha

• Topic requests: [email protected]
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ 
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode:

• History.com. History of Chocolate
• NOAA Climate.gov. Climate and Chocolate
• International Cocoa Organization (ICCO). Fine or Flavour Cocoa
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. How Is Chocolate Made?
• FDA. Standard of Identity for White Chocolate
• Barry Callebaut. Ruby chocolate launch/overview
• Hormes, J.M. (2017). Does culture create craving? Evidence from the case of menstrual chocolate craving. PLOS ONE.
• Arisi, T.O.P. et al. (2024). Effects of Cocoa Consumption on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers.
• Valrhona (L’École Valrhona). Tempering chocolate

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.