The Food Chain

• Bouillon: the story of stock

  In this programme John Laurenson explores the enduring appeal of stock. A century and a half ago, a butcher at the big Parisian food market Les Halles started selling beef broth – ‘bouillon’ in French - to the people who worked there. In a few years this had developed into what was perhaps the world’s first restaurant chain. By the end of the Nineteenth Century there were hundreds of ‘bouillons’ in Paris. Today, with inflation making traditional French restaurants too expensive for many people, these big, affordable eateries are making a comeback. The French aren’t, of course, the only people to discover the delights of this simple, warming, nourishing food. John learns how bouillon influenced Vietnam’s iconic dish, pho, as a result of the French colonial presence in the region in the 1800 and 1900s. Produced and presented by John Laurenson.(Image: a dish of stock with chicken and herbs with a ladle sticking out of it. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

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• Masters of the craft

  What motivates someone to dedicate years of their life to learning one skill?Ruth Alexander finds out what it takes to master a craft, the exacting standards one must meet, and why it's all worth it.Sushi chef Eddie Chow tells us how it took more than ten years to achieve the title of 'master sushi chef', and the pain of getting there.What does it take to become an illustrious master butcher in Germany? Claus Bobel explains the importance of tradition, and his daughter Yulia tells us why she's following in his footsteps.And 'Lady of the Ham' Cati Gomez describes the process of becoming a cartadora, and why ham carving is getting more and more popular around the world.

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• How to make a TV cooking show

  We find out the secret recipe that goes into some of the TV food shows watched by millions around the world. From hiring snake wranglers in South Africa to fending off flies in Sweden, three top producers lift the lid on what it takes to serve up a feast of culinary entertainment. Seasoned professionals Avril Beaven (Great British Menu), Irene Wong (Man Fire Food) and Jane Kennedy (Masterchef South Africa and My Kitchen Rules South Africa) explain the people skills needed to manage big personalities. And open up about the gruelling schedule that goes into creating televised cooking shows. If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email [email protected]. Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Sam Clack and Hannah Bewley (Image: Jane Kennedy, Irene Wong and Avril Beaven)

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• The world's oldest restaurants

  People have been eating out in restaurants and bars for hundreds of years, and some of those early establishments are still open today. This week Ruth Alexander meets the people running some of the world’s oldest restaurants. When so many close within the first 12 months of opening, what’s the secret to centuries-old success?Antonio Gonzales Gomez runs Botin, in the Spanish capital Madrid. The restaurant is judged as the oldest by the Guinness World Records, and he tells us how he and his family have kept it going for so long.Ruth heads to the east of England to Nottingham, where the battle to claim the title of 'world's oldest pub' is fierce. Buildings archaeologist Dr James Wright explains what evidence he's found to declare the winner.We hear how a 200-year-old tavern in Missouri, in the United States, has been battling to stay open, and the man who runs the "oldest sausage restaurant in the world" tells us why being located of an historic German town boosts business.

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• Crunch!

  Why do we enjoy foods that crunch? Listener Sheila Harris contacted The Food Chain with that question and asked us to find out if the food texture has any benefits. Ruth Alexander speaks to Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, US, who says that crunchy foods signal freshness and help our brains decide if a food is safe to eat. Paediatric dentist Ashley Lerman in New York, US says crunchy fruit and vegetables can act as a natural tooth cleaner. Anthropologist Professor Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel at the University at Buffalo in New York, US says that the texture of our diets can impact the shape of our faces. Her work has studied how jaw shape has changed as humans switched from hunter gatherer to farming diets. Ciarán Forde, Professor of Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour at Wageningen University in the Netherlands explains how crunchy and other hard textures could help us to eat more slowly and consume fewer calories. And could crunch make foods more palatable? Chef Dulsie Fadzai Mudekwa in Zimbabwe says the texture is key to convincing people to try edible insects. If you have a question for The Food Chain email [email protected] Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a woman biting a stick of celery. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

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