PODCAST · food
Eat Drink Asia
by South China Morning Post
Eat Drink Asia is an award-winning podcast by the South China Morning Post that deep dives into the forgotten history of some of Asia's most popular dishes that have gone global. Discover the human story behind some of Asia's most loved foods, drinks and condiments with SCMP journalists, as they speak with chefs, restaurateurs and food experts from across the region.
Episodes
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The complex flavours of the ‘happiest country’ on Earth
Situated in the eastern Himalayas, the kingdom of Bhutan has become synonymous with serenity and spirituality. In this episode of Eat Drink Asia, Post reporter Lisa Cam visits Bhutan to learn how locals preserve and promote their traditional culture through food. Read more: https://sc.mp/vyukv
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The world of Hong Kong noodles
Noodles with wontons, beef balls and shrimp roe as well as boat noodles are classic Hong Kong dishes, but where did they originate? In this episode of Eat Drink Asia, hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans are joined by Post reporter Lisa Cam to discuss how these noodle varieties made their way to…
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Hong Kong bakeries 101
Pineapple buns, cocktail buns and egg tarts are among the cornucopia of delectables ready to be sampled at bakeries across Hong Kong. In this episode of Eat Drink Asia, hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans explore the origins of these classic baked goods. They also speak with cookbook author…
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The art of modernising dim sum
The history of dim sum dates back thousands of years, but chefs in Hong Kong are taking the tradition to new heights. In this episode of Eat Drink Asia, hear how some restaurants in the city are putting their own spin on classic dishes. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans also sit down with Ho Lee...
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How overtourism created Bali’s most popular street food, babi guling
Once described as “the best pig” by the late food legend Anthony Bourdain, babi guling is no longer just a ceremonial dish in Bali. Post reporter Lisa Cam examines how overtourism helped turn the beloved spit-roasted pig into the Indonesian island’s most ubiquitous street food. Read more:...
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The Lunar New Year food turning parts of China into a desert wasteland
Black moss is synonymous with Lunar New Year feasts because its name in Cantonese sounds lucky – fat choy being a homonym for “get rich”. However, cultivation of the moss has taken an unfortunate toll on some arid regions of mainland China. Post deputy culture editor Charmaine Mok reports on how...
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A centuries-old Lunar New Year treat in Hong Kong
Golden oysters are a plump delicacy symbolising prosperity and they adorn many tables at Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. Post reporter Lisa Cam travels to the city’s Lau Fau Shan area to discover how this delicacy is made and why it has been a staple for the local Shajing community. Read Lisa’s full...
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The evolution of sweet and sour pork
Sweet and sour pork is served around the world to diners who consider it among the most iconic and beloved of Cantonese dishes. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans sit down with Post reporter Lisa Cam to discuss its evolution including how it made its way from the Chinese port city of Shanghai to...
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How KFC became a Christmas tradition in Japan
American fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC has found its way onto the Christmas dining tables of millions of Japanese families. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans explore how this surprising holiday tradition started. They speak with Tokyo-based chef Daniel Calvert, who is currently...
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How instant coffee became the hottest Korea-wave export
South Korean exports of coffee mixes and instant coffee sticks have risen as the world’s K-drama fans react to seeing the products featured on TV series such as Moving, Vincenzo and My Mister. This Post story, reported by Kwak Yeon-soo and narrated by Charmaine Mok, explores how entrepreneurs in...
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The dim sum dishes facing ‘extinction’ in Hong Kong
Classic dishes including siu mai and har gow can be found in nearly every dim sum restaurant around the world. But where can you find quail egg siu mai, soup dumplings and preserved sausage buns? Journey with hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans to find out why these varieties of dim sum are...
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Sara Lee pound cake, a staple for the Asian diaspora, crumbles after 50 years
Frozen Sara Lee pound cakes could soon become harder for fans to find after the Australia-based manufacturer went into voluntary administration on October 17, 2023. Post deputy culture editor Charmaine Mok muses about how the ready-to-eat dessert has been a staple found in the freezer…
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Century egg: misunderstood snack a Chinese favourite for 500 years
Century eggs are often portrayed in the West with a tinge of disgust, but Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans are on a mission to demystify the traditional Chinese snack. Post reporter Lisa Cam also joins the Eat Drink Asia hosts on a journey to discover three Cantonese dishes made with century egg and...
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Understanding 'wok hei', the breath of the wok
Wok hei is what differentiates an ordinary stir-fried dish from a perfect one. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans speak with Post reporter Lisa Cam to discuss the art and science behind wok hei, and why it has become so beloved among Cantonese food fans. Hear from the cookbook author who first...
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The story of dumplings: how a traditional Chinese medicine cure went global
An SCMP archive special: the story of dumplings is the story of the globalisation of Chinese cuisine - take the journey from Beijing to Shanghai, Hong Kong and down the ancient Silk Road to discover who invented them - and how a traditional Chinese medicine cure evolved into a meal enjoyed around...
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The great Hainanese chicken rice debate: Singapore vs Malaysia
Is this poached chicken dish served with various condiments originally from Singapore or Malaysia? It's a question that stirs up quite a debate between these two countries where eating and criticising the other side’s cuisine are national pastimes. In this episode we trace the origins of…
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Japanese tempura, its Portugese origins and how it became high culinary art
Tempura is an ubiquitous Japanese dish, with seafood or vegetables coated in batter and deep-fried. But did you know that tempura originated in Portugal? Bernice and Alkira trace its origins back to the 16th century when Portuguese missionaries sailed to Japan and traded guns, tobacco and flour....
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How tofu made its way to the West
Before plant-based meats and oat milk there was tofu. It's a popular staple in Asian cooking that was first written about before the Sung dynasty in 960 AD. Bernice Chan and Alkira Reinfrank look at how tofu made its way to America in three waves that started with Benjamin Franklin, Asian...
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Hong Kong egg tarts and their medieval English origins
Cantonese egg tarts are hard to resist with their silky egg custard filling and flaky pastry crust. Found in bakeries and eaten at the end of dim sum, the egg tart is a sentimental dessert in Hong Kong and across southern China, but its roots are not native to the region. It’s believed the…
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Xiaolongbao: how soup dumplings went global
Xiaolongbao - or soup dumplings as they are known in the West - are delicate parcels of pork and broth that are served piping hot in a bamboo steamer. In this episode Alkira Reinfrank and Bernice Chan uncover the origins of this golf-ball sized dumpling, tracing it back to a district on the…
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The story behind Oscar-winning film Parasite’s ram-don noodles
Jjapaguri, or ram-don, as it is known in the Academy award-winning movie Parasite, is a super easy and cheap dish that simply mixes two kinds of instant noodles together. In this episode of Eat Drink Asia, we look into the food references in the film and how a dish only known to Koreans quickly...
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Quarantine Cooking: Instant noodle okonomiyaki
Vicky Cheng, chef and owner of one-Michelin-starred VEA tells us how to turn a humble pack of instant noodles to a glorious okonomiyaki — a classic Japanese pancake.
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It’s butter chicken — not curry
As popular and ubiquitous as curry is around the world, the word ‘curry’ doesn’t actually exist in India. In this episode we look into butter chicken – not curry – a dish that balances the smokiness of the meat and the silkiness of the sauce like no other. We traced it back to the grandson of the...
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Quarantine Cooking: Coconut fish stew
This is a quick coconut fish stew recipe that will make you look like the chef of the house. It's shared by chef Palash Mitra, who helms the Michelin-starred restaurant New Punjab Club in Hong Kong. How to make it: Cut the fish into manageable pieces and season with salt, turmeric, crushed...
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Quarantine Cooking: French onion instant noodle soup
Listen to top chefs in Hong Kong describe how they cook their favourite comfort dishes at home. Today's recipe from chef Barry Quek only requires three ingredients: instant noodles, an onion, and a hard cheese, like cheddar or parmesan. How to make it: Slice about half an onion into thin slices...
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KFC vs KFC
When it comes to fried chicken, almost every country has their own take on it. The Philippines has Jollibee, South Africa has Nando’s, Japan has Karaage... but no country has made the competition more intense than South Korea. So for today's episode, we are going to take a look at two equally...
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Banh mi: where Vietnamese tradition and French colonialism collide
The dish was born in a time when Vietnamese weren’t even allowed access to wheat flour, making it hard to imagine the sandwich would become world famous.
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All about that Spam
American icon became popular during the war and managed to stick around.Your junk email is named after the canned meat, by the way.
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Mooncakes then and now
We tried KFC’s spicy chicken mooncakes so you don’t have to.From the end of the Yuan Dynasty to modern Hong Kong, mooncakes have been the bearers of political messages.
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The surprising history of Sichuan cuisine
Bernice Chan and Alkira Reinfrank analyse the cultural appropriation, and fascinating history, of Sichuan cuisine. They delve into the chemistry of the Sichuan pepper and unpack the components of a traditional meal.
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Sushi did not originate in Japan: how raw fish and rice became a world favourite
It turns out that early sushi was not about rice. And it originated from the Mekong, not Japan.
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Hot facts about Sriracha sauce, and why you’re saying it wrong
Plot twist: The rooster sauce was created by a Vietnamese refugee, but is American-made, and Thai-inspired.
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History of pad Thai: how the stir-fried noodle dish was invented by the Thai government
The complex origin and nationalist agenda behind the iconic Thai noodle dish.
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Your ultimate guide to dim sum
A journey into the history and culture of dim sum – why it’s served on trolleys, what the path to becoming a dim sum chef is like, and the painstaking work behind a simple har gau.
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How bubble tea was invented and became a global phenomenon
Where did bubble tea begin - and why has it become so popular - we deep dive into this chewy drink made for Instagram.
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Hong Kong's Michelin stars, Italian food and sake
Michelin announcement sees fine dining French restaurant Caprice get back its third star, and the British chef gives us some quick dinner solutions.
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Bartender Jeff Bell and chef Gray Kunz
An in-depth chat with career bartender (and 2017 American Bartender of the Year) Jeff Bell from the famous PDT bar in New York, upon opening the Hong Kong edition of PDT at the Mandarin Oriental; and Singaporean-born Swiss chef Gray Kunz, who has been cooking and operating restaurants in Hong…
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Gordon Ramsay in conversation
Sit down with Bernice Chan and Alkira Reinfrank for an in-depth chat with Gordon Ramsay, perhaps better known as the profane, short-tempered TV chef on reality programs like Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef and Kitchen Nightmares. Upon the opening of his latest restaurant in Hong Kong he talks about…
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Chicken feet, tripe, Chinese tea and chef Julien Royer
Bernice Chan and Alkira Reinfrank talk about what Anthony Bourdainmeant to Hong Kong and Asia; sample Cantonese favourites chicken feet and tripe; talk with a Chinese tea sommelier, drink milk tea in Sham Shui Po and discuss fine dining with chef Julien Royer, head chef and owner of Odette in...
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Koreatown, Israeli food at Francis and cart noodles
In this episode Bernice Chan and Alkira Reinfrank visit Hong Kong's own 'Koreatown' and taste local versions of classic Korean street food; talk about the pressures of running the hottest restaurant in town with James Ward, owner and operator of Francis in Wan Chai; and Bernice continues her...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Eat Drink Asia is an award-winning podcast by the South China Morning Post that deep dives into the forgotten history of some of Asia's most popular dishes that have gone global. Discover the human story behind some of Asia's most loved foods, drinks and condiments with SCMP journalists, as they speak with chefs, restaurateurs and food experts from across the region.
HOSTED BY
South China Morning Post
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Eat Drink Asia have?
Eat Drink Asia currently has 40 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Eat Drink Asia about?
Eat Drink Asia is an award-winning podcast by the South China Morning Post that deep dives into the forgotten history of some of Asia's most popular dishes that have gone global. Discover the human story behind some of Asia's most loved foods, drinks and condiments with SCMP journalists, as they...
How often does Eat Drink Asia release new episodes?
Eat Drink Asia has 40 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Eat Drink Asia?
You can listen to Eat Drink Asia on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Eat Drink Asia?
Eat Drink Asia is created and hosted by South China Morning Post.
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