The Star Ingredient

Teff is the star ingredient of Ethiopian cuisine and it’s essential for the  delicious chechebsca, a traditional breakfast dish in the country. This small grain can withstand harsh climate conditions and is mostly produced in the Horn of Africa. However, political and economic instability in Ethiopia has limited the country’s ability to benefit from its production. Aggravating the situation is the issue of biopiracy, a topic we delve into in this episode.In Ethiopia, we meet Yonas Alemu to  discover his business Love Grass. Put on your headphones to discover how the company wants to modernize teff production and restore the grain to its origins. Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. Written and produced by Naira Davlashyan, Aisling Ní Chúláin and Marta Rodriguez Martinez, in Lyon, France. Our assistant producer is Alice Carnevali. Original reporting by Suad Ahmed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Consulting editor: Catalina MaySolutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. The theme music is by Andy Robini. Sound design is by Naira Davlashyan, sound mixing is by Hugo Pouillard.Production coordinator:Louise Lehec Editor-in-chief : Patrick Heery. For more information on The Star Ingredient, go to our website.Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.  Are you a French speaker? You can find a version of this podcast in French with the name La Surprise du Chef.The podcast, The Star Ingredient, was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Cowpea or niébé is an essential ingredient in Senegalese street food. Branded as ‘food for the poor’ by the colonists, the cowpea has long been neglected by African countries. But chef Fati Niang is determined to give niébé a comeback as a popular legume used to flavour fancy finger food recipes like accras. Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. Written and produced by Naira Davlashyan, Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Aisling Ní Chúláin, and Alice CarnevaliWith original reporting by Marta Moreiras. The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

In modern cities, we rarely know the full story of our food: where it comes from, how it is produced, and how it can affect our environment. In this episode of The Star Ingredient, we travelled to London to meet two women, Carolyn Steel and Chloё Dunnett, who are working to enhance food security by bringing food production to the core of our urban centres. Carolyn is an architect who came up with the concept of Sitopia, a perfect place built around food, and Chloё is a farmer who is creating it. Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. Written and produced by Naira Davlashyan, Marta Rodríguez Martínez, and Aisling Ní Chúláin. Assistant producer: Alice CarnevaliWith original reporting by Naira Davlashyan. The theme music is by Andy Robini. Sound design by Naira Davlashyan.The sound mixing is by Matthieu Ducheine.Consultant editor: Catalina May. Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. For more information on The Star Ingredient, go to our website.Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.  Are you a French speaker? You can find a version of this podcast in French with the name La Surprise du Chef.The podcast, The Star Ingredient, was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The first thing that hits you is the smell. The pea-sized néré pods from the néré tree or African Locust Bean as it’s known in English, may be small but they pack a powerful punch. And once transformed into mouth watering soumbala, they’re a crucial addition to a host of traditional meals eaten all across West Africa.We’ll be hearing all about soumbala and more in this episode of the Star Ingredient, where we’re travelling to Burkina Faso to meet a devoted champion of Burkinabé traditional cuisine, Franceline Tranagda. Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. Written and produced by Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Naira Davlashyan and Aisling Ní Chúláin. With original reporting by Sasha Gankin and Aisling Ní Chúláin.The theme music is by Andy Robini. Consultant editor: Catalina May. Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. For more information on The Star Ingredient, go to our website.Are you a French speaker? You can find a version of this podcast in French with the name La Surprise du Chef.The podcast, The Star Ingredient, was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Seen as food for the poor, traditional Basotho dishes aren't as popular in Lesotho as their Italian or American counterparts. As a result, the country's own food culture is fast disappearing. In this episode, we meet chef Ska Moteane, the first chef to have published a cookbook dedicated to Basotho cuisine and who is committed to bringing traditional flavours back to the table. Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. Written and produced by Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Naira Davlashyan and Aisling Ní Chúláin. With original reporting by Pascalinah Kabi and Naira Davlashyan.The theme music is by Andy Robini. Consultant editor: Catalina May. Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. For more information on The Star Ingredient, go to our website.Are you a French speaker? You can find a version of this podcast in French with the name La Surprise du Chef.The podcast, The Star Ingredient, was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“In the last 25 years, food has become a commodity. food is produced all across the world and the value of food is not related to the way of production, but to different factors that are external to the food production.” It seems a logical premise: Produce enough food for the global population and no nation should fall victim to a succession of food crises. But in a world where globalisation and the financialisation of our food system can determine where our food comes from and how much we pay for it, it’s the poorest countries that end up counting the cost. Award winning filmmaker and journalist, Stefano Liberti has spent much of his career grappling with these challenges and is our guest for this special episode of The Star Ingredient.Hosted by Tokunbo Salako.  Written and produced by Aisling Ní Chúláin, Marta Rodríguez Martínez and Naira Davlashyan. The theme music is by Andy Robini.  Consulting editor: Catalina May. Solution journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. Special thanks to the Slow Food movement and Terra Madre festival for its contribution to this episode. For more information on The Star Ingredient, go to our website.Are you a French speaker? You can find a version of this podcast in French with the name La Surprise du Chef. The podcast, The Star Ingredient, was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.