Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
historyDec 30, 202352:10pending

Pad Thai, kiwis and the chef Ken Hom

About this episode

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.

This week, we look at the disputed history of pad Thai with food writer Chawadee Nualkhair.

We also hear from former fruit exporter Don Turner on why his family changed the name of the Chinese gooseberry to the kiwi fruit.

Our expert guest is food historian, Prof Katarzyna Cwiertka, who highlights other moments in history when food and politics combined.

We also have an interview with Thomas Chatenier, the president of Nutella, about the origins of the chocolate hazelnut spread.

Plus, we talk about the Flavr Savr tomato - the world's first genetically-engineered food.

And finally we hear from Ken Hom, the chef who introduced Chinese cookery to TV audiences.

Contributors: Chawadee Nualkhair – Thai food writer. Don Turner – former chief executive of kiwi exporter, Turners and Growers. Katarzyna Cwiertka - food historian and Professor of Modern Japan Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Thomas Chatenier - the president of Nutella. Roger Salquist – former CEO of the biotech company which was responsible for the Flavr Savr tomato. Ken Hom – Chinese-American chef and author.

(Photo: Pad Thai. Credit: Getty Images)

Get every episode summarized

Each time The History Hour publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

Hosts & guests

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

Pad Thai, kiwis and the chef Ken Hom

The History Hour

0:00
52:10

More episodes

More from The History Hour

View all episodes →