Long-time readers of Foodthink will certainly be familiar with the name “Grandma Kouzi”. Since 2021, this woman in her sixties has chosen to move to “Villain’s Valley” in Fujian. There, she built her own home and worked the land herself, carving a sanctuary out of the wilderness to explore a…

In this episode, we explore the wonderful world of cheese—the ultimate fermented food—and share the story of Liu Yang, the founder of Bule Cheese and a true Chinese cheese artisan. A Beijinger with a background in IT, Liu Yang stumbled upon the art of stirring milk and making cheese while…

This episode of “Food Talk” is a crossover with our fellow creators “Da Xiao Dian Bo”, marking our first time collaborating. We join Gusi, the host of “Da Xiao Dian Bo”, and regular guest Nanshan to explore the creative and delicious world of fermented foods. As the founder of the…

In this episode of Food Talk, we are joined by two guests with academic backgrounds in fermentation engineering, Mary and Liu Xinzheng, to discuss how their passion for home-brewing led them down the path of fermentation. While studying fermentation engineering at university, their shared love for beer—and a feeling that…

Perhaps you have already heard of homemade pickles, kimchi, or kombucha; they seem to have become the latest craze among young people. In reality, you may never have considered that fermented foods are actually staples in our kitchens—be it soy sauce, vinegar, wine, cheese, miso, or fermented bean curd, they…

A Note from Foodthink 11 November 2021, during the Fengnian Festival in Guangzhou, Foodthink interviewed two musicians from the band Wayna, Banong and Shibashi. This conversation became the first episode of the “Food Talk” podcast. Beyond this, during the early stages of “Food Talk”, Banong generously composed the intro and…

Recently, the World Health Organization’s assessment suggesting that aspartame may be carcinogenic has sparked widespread debate, bringing the use of sugar substitutes in processed foods back into the spotlight. In this episode, Food Talk has invited Lulu, a PhD candidate in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Fuwai Hospital, Peking…

In this episode, the Food Talk hosts are joined by an old friend, Shu Meng, who holds a PhD in Sociology from Cornell University. Our discussion takes its starting point from Shu Meng’s popular article, ‘The Bigger the Fridge, the Worse the Diet? The Food System in American Middle-Class Fridges’.…

Nestled among the countless trendy restaurants and cafes of the bustling Fenghuanghui commercial street on Beijing’s East Third Ring Road, there is a vegetable shop called “Ji Shi”. If you have ever passed by, you may have been drawn in by its rustic storefront and understated displays. In this episode,…

In 2022, the phrase “tech and tricks” (keji yu hen huo er) became a viral sensation. Driven by the exaggerated claims of social media influencers, consumers began to pay closer attention once again to the additives hidden in their daily food—not the blatantly harmful illegal ones like Sudan Red or…