The Food Chain

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.

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 thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Presenter: Ruth Alexander

Producers: Sam Clack and Hannah Bewley

(Image: Jane Kennedy, Irene Wong and Avril Beaven)

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.

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 thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: a woman biting a stick of celery. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Around 100 countries have official dietary guidelines, and more are on their way. But who is following them?

Ruth Alexander asks how realistic healthy-eating advice is as she explores how official recommendations are developed, what they’re trying to achieve, and the obstacles standing in our way.

We hear from Fatima Hachem, Senior Nutrition Officer at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, about how her team offers support to countries designing dietary guidelines.

Chiza Kunwenda, senior lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Zambia, tells us how he and a team of others drew up the latest dietary guidelines for Zambia and other countries in Africa.

In Argentina, as well as advice, the government has issued black octagonal warning labels on foods high in salt sugar, saturated fats and calories. Are people taking notice?

And can people around the world afford to eat according to guidelines? Dr Anna Herforth co-directed the Food prices for Nutrition project at Tufts University in the United States, tells us what she found. We also hear from shoppers at a community food outlet in the North West of England, about how cost is barrier to healthy eating.

(Image: a plate of food showing suggested dietary guidelines. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

If you’d like to contact the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Producers: Hannah Bewley and Izzy Greenfield.