It’s Never JUST Food is for people who love to eat and also love to ask, “but WHY is it like this?”
I'm your host Noha, a corporate escapee turned meal prep coach.
As a lifelong self-proclaimed foodie, I love everything about food.
Here we talk the whats, whys, and hows behind it: why we crave certain eats, how certain recipes came to be, what’s cultural, and why some of our choices run on autopilot.
Some episodes get science-y. Some are story-driven. Some are pure history and curiosity. Most will combine all of these.
So, grab a snack and come hang out with me, fellow foodie!
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Episode 12: Honey...the ancient sweet made by bees (and why it’s one of the most faked foods on earth)
Saturday, May 9, 2026 • Duration 18:21
Episode Description
Honey is one of the rare foods we eat that’s essentially a finished, shelf-stable product made by another species. Bees do the work, we take the credit.
Join me as we dive deep into the world of honey exploring its history, process, health benefits and more!
In this episode
The oldest known evidence of humans harvesting honey
Why bees make honey
Who does what in the hive: queen, drones, workers
How honey is made from nectar
How honey is extracted from comb
Why honey tastes different
Raw vs “regular” honey, filtering and why crystallization is normal
Manuka honey: what UMF means and why it’s so expensive
Honey fraud: why it’s one of the most counterfeited foods and what tests are actually reliable
Tashkandi, H. (2021). Honey in wound healing: An updated review.
Chrysostomou, D., et al. (2024). Medical-Grade Honey Is a Versatile Wound Care Product for the Elderly.
Episode 11: Kimchi. History, fermentation science and why it’s more than “spicy cabbage”
Monday, May 4, 2026 • Duration 23:51
Episode Description
Kimchi is often treated like a trendy fermented side dish, but it started as a practical survival food and became a cultural cornerstone long before it hit Western grocery stores. In this episode, we go deep into kimchi’s historical roots, how it evolved over time, the science of fermentation, what “probiotics” actually means and what human research suggests about potential health effects.
In this episode
What kimchi is
The early history of kimchi and how it evolved over time
The chili pepper timeline
Traditional kimchi-making and storage methods vs modern refrigeration and commercial production
Fermentation science
Probiotics: what kimchi can be, and what that word actually requires
What human studies and RCT reviews suggest about potential health effects
Learn more about working with Noha here
References mentioned in the episode
Surya, R., et al. (2023). Kimchi throughout millennia: a narrative review on the early history and evolution of kimchi.
UNESCO Archives (2012). Kimjang, Making and Sharing Kimchi.
Episode 10: Pizza and its 1000 years of evolution
Saturday, April 25, 2026 • Duration 22:08
Episode Description
Believe it or not, pizza didn’t start as a global “fast food.” It started as practical street food in Naples, then became a craft, then became a symbol and eventually became a mass-produced product category in a lot of places. In this episode, we explore the history behind pizza, a popular legend, cultural trends and everything in between.
In this episode
The earliest known written mention of “pizza”
Pizza in Naples during the 1700s–1800s
The first pizzeria and what we know from historical records
The Margherita story
The UNESCO recognition of Neapolitan pizza-making as a cultural practice
Pizza styles beyond Neapolitan (Italy + global styles)
Learn more about working with Noha here
References mentioned in the episode
Mattozzi, Antonio. (2015). Inventing the Pizzeria: A History of Pizza Making in Naples.
National Geographic. (2022). Pizza Margherita may be fit for a queen, but was it really named after one?
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. (2017). Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’.
Bon Appétit. (2018). What Is the Difference Between a Calzone and a Stromboli?
History Today. (2016). History of Pizza.
Episode 9: The fascinating world of ultra-processed foods, Part 2
Saturday, April 4, 2026 • Duration 20:33
In Part 2 of this ultra-processed foods series, we go behind the curtain. Not the boring org chart stuff. The unexpected roles and design choices that shape the experience of eating ultra-processed foods, like crunch sound, texture engineering, aroma design, and how foods are built to dissolve and “go down” fast.
In this episode
What it really means to “design” a food experience
Monteiro, C. A., et al.(2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition.
Fazzino, T. L., et al.(2019). Hyper-palatable foods: development of a quantitative definition and application to the US food system database. Obesity.
Spence, C. (2017). Crispness, the sound of food, and the perception of texture. Flavour.
Episode 8: The fascinating world of ultra-processed foods, Part 1
Sunday, March 22, 2026 • Duration 22:20
Ultra-processed foods are everywhere, but most people don’t fully know what the term means. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we start from the beginning: how the modern ultra-processed food concept emerged, why it was created, and how the NOVA classification system defines ultra-processed foods today.
In this episode
The history behind processed foods
What “ultra-processed” means
The modern origin of the term and why researchers introduced it
NOVA 101: the four groups and what makes a food ultra-processed
Monteiro, CA. (2009). Nutrition and health. The issue is not food, nor nutrients, so much as processing. Public Health Nutrition.
Monteiro, CA., et al. (2010). Increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods and likely impact on human health: evidence from Brazil. Public Health Nutrition.
Monteiro, CA., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition.
Braesco, V et al. (2022). Ultra-processed foods: how functional is the NOVA system? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Sadler, CR., et al. (2022). Processed food classification: conceptualisation and challenges in practice.
Episode 7: Why cilantro tastes like soap to some people!
Saturday, March 14, 2026 • Duration 19:49
Coriander is either fresh, citrusy, and full of bursts of happiness or it tastes like soap and ruins your entire meal. There seems to be no in-between.
In this episode, we unpack what coriander is, why it has different names, where it comes from, how it shows up in so many cuisines and what the peer-reviewed science says about the soap tasting situation. We also break down coriander leaves vs coriander seeds, compare it to other herbs and get practical with recipes, storage, and substitutions.
In this episode
Coriander, cilantro, dhania, coriandre, and كزبرة
Where coriander likely originated
The genetics: the 2012 genome-wide association study and OR6A2
The chemistry behind the soap issue
Leaves vs seeds
Coriander compared to other herbs
Practical and common uses
How to cook around cilantro if it tastes like soap
Eriksson, N. et al. (2012). A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference. Flavour.
Robino, A. et al. (2019). A Brief Review of Genetic Approaches to the Study of Food Preferences. (Mentions OR6A2 as a candidate receptor activated by aldehydes linked to cilantro odor.
Episode 6: Rice vs potatoes - why different cultures experience them differently!
Sunday, March 8, 2026 • Duration 16:19
One of my listeners, Emily, shared a question that sent me down a nerdy rabbit hole. She grew up in Canada eating potatoes as a staple and can eat a lot of them with no problem but rice makes her full really fast. Her Indonesian friends are the opposite: they can eat a lot of rice, but potatoes shut them down fast.
In this episode, we explore whether there’s any scientific reason behind this so come join me and find out what the data really says!
In this episode:
Where potatoes and rice originated, how they spread globally and how many varieties exist
How we define fullness
Expected satiety
Gastric emptying explained and what it implies for rice vs potatoes
Spooner, D.M., & colleagues (overview chapters / syntheses on potato domestication and diversity). Cambridge / academic syntheses on potato biodiversity and domestication.
Zheng, Y. et al. (2016). Rice Domestication Revealed by Reduced Shattering of Archaeological rice from the Lower Yangtze Valley. Scientific Reports.
Irvine, M.A. et al. (2013). Increased familiarity with eating a food to fullness underlies increased expected satiety. Appetite.
Amr, A.M. et al. (2024). Potatoes Compared with Rice in Meals with either Animal or Plant Protein Reduce Postprandial Glycemia and Increase Satiety in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study Journal of Nutrition.
Episode 5: Chocolate wasn't meant to be sweet!
Saturday, February 28, 2026 • Duration 20:09
Today, we're exploring everything chocolate which wasn't something that ever started out with an intention to be used in sweet concoctions!
In this episode:
Where chocolate originated and what it looked like
How chocolate made its way to Europe
Cacao vs cocoa vs chocolate
Where cacao grows, harvesting, and the supply chain situation
Michelin Guide. A Brief History of Sushi in America
Japan Experience. The job of sushi chef in Japan
Michelin Guide. What is omakase?
Healthline. Imitation Crab: Is It Real Crab and Should You Eat It?
Episode 3: The delicious world of dumplings
Season 1 · Episode 3
Saturday, February 14, 2026 • Duration 21:03
Dumplings are everywhere, and people love arguing about what counts, what doesn’t, and what the “best” dumpling is.
So, today we’re covering these delicious bites, but with one rule: this is not a competition and there will be no winner, because I have never met a dumpling I didn’t enjoy.
In this episode, we’re taking a historical and cultural trip around the dumpling world. We’re covering what counts as a dumpling, how so many cultures have their own versions, wrapper and filling differences, cooking methods, dipping sauce options, a quick health check, and a few meal-prep friendly dumplings that are worth freezing.
In this episode:
What counts as a dumpling
How dumplings exist everywhere
A world tour of dumplings
Wrappers vs fillings vs cooking methods
Dipping sauces
Are dumplings healthy?
Connect with Noha:
If you have a topic you want covered next, send an email to itsneverjustfood@gmail.com
Follow the It’s Never JUST Food podcast on Instagram
Monash University. About FODMAPs and IBS (what FODMAPs are and why they can trigger IBS symptoms).
UNESCO Intangible Heritage multimedia archive.
Cho, J., Lee, D., Yang, C., Jeon, J., Kim, J., Han, H. (2006). Microbial population dynamics of kimchi, a fermented cabbage product.
Lee, S.H., et al. (2015). Source tracking and succession of kimchi lactic acid bacteria during fermentation.
Song, E., et al. (2023). Effects of kimchi on human health: a scoping review of randomized controlled trials.
Lee, W., et al. (2024). Effects of kimchi consumption on body fat and intestinal microbiota in overweight and obese adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Cha, J., et al. (2024). Does kimchi deserve the status of a probiotic food?
Foodspiracy: Why ultra-processed foods are irresistible and how they impact our health. The Nature of Things
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
da Silva, JT., et al. (2025). Defining ultra-processed foods: a systematic review of classification systems and operational definitions.
United States Department of Health and Human Services, United States Department of Agriculture. (2025). Ultra-Processed Foods: Request for Information. Federal Register.
Health Canada. (2022). Limit highly processed foods. Canada’s Food Guide.
Spence, C. (2023). Coriander (cilantro): A most divisive herb.
Kumar, S. et al. (2022). Chemical composition of fresh coriander leaves headspace aroma and essential oils.
Shahwar, M.K. et al. (2012). Characterization of coriander seeds and leaves volatile extracts.
Serious Eats (2019). What is culantro, and how to use it.
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Debry, G. et al. (1988). Relationship between rate of gastric emptying and glucose and insulin responses to starchy foods. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Holt, S.H.A. et al. (1995). A satiety index of common foods. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Perry, G.H. et al. (2007). Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. Nature Genetics.
