After four wonderful years of episodes, we at Spice Bags are bowing out. While we do announce this with a heavy heart, we – Blanca, Dee, and Mei – wish to end on a high after publishing our very own cookbook Blasta Books 5: Soup, and at a moment when we are still passionate about the issues Spice Bags has uncovered, and the individuals we have befriended. In this final episode, we recount our journey from its foundation to our many varied episodes over the years, and to our many adventures and achievements including winning Best Food Podcast 2021 from the Irish Food Writing Awards. Lastly, we’d like to take this opportunity to give special thanks to the HeadStuff Podcast Network. HeadStuff took a gamble on three unseasoned women in the podcast world. They hatched us! Over the years, the team nurtured and gave us the confidence and tools to craft ourselves into what we are today. A special shout out to Conor, Paddy, Gearóid, Claudia and Amy, who would always find time to sit down to edit and brainstorm, come up with PR strategies, and take us through the nuts & bolts of podcast tech. Thank you, HeadStuff for letting us into your family. It’s been a privilege. Continue to follow our blog: www.spicebags.ie To buy our Blasta Book: Soup: www.blastabooks.com For more about Headstuff: www.headstuffpodcasts.com *Correction: We misidentify Julien in an episode “In Conversation with Angel and Julien of Miso Sligo Isakaya” as “Thibault.” His first name is Julien. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Dee and Mei have bonded about their passion about fast food over the years, it was a surprise that our elegant Blanca nurses a passion for White Castle and corn dogs.   What is fast food? Is it simply chains like McDonalds, Super Macs, and Burger King? Or does fast food also encompass street food stalls, where generations of families have perfected one dish, which – as it is in McDonalds – is made for the customer in minutes. Perhaps tapas in Spain can be also considered a fast food.   We chat about how the Italians brought the chipper to Ireland.  We remember how fast food can be a cozy, sit-down family treat. We discuss how fast food was important to feminism, for it freed women from the stove. Also we talk about how foodies, when traveling, head to McDonalds as it gives them a sense of the place. (McChevre or McAlloo, anyone?) Listen to us dish about youtiao and churros, fried pineapple and pastries in Kathmandu, and chain restaurants like 100 Montaditos in Spain and Bembos in Peru, the former which may be making its way to Irish shores.   Fast food is not just global corporations and grease. For many of us, it is a place from which our fondest memories are hatched.    Mentioned in this episode: https://www.bembos.com.pe/ https://us.100montaditos.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hui-Wen Angel Cheng and Julien Thibault, owners of the award-winning Miso Izakaya Sligo restaurant, are not a conventional Irish culinary couple. Angel is a 23nd generation Hakka from Taiwan with a biomedical doctorate; Julien is a butter-loving chemist from France. They met and fell in love in Ireland; even while they pursued their day jobs in this country, their passion for eating endured. Tune in to get a glimpse of the different elements that comprise Taiwan’s food and culture, and what it means to be the minority Hakka (guest people). Listen for Taiwan street food tips, how one tweaks a san pei chi (three cup chicken) to perfection, and what is the most excellent fish to cook when you are courting. Plus hear insights into being an international foodies in rural Cavan. Where do Angel and Julien shop? (A favourite Spice Bags topic.) Where do they eat? Besides running Miso Izakaya, Angel and Julien are active members of Cavan 4C (Cavan Cross Cultural Community), which unites the international-Irish people in their area with festivities and – you guessed it -- food. **** Mentioned in this episode: www.misosligo.ie  www.facebook.com/mimikoshopireland/ Cavan 4C Cross Cultural Community  For more about Taiwan and its history, we recommend Murray A. Rubenstein’s Taiwan: A New History.    Getting to Know SpiceBags Our podcast episodes come in three delectable flavours: Deep dives – comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine. Staple chats – where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves. Interviews – with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene.  Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of our new season we delve into one of our favourite topics: shopping!  In the shopping trolley: What are our number one food shops both nationally and internationally? What shops did we grow up with? What do snobby French people think of Eataly? Why the shopping trolley is essential? What is the special night time ingredient men can get at Pinoy Pinoy Sari? While Mei as a child was fascinated with the deli counter and the immensity of American supermarkets, Blanca spent her childhood between the sterile supermarkets and lush food markets of Central America and Dee grew up in Tipperary with a freezer full of meat and doing shopping at Bernie's her local supermarket.  This episode is the perfect complement to our very successful shopping guides that cover Korea, China, Spain, Venezuela, ramen, Turkey, Egypt and fun grocery shopping and which are available on our website. Our cookbook Soup published by Blasta Books will be published on January 26, 2023 and you can pre-order here.                                                       **************** Mentioned in this episode: Verafoods Ayla Turkish Shop Costless (Tallaght) Pinoy Sari Sari Dasco Deli The English Market in Cork Bernie's Eataly Cavistons Getting to Know SpiceBags Our podcast episodes come in three delectable flavours: Deep dives – comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine. Staple chats – where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves. Interviews – with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene.  Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sally Barnes, the only exclusive smoker of wild salmon in Ireland and a legend in the artisanal food world, was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish Food Writers’ Guild. Born in Scotland, Sally washed up on the shores of West Cork with a fisherman husband. With a kiln that she procured from a man with a drinking debt, the young woman made sea-smoking history.  In our chat, Sally talks to us about her passion for the ocean and her concerns for its future. She delves into her experience as a Scottish woman in West Cork in the 1970s, and how she refined the process of her smoked fish, which is still made by hand and continues to be one of the most luxurious products in Ireland today. As a master of her craft, Sally has also begun to do fish-smoking workshops, transmitting her broad knowledge in her smokery, outside of Skibbereen, West Cork.  Dee and Mei were privileged to take a plunge with Sally Barnes, fishwife (her term, not ours!) and fish-whisperer, and understand her love for smoke, salt, salmon, and the sea.  For Sally’s fish and for more information about her fish smoking workshops: www.woodcocksmokery.ie Special thanks to  the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery, West Cork where this episode was recorded. www.celticrosshotel.com Correction 8/04/2022: We originally said Sally was the last wild salmon smoker in Ireland. That was factually incorrect, there are several other smokers of wild salmon. She is the only smoker who exclusively smokes wild fish and does not use farmed or organic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Part 2 of our St. Patrick's special minisode and in celebration of the Celtic Ross Hotel's 25th birthday, we talk to two of the hotel’s local producers – Jeffa Gill of Durrus Cheese and Caroline Murphy of West Cork Eggs. Both multi-award winning women were born in England. They also belong to two distinct generations of producers, and hence have different stories to tell. Legendary cheesemaker Jeffa Gill of Durrus made her first cheese in 1979, and together with Veronica Steele of Milleens, engendered the modern Irish farmhouse cheese movement. The semi-soft Durrus cheese is renowned all over the country for its pinkish-mottled rind and grassy, buttery flavour. Self-dubbed “City Chic turned Country Chick” Caroline was born in London to Irish parents, and although she spent many childhood holidays in West Cork, she never thought she would end up there. Nevertheless, in 2009 (thirty years after Jeffa made her first cheese) she found herself husbanding her first flock of hens, which would eventually produce the West Cork eggs that are so coveted today. Join us as we talk eggs and cheese, community, cottage farming, and most importantly, why women have been so crucial in shaping the West Cork artisanal food movement. For more about Durrus cheese: https://www.durruscheese.com/ For more about West Cork eggs: https://www.neighbourfood.ie/producers/west-cork-eggs/8844 For more about the Celtic Ross Hotel: https://www.celticrosshotel.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We were honoured to be invited to the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery to record as part of their celebration of their 25th birthday! Like many ventures in West Cork, the hotel is a family-owned business. Operated by the Wycherley family for over two decades, its welcome is cozy and warm and with ease, you’re made to feel at home.  West Cork is widely recognised in Ireland as the cradle of modern Irish artisan food. However, it is also one of the most international spots in Ireland, having attracted people from abroad since the 1950s which has informed its culinary culture. For part 1 of our St. Patrick’s Special, we were delighted to talk to Scotsman Neil Grant, general manager of the Celtic Ross, about his childhood in Dundee and what brought him here. Plus Chef Laurentiu Samoila (known as Chef Lawrence) regales us of early days in Romania, and his time spent in France, Italy, and the UK before he, like so many others before him, succumbed to the West Cork allure.  Expect chat about pig nose-to-tail, Abernathy smokies, and gorgeous local sardines. For more about the Celtic Ross Hotel -https://www.celticrosshotel.com/     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aziz Krouch has been a chef in La Mamounia in Marrakesh (recently featured in Netflix's show Inventing Anna), La Medina in New York, and now he is the head chef of Marrakesh By Mindo on Capel Street in Dublin. As a child, he harvested cumin and made warqa pastry with his grandmother in the Atlas mountains. He has worked in Paris and has a pash for boeuf bourguignon.  From shopping in souks, tagines, and bisteeya, to almond ghriba and honey chebakia pastries at Ramadan, Aziz takes us through a tour of his rich and storied life and his understanding of Moroccan food. Why are certain fruits paired with certain meats? Why is the number 7 considered lucky in Morocco and how does that figure into the seven spices of ras el-hanout and the vegetables of couscous? How do dishes differ if they are from Tangier, Fez, or Casablanca? We chat about chefs like Spanish-born Najat Kaanache and Moha Fedal, who are reviving the best way to cook Moroccan, which is long and slow.  Also, we talk about tea, a staple in Morocco, and which, according to Aziz, just like Moroccan food, requires patience. Mentioned in this episode: Marrakesh by Mindo https://www.marrakesh.ie/ La Mamounia https://mamounia.com/en/ Chebakia pastry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chebakia Najat Kannache https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najat_Kaanache Moha Fedal: https://darmoha.ma/index.php/en/chef-moha.html  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this mini-episode, Mei quizzes Blanca on one of her favourite topics – Kitchens in Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar's movies. From the tenebrous kitchen in What Have I Done to Deserve This? to the airy 90s kitchen in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, some of the most famous kitchens of the Almodóvar universe are discussed. Plus Mei and Blanca discuss foods like flan and gazpacho that are quintessential to understanding Almodóvar himself, Spanish society and being a woman. Almodovar has just released the movie Parallel Mothers with Penélope Cruz, one in which the kitchen tells us about the lives of the characters and his first openly political movie about the consequences of the Spanish Civil War. Furthermore, Almodóvar recently edited the Director’s issue for W magazine in which Penélope Cruz, his longtime muse, is featured as an aspiring actress in a casting of the opera Carmen. See a young Pedro in Spain’s most iconic cooking show Con las Manos en la Masa Movies and shorts mentioned: What Have I Done to Deserve This? Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Pain and Glory The Cannibalistic Councillor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a trip down memory lane! As children, Blanca, Dee, and Mei inhaled the glossy pages of food magazines and the promises of far-flung worlds from the recipes and the stories that they contained. As a result, the three of us have written, fact-checked, test-kitchened, and been editors for magazines throughout our adult lives. Magazines are dear to us. In this episode, we talk about long-form food journalism, gourmand elitism, and pretty food-styled pictures. We discuss how in Ireland, food publishing gave voice to female writers, some of whom were salty. We chat about test kitchens, about the future of food magazines and whether a tradition of “tested recipes” is financially viable on the publishing market today. Gourmet, The Gourmand, Olive, Australian Women’s Weekly – we name-drop them all. Plus we sneak in a reference to our old host Julia Langbein, and the social media account ‘70s Dinner Party’ that has brought Dee and Mei much joy and laughter. We mentioned too many publications to list here, but should you have a question, please contact us at hello@spicebags.ie. In this episode: For food magazines: Ireland local libraries libby app 70s Dinner Party: Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We celebrated the first day of Lunar New Year, on February 1st, in a very special way this year by recording this mini-episode of Spice Bags in the Guinness Storehouse! We are delighted to have been invited to record in the Guinness Storehouse as part of their celebrations for the Dublin Lunar New Year Festival. Guinness has exported its dark, iconic brew to East Asia starting from the early 19th century, and so we were honoured to be in their beautiful Connoisseur bar discussing New Year holiday food, traditions, and, of course, Guinness.  Joining us is executive chef of the Guinness Storehouse, John Bueno, whose Lunar New Year dish in 1837 restaurant of Black Pepper and Guinness Short Rib of Beef is in collaboration with Terry Yang of Stoneybatter’s Hakkahan. What Asian foods pair well with Guinness? What's his craziest Guinness food venture? Bueno is from the Philippines, home of the world's oldest Chinatown, so he also shares some Filipino Lunar New Year memories.  Next, Taiwan-born Yvonne Kennedy and Korean-born Carol Cherico give us a tantalizing glimpse into their traditions and how they celebrate the New Year in Ireland. Moreover, Yvonne and Carol have lived in a number of places (including California, Connecticut, Beijing, Seoul) so their memories and knowledge offer a broad scope.  Tune in to hear about red versus white envelopes, Filipino mooncakes, hot pot, rice cakes, and yes, most importantly, Lunar New Year drinking etiquette!    A big thank you to the Guinness Storehouse for including us in their Lunar New Year celebrations.  LINKS For more about Lunar New Year at Guinness Storehouse For more about the Dublin Lunar New Year Festival Hakkahan Dublin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back after our mid-season break with a jam-packed episode, which we're delighted to say is sponsored by the Dublin Lunar New Year festival, whose lineup (from 26 January – 6 February) of food, art, music, and lectures pays tribute to the different cultures that celebrate this holiday here in Ireland.  Chúc mừng năm moi, Saehae bok mani badeuseyo and Gongxi facai! To mark the Lunar New Year starting on February 1, Mei, Blanca and Dee discuss New Year foods from Singaporean fish toss to Korean ddok (rice cakes) and the role that phonetic puns play in Chinese New Year foods. New Year fashion tips are shared (you don't want to wear the wrong thing and bring bad luck!) and we touch on what is many people’s favourite New Year tradition: cash in fancy red envelopes. Next, Blanca and Dee are joined by @foodstagram.ie duo Irah Mari & Lou Jurelle (Jelly) who are two of Ireland's rising stars of Instagram and TikTok. Born in Dubai and Singapore, these two Filipino/Irish girls’ Toonsbridge cannoli TikTok video took the city by storm – if you haven't seen it, check it out! These culinary influencers are known for their charm, winsome photos and videos, and real knowledge about restaurants and recipes, with a spotlight on Asian and international flavours. Spice Bags chat with them about the room that is the soul of many homes around the world (but not all!) – the kitchen. This room can be a mirror into a person’s heritage, character, habits, but more importantly, if they have loads of money, their taste. Tune in to find out what we think about all types of kitchens from pretentious to one-pot ones. Also, discover what Irah calls “dirty” kitchens, what Blanca really thinks about Agas and Dee's keen interest in the use of movie kitchens as murder scenes.  Follow Foodstagram.ie on: https://www.instagram.com/foodstagram.ie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@foodstagram.ie For information about Dublin Lunar New Year: https://www.dublinlunarnewyear.ie/ For details & to book tickets for our Sunday, Feb 6 Spice Bags Dublin Lunar New Year event: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/239577251007 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nigeria is a complex place, in terms of food, history, geography, and its three hundred plus ethnicities. Edizemi Onilenla, or Emi, founder of the culinary brand Mama Shee, grew up in Nigeria. Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma, founder of Bia! Zine is from Dundalk. Emi is Yoruba, and Victory is Igbo. Emi says, ‘every tribe has its own vegetable.’ Emi came to Ireland as a social worker and then started cooking the food of her home, which she started in the Dublin markets and is now widely recognised and carried by shops like SuperValu. We are honoured to have her soup, Efo Riro, in our Soup cookbook, recently published by Blasta Books. Victory is a writer and photographer, who became curious about her origins and, from there, delved into other immigration stories in her publication Bia! Zine. They talk about ingredients like peppers, palm oil, leafy greens, and crayfish powder. Where do they shop? Why do they love their food to be blazing hot? With Dee and Blanca, Emi and Victory discuss the two-Michelin starred Ikoyi restaurant in London and the future of Nigerian cuisine in Ireland. Plus, there is a guy called Tony. With his produce and his van, he has made both of these wonderful women feel at home. Mentioned in this episode: www.mamashee.com www.biazine.com www.ikoyilondon.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we are joined by Bart Pawlukojc, the chef/owner of Arán artisan bakery and bistro in Kilkenny, and Kamila Bystrzonowska, the chef/owner of award-winning MOMO restaurant in Waterford. On the table: What was it like to live and eat in Poland under communist rule? Why are there so few Polish restaurants in Ireland? What is the Polish personality and how does it affect the cuisine? Are there similarities between Ireland and Poland –in identity, and their attitudes towards food? There are 123,000 Polish living in Ireland right now; bringing with them history, literature, language, music, and a cuisine that is rich with pickles, wild mushrooms, smoked meats, consommé, and honey. From bartering pigs, foraging sorrel, to grandparent beekeepers, Bart and Kamila offer a tasty glimpse into a country whose inhabitants are so influential in Ireland today.                                                    ******************* Mentioned in this episode: MOMO Restaurant, Waterford Arán Artisan Bakery & Bistro, Kilkenny Gorące Gary u Barbary Kuchary, Moore Street Shopping Mall, D1 Cork & Fork, Comix Café, Kinsale Road, Cork Traditional Polish Bakery Getting to Know SpiceBags Our podcast episodes come in three delectable flavours: Deep dives – comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine. Staple chats – where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves. Interviews – with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene.  Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sevgi Tüzel-Conghaile, founder of the Dublin-based A Wine Idea, is one of the most impressive females in the Irish wine world. Born in Turkey, she is an Oenologist & Viticulturist. Sevgi, after her graduation in Food Engineering, followed her dream to become a winemaker in her home country before relocating to France to study her MSc in Oenology & Viticulture in Montpellier SupAgro and Bordeaux Sciences Agro. She continued her studies at the prestigious Hochschule Geisenheim University in Germany while living in the renowned wine region of Mosel. Among many other accomplishments, Sevgi also completed a certified course taught by Masters of Wine (MW) Romana Echensperger MW, Alison Flemming MW, Caro Maurer MW, Josef Schuller MW, Frank Smulders MW, among others.  She also married a man from Connemara, so we may need to thank him for her presence in this country!  How can one make wine accessible? Who has the better wine palate, men or women? Also, Sevgi shares some of her favourite dishes from her native Turkey, like dolma, manti, and kibbeh, her love for cooking Turkish, the “Mediterr-Asian” trend, and her favourite wine bars in Ireland.   Finally, she addresses the question, is there a future for Turkish wine? As mentioned in this episode A Wine Idea Sakhalin restaurant Geisenheim Institute Getting to Know SpiceBags Our podcast episodes come in three delectable flavours: Deep dives – comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine. Staple chats – where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves. Interviews – with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene.  Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wrapped foods are the femme fatales of the culinary world in that they exude an irresistible allure.  From maki and jambon to agnolotti and bisteeya, Blanca, Dee, and Mei discuss these most enticing edibles. We converse about the myriad of wraps out there – rice paper, masa, yuba, banana leaves, warqua, and seaweed.  Wrapped foods are easy to eat, but often laborious to make. They’ve been called “gateway” foods to international cuisines; someone might be cautious about Chinese or Mexican, but give them a dumpling or taco, and they will gobble it! Did the Chinese dumpling come from Turkey? Have wrapped sandwiches and burritos done one star turn too many? Plus co-host Blanca confesses an abiding passion for the American country fair staple, the corndog! Let’s just say that we have our wraps covered. Correction: Mei said that Kashing does not have chang-fun with crispy bean curd. It is now on the menu. Mentioned in this episode: Cranky Yankee Corn Dogs Sabenero Cheese (for taqueños) PIcado Mexican Pantry  L. Mulligan Grocer (Scotch egg) Al-sham Bakery in Cork Kashing Restaurant Gursha Restaurant Follow the Camino (Empanada Gallega) Las Muns (Empanadas) Wrap & Roll (Wrap restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City  Vietnam) Getting to Know SpiceBags Our podcast episodes come in three delectable flavours: Deep dives – comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine. Staple chats – where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves. Interviews – with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene.  Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richie Castillo is founder and chef of the Filipino Dublin pop-up venture Bahay, and  former chef of Clanbrassil House and Bastible. Although Irish, he’s a global guy. Richie’s father is Filipino, his mother is from Kerry but born in Jordan; his parents married in Jerusalem, and he grew up in Knocklyon with summers in the Philippines. Richie chats to us about cooking influences in his life (his dad, his Kerry grandmother), takes us on a tour of his favorite Filipino dishes like suckling pig lechon and adobo, and explains the mystique of the bittersweet citrus fruit calamansi. He talks about the Spanish connection to Filipino history and cuisine. Also he answers burning questions, like what’s banana ketchup and why do we need to be eating it now? Richie also tells us about Bahay’s menu and his future plans. Bahay means “home” in Tagalog, and Richie’s venture Bahay expresses all the diverse inspirations that make up his house. Richie’s Bahay is an amalgam --  pinch of this, a douse of that, uniquely Richie Castillo, and tremendously exciting indeed.   For more about Richie Castillo and Bahay, Instagram @bahay_dub Mentioned in this episode: Nicole Ponesca, I am Filipino and This is How We Cook Pinoy Sari Sari Store, 25-26 Mary Street Little, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 DP03; 112-113 George's Street Lower, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, A96 AK31 Our Spice Bags podcasts come in three flavours: deep dives -- comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine, staple chats -- where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves, and interviews with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene. Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blanca, Dee, and Mei have radically different relationships with cooking schools. Dee, always inquisitive, signs up for a cooking class every time she travels; deep-diving Blanca is a Cordon Bleu graduate (pictured) who has not only taken cooking classes but also taught quite a few; and Mei refuses to take a cooking class, mainly because her Chinese side doesn’t want to be publicly shamed when she fails! Cooking schools that make you cry. Cooking schools with hot instructors. Cooking schools that are a waste of money. Cooking schools that provide a unique window into a place that might have gone hereto undiscovered. Community kitchen cooking schools. Books about cooking schools. From Madrid to Cork, Cape Town and the CIA, we’ve got your cooking school questions covered in this latest episode of Spice Bags. Mentioned in this episode: Ballymaloe Cookery School Le Cordon Bleu Alambique Books for Cooks Woodcock Smokery River Cottage Cookery School Cape Malay Cooking Safari Kevin Thornton's Kooks Picado Mexican Virtual Kitchen Aoife Noonan Masterclasses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Oseland is a multi-award winning writer, former editor-in-chief of the American food magazines Saveur and Rodale's Organic Life, and one of the most hailed arbiters of the international food world. His first cookbook, Cradle of Flavor, about the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, earned him his first James Beard award. Jim has also been a filmmaker, actor, and fashion and music journalist, and his memoir Jimmy Neurosis is a vivid and heartfelt recollection of his early gay punk days.   Jim’s latest project, a series of books, World Food published by Ten Speed Press/Penguin, reflects his passionate curiosity about cultures and his ability not only to enjoy food but also to connect with the people who make it.  On the heels of the publication of World Food: Mexico City and the eve of the publication of World Food: Paris (October), Jim chats with Spice Bags about far flung places like Greece, Queens and Jakarta. What are his thoughts about writing, research, and respectful cultural appropriation? Where would he send someone in his recently adopted home of Mexico City? (It’s not a fancy restaurant.) Finally, he brings us back to one of his favorite places, which is the kitchen, and the process of chronicling the people who inhabit it.  Travelers, writers, eaters and readers: take some tips from James Oseland! We certainly have. **  We recorded this episode remotely with James Oseland in Mexico City, so forgive the occasional, three-second delay. World Food: Mexico City is sold in Ireland by Picado Mexican Pantry, 44A Richmond St S, Saint Kevin's, Dublin 2 https://www.picadomexican.com/ **    For more about James Oseland and World Food https://www.jamesoseland.com/   Monica Patino https://delirio.mx/ On Greece:  https://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Far-Side-of-the-Mountains-Epirus/ Cradle of Flavor https://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Flavor-Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia/dp/0393054772   JImmy Neurosis https://www.harpercollins.com/products/jimmy-neurosis-james-oseland?variant=32206454325282 https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/book-review-james-oselands-jimmy-neurosis-is-a-vibrant-coming-of-age-memoir-783606/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brazil is a vast multicultural food lab where you find a myriad of flours, Amazonian, African and Asian ingredients and Portuguese inspired sweets. As more Brazilians come to Ireland, we are starting to see more exciting food ventures from Brazilian style sushi to steakhouses. In this episode, we do a whirlwind tour of Brazilian businesses and meet the charismatic baker and entrepreneur Fabiano Mayor of Sugar Loaf Bakery in Dublin who tells us about the Brazilian sweets and food history, Euzana Forkan, Masters student in gastronomy at TU Dublin tells us about cassava, the versatile root that underpins so much of Brazilian food culture. Finally, Pedro Ferraz, executive chef for Bodytonic group (Wigwam & Bernard Shaw) tells us that Russian beef stroganoff is a Brazilian family dish!  Instagram @sugarloafdublin @wigwamdublin References Brazilian food by Thiago Castanho Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science tells us that we get cravings when our bodies are deprived of salt, sugar, vitamins, and fat, a fact we will remember when we go on our next churros bender. Food cravings are naughty and nice, sophisticated and shameful. There are homesick cravings; cravings for food that we have never tasted, but encountered in a movie or a book; cravings you invent to impress other people. Moreover, no one person craves the same. Our culinary longings do not simply demonstrate our palates, they provide a unique map to ourselves. In this special Spice Bags teaser, recorded live at the Taste of Dublin, we go full-on craving confession with our former and much-beloved guests Kwanghi Chan (Bowls) and Lily Ramirez (Picado).  Expect laughter, gasps, chat about Italian mobsters and various animal parts, and a few food secrets that have never before been revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Spice Bags, we are as much book geeks as food geeks. However, what is the role that food plays in books, and how do words serve to whet our appetite? In this special pre-season, collaboration episode we hope to do just that! With fellow HeadStuff podcaster Conor Reid, whose literary podcast, Words to That Effect, has always been a favourite listen of ours, we examine some of our best-loved novels and food excerpts.  We discuss a sexy Sicilian detective, Stephen King, 17th-century Spanish picaresque and the Japanese magic-realist Haruki Murakami. Most importantly, we unpack the deeply personal ways in which books address our hunger. Word of Warning: The novels we discuss are more steak tartare than strawberry shortcake! Support the show and get lots of bonus content by becoming a member of HeadStuff+. Find out more at HeadStuffPodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malawi-born Ellie Kisyombe is the founder of Our Table and currently Ellie’s Kitchen, Home Edition. As an activist and a food producer, Ellie is well known on the political and the food scene, and has been one of the most prominent faces of a changing Ireland. Here, Ellie talks about living in Ireland in Direct Provision, but also about  growing up in Malawi and her family, which was where she got her ambition and her culinary chutzpah. Plus she talks about Malawi food and what makes it distinct; its beautiful freshwater fish, its multicultural influences, and yes, its whiskey and gin. https://ellieskitchenhomeedition.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Ali Dunworth and Blanca talk about their recent trip to the Asturias region in Spain, where they were pampered with cider, veal, cheese, and conservas. Oviedo, the capital, is on the Camino Norte, the famous pilgrim walk that winds its way through the north of Spain. Listen to them as they chat about cider, which ranges from a champagne-like fizz to an uncarbonated brew that is pungent with apples, and which is often poured by handsome men with beards. They visit a factory for conservas (tinned fish and seafood) in Gijon, which are prepared by hand by women. They also do a tasting with Asturias’s most famous cheesemonger Aitor Vega which is done geographically and presents a great variety for a small region of Spain. Ali and Blanca also discuss how this part of Spain reminds them of the West of Ireland with its rugged coast and green pastures. They talk about the exquisite cheeses, egg yolk pastries in Oviedo, rice puddings, Cachopos (veal cutlets with ham and cheese) and fabada. However there is no butter; you have olive oil instead. Even without butter, the allure of this lush land is clear. Mentioned in this episode: Meauldflower.com Asturex.org Icex.es Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is time now to turn to our sizzling, Covid-era heartthrob, the kitchen, and unpack all its secrets. Going through your kitchen tools is like reexamining your dating history. Some tools are frivolous, some remind us of our parents, some we snapped up on a whim and can’t live without, some are pretty but what the heck were we thinking? We talk tools with food writer and stylist Ali Dunworth, Bob Toal, founder of Dublin’s cooking supply shop Triggerfish Cookshop, and Maria Llamas, who runs the legendary cooking school and supply shop Alambique in Madrid. From sous-vide to salad-spinners, we examine the world of kitchen utensils. What utensils make our kitchens tick? Which tools fill us with shame? Plus we find out why Blanca has a corner in her kitchen that looks like a medieval dungeon. Mentioned in this episode: Ali Dunworth thatalice.com Triggerfish Cookshop https://triggerfishcookshop.ie/ Alambique https://www.alambique.com/ Burt Wolf, The New Cook’s Catalogue Spice Bags is a part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. Join HeadStuff+ for bonus episodes and lots more. (Photo credit: Kitchen vector created by pch.vector - www.freepik.com) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who doesn’t? This country is resilient, colourful, and has a reputation for having some of the most beautiful women in the world. Recently we have observed  a number of Venezuelans starting food businesses all around the world, including in Ireland.  We talk to some Venezuelans making food in this country. They include a TV food personality, a wine expert, two pastry chefs, a cheese maker and a few guys committed to bringing a taste of their culinary heritage.  On the table: tequeños, cachapas, hallacas, and of course arepas, the corn cake that can be eaten at any time of day, stuffed with any kind of filling, and in some ways is a mirror to the Venezuelan personality, diverse, flexible, and delightfully addictive. Correction: Mei said that Sweet Churro owner Nigely Massud’s grandfather was from Milan. In fact, he was from León, Spain. Interviewed in this episode: Jeeny Maltese https://www.instagram.com/jeenymaltese/?hl=en Brizaida Hernandez https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dubhcci-conrad-dublin/ Gabriel Quintero, Arepas Grill https://www.arepasgrill.ie/ Gaby Guedez @gabyguedezh Also mentioned: Dayana Maltese, Sabanero (Cheese)https://www.sabanerocheese.com/shop Daniela Carnevall, Mon Amie Bakery https://www.instagram.com/monamie.ie/?hl=en Nigely Massud, Sweet Churro https://www.sweetchurro.ie/ Worth noting: Venebazaar, a Dublin-based Venezuelan grocery https://www.venebazaar.ie/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you in the midst of lockdown, Spice Bags delves into bread. Let’s face it, many of us are making it, and most of us are eating far too much of it. Why can't you make soda bread outside of Ireland? Why does Blanca call communal ovens in Spain the original Insta? Who are the modern bakers shaking things up in Ireland today? Plus, we talk about bread dick pics.  Blanca and Dee also chat with Eoin Cluskey, founder and owner of Bread 41, one of the coolest, new bread bakers in town, and who has some pretty frank things to say about our beloved soda bread. Referenced in  this episode: Bread 41 Margaret HIckey, Ireland’s Green Larder The Bakery, 8 Essex St W, Temple Bar, Dublin Camerino Bakery https://www.camerino.ie/ No Messin' Bakery https://www.nomessinbakery.com/ Farmhouse Bakery https://farmhousecafe.ie/ Cupcake Bloke Bakery http://www.thecupcakebloke.com/ Ayla Bakery https://ayla.ie/ Haoliland Bakery  37 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 PY79 Pinoy Sari Sari 25-26 Mary Street Little, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 DP03 Gold Ribbon Bakeshoppe 31 Dorset Street Lower, Mountjoy, Dublin 1, D01 XT73 New Curry and Grill 6 Dolphin's Barn, Saint James' (part of Phoenix Park), Dublin 8, D08 XK63 El Door Bakery, MacCurtain Street, Montenotte, Cork, T23 VF65 Spice Bags is a part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. Join HeadStuff+ for bonus episodes and lots more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Year of the Ox! We kick off this episode with a crash course on dumplings, but the true highlight is an interview with the Lord Mayor, Hazel Chu. Chu, who is known for her commitment to a diverse Ireland, shares with us her memories of growing up Chinese-Irish in Dublin, her culinary passions, and some of her hopes for what the New Year (and the future) has in store. Plus she confesses dumpling love even though it is not part of her Cantonese heritage. P.S.  For those unfamiliar with the term “banana,” it gets explained, although you should never use it. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.dublincity.ie/council/your-city-council/lord-mayor-dublin Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. For bonus episodes and lots more become a member of HeadStuff+ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we interviewed Ahmet Dede, head chef of Dede in Baltimore, none of us (including Dede) were aware that he was about to win another Michelin star. Instead we listened, rapt, to the many stories he had to tell. Among them: childhood memories of lavish breakfasts on the floor of the Ankara house that his grandfather built;  his rise in Ireland to earn his first Michelin star at the West Cork restaurant, the Mews; and the origins of some of his favourite dishes in his native country of Turkey. What are Turkish culinary regional differences? What constitutes a great kebab? Most importantly, is it possible to be both a dedicated chef and a passionate Turkish native, yet manage to keep those identities separate? Note: we had so much fun talking to chef Dede that we reluctantly had to cut some of the interview for time. Specifically, Blanca, Dee, and Mei, in their wrap up, refer to Dede educating himself on the Michelin system by reading The Perfectionist, Rudolph Chelminski’s scrupulous biography of the tragic chef Bernard Loiseau. You can find Dede talking about beginning as a pizza chef to earning his first MIchelin on the bonus material on the Headstuff+ website. Chef Dede also said that he is planning to have his mother into the restaurant for a Four Hands dinner as soon as it is possible. Once you hear Dede talk about his mother’s cooking , you will be as excited as we are. Watch www.spicebags.ie and www.customhousebaltimore.com/ for updates on this event. Referenced in this episode: Dede Restaurant, Customs House, Baltimore www.customhousebaltimore.com/dede Ayla Turkish Foods, 30 Capel Street, Dublin: www.ayla.ie On Dede's new Michelin Star in the Irish Independent: www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/food-news/ahmet-dede-bags-his-second-michelin-star-with-less-formal-dining-by-the-sea-40010934.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Spanish have a tradition of all-day nibbling that the rest of the world has fetishized, adored, and mimicked. Yet what is a tapas and how does it differ from a pintxo? How have these traditions migrated and transformed in Ireland? We chat to Gorka Arrieta, the Basque chef based in Kerry, who has wowed Ireland with his Irish-Spanish fusion, and also brought the Spanish tradition of tapas and pintxos competitions on these shores. We also talk to Vanessa Murphy and Anna Cabrera, the couple behind the renowned Las Tapas de Lola in Dublin. They created a sit-down tapas restaurant in this country, which, as they explain, is a paradox. From gazpacho and Gilda (anchovies, pickled chilies and olives) to Pintxos Morunos (lamb skewers) in Bilbao, we examine this topic, one that is particularly close to Blanca’s heart.    Mentioned in this episode:   http://lastapasdelola.com/ https://www.solysombra.ie/ @gorka.arrieta  suabasuquefusionbygorka https://www.solastapas.com/ https://unomas.ie/ https://tastekerry.ie/the-all-ireland-tapas-pintxo-championships/ https://www.bascofinefoods.com/spanish-recipes/pinchos-morunos/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the holidays hovering and some of us feeling a touch homesick, is there a better person to chat with than the legendary Darina Allen? Allen is the fairy godmother of modern Irish cooking and the queen of Irish Christmas; however, she’s been instrumental in bringing the rituals and cuisines of other countries to these shores. Join us as we talk turkey with Darina, and dish about Darina’s classic book, A Simply Delicious Christmas, a book that has graced many a household (not just Irish), and to tease her about a famous mistake. Also our listeners from Romania, Venezuela, and Ethiopia-Somalia share their own holiday traditions. Mentioned in this episode: https://ballymaloeshop.ie/product/darina-allen-simply-delicious-christmas-hardcover-1 http://letters.cookingisfun.ie/2014/12/06/a-simply-delicious-christmas/ https://www.irishcentral.com/news/menorah-christmas-irish https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2020/1210/1183523-hanukkah/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tochitur%C4%83 https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/tastes-like-home-christmas-dishes-from-around-the-world-39844929.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hot on the heels of another Irish-American president elect, Joe Biden, Spice Bags delves into the complicated history of the Irish in America. Blanca has mingled with the Irish of Chicago and DC; Mei has lived in Boston, New Haven, and New York, and Dee has traveled widely in the US and contemplated immigrating herself. What’s up with corned beef? Why does Irish-American soda bread always come with sultanas?  We discuss how old Irish habits (and accents) have lingered in the US, where they have moved on in Ireland itself. We also talk about how the modern Irish identity is infiltrating that of Irish Americans today. In this episode: Maura Laverty https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/maura-laverty-ireland-s-first-celebrity-chef-still-dishes-up-food-for-thought-1.2774422 Colman Andrews, The Country Cooking of Ireland Caroline Campion and Kathy Brennan, Keepers  Kevin Dundon, www.kevindundon.com David McWilliams https://open.spotify.com/show/6dzfsIlMVEdKVSfSd1mclr The Dead Rabbit  https://www.deadrabbitnyc.com/ Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Soup, Spice Bags tackles another installment of “Staples” – where we three discuss a food from each of our cultural perspectives. In this episode, we talk soup, because baby, it’s cold outside. Soup, for us, is fundamental, and yet, as we discover, plays a different role in our lives. Why do the Spanish drink their gazpacho from a glass?  Why do the Chinese hate blended soups? What is the Jewish-American legacy of “chicken soup?” Why does Mei pack cans of Campbells in her luggage when she goes to the US, why does Blanca find it weird to make a meal of a soup, and how is Dee’s father the master of the Knorr packet?  From consommé to chowder and congee, we take some stock. P.S. We mention the sexiest soup scene in cinema history.   Email: Spicebagspod@gmail.com Tweet @spicebagspod Insta @spicebagspod Links  The movie “Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios” (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095675/   Gazpacho scene https://bit.ly/38ZrUaL   A Celebration of Soup Lindsey Bareham http://www.lindseybareham.com/books/   Recipe for Spartan black soup https://momsrecipes.web.app/3482-recipe-of-quick-black-soup/   Stone Soup (apparently, there’s an Irish version as well, that WB Yeats adapted) https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type1548.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nanphun Srakhunthod and Una Lancaster are daughters of two of the oldest Thai families in Ireland, who opened Baan Thai, Ireland’s first Thai owned restaurant, in 1998. Now on the eve of the Lantern festival, the two girls sit down with Dee to shed some light into a culture that we at Spice Bags love but know very little about. We hear about what it was like to grow up between Ireland and Thailand, and also something of the close-knit Thai-Irish community on our doorstep. We learn about a great-grandfather who tried to overthrow a monarchy. And of course, Una and Nanphun introduce us to the complicated maze of Thai food while sharing some favorite dishes of their own.   What is the legacy of Thai street food? How did Japanese-Portuguese-Bengali Maria Guyomar de Pina become the queen of Thai desserts? Are Irish palates favoring more authentic Thai dishes, and if so, how are restaurants meeting this demand? From dishes like moo ping (pork skewers with coconut cream), som tam (green papaya salad), and santaya (pandan custard), there is something in this interview to whet everybody’s whistle.   Spice Bags note:   Blanca, Dee, and Mei were first introduced to Una and Nanphun at “Eat like a Thai,” part of a series of dinners at Baan Thai, highlighting some of the more authentic Thai flavors, and overseen by Nanphun, who was most recently a chef at Pichet. It was truly a sensational meal. Sadly, these events have been postponed but when it is rescheduled, we will be there, and think you should be too.   For the “Eat Like a Thai” menu & more information about Baan Thai nights https://baanthainights.eventsmart.com/events/eat-like-a-thai/   About Baan Thai https://www.baanthai.ie/ Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk to American-born editor, writer, and publisher, Kristin Jensen, who has had quite the year. Founder of Blasta Books and Nine Bean Rows Books, as well as the long-form magazine Scoop magazine (helmed by our own Dee Laffan), Kristin has been shaking things up on the Irish food scene. Her first endeavour, Tacos, written by our friend and guest Lily Ramirez, attracted international attention. She’s published our mate and guest Kwanghi Chan’s book, Wok. Her Nine Bean Rows book, And For The Mains, written by Gaz Smith and Rick Higgins, won a much-coveted IACP award. She’s also the publisher for our book, Soup! Kristin tells us about her motivation for giving a voice and a platform for people who were unheard; what makes an elegant recipe; what comprises a gorgeous cookbook; and why her books should be accessible to everyone. How does a graceful, well-mannered girl from Illinois start an Irish food writing revolution? Tune in to find out. Related Links blastabooks.com ninebeanrowsbooks.com scoopfoodmag.com To order your copy of our cookbook SOUP, click here: https://blastabooks.com/products/blasta-books-5-soup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Irish drink more tea per capita in the world, and yet it goes without saying that their “cuppa” differs from that of other cultures. Follow us as we take a dive into this beverage, with a history steeped in class and colonialism that is exciting if sometimes less than sweet. How did a Scottish botanist manage to smuggle the secrets of tea out of China during the Opium War? Why do posh people add tea first and then milk? When and why did the Irish finally concoct their own tea blend? Finally, what are some ethically sourced teas in this age?    www.janepettigrew.com www.barrystea.ie www.mcenteestea.ie www.suki-tea.com www.nikstea.ie www.wallandkeogh.com www.clementandpekoe.com (Photo credit: Flower vector created by macrovector - www.freepik.com) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans have been coming to Ireland in significant numbers for decades, often in a nostalgic search for their own cultural roots.  How has this history of American consumers shaped Irish food, restaurant and pub culture? From craft whiskey and pub music to the Irish adoption of the smoking ban, we investigate how Americans have helped shape the Irish culinary landscape. To American visitors, we explain why you should not order corned beef and definitely not a black and tan. We also sadly bid adieu to host Julia Langbein, who is leaving Ireland. Correction: Mei says that the Black and Tans were a police force in Northern Ireland; in fact they were the part of the "Royal Irish Constabulary," based in what is now the Republic of Ireland, and specifically recruited to quell those on the side of the Irish War of Independence. Black and Tans were famed for their brutality.       In this episode: www.fabfoodtrails.ie www.irishfoodtrail.ie www.americanfood.ie www.boxtyhouse.ie  https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/04/12/523653040/episode-764-pub-in-a-box https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/dining/11pubs.html https://www.failteireland.ie/FailteIreland/media/WebsiteStructure/Documents/Get_Brexit_Ready/Market_Diversification/05-US-Market-Profile-FINAL-(Web).pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Irish adore Mexico, and who can blame them?  In this country, the range of Mexican ingredients has vastly improved, and we can now regularly order huevos rancheros for brunch.  We talk with Lily Ramirez, founder of the shop and cooking school Picado and, for many years, a keeper of the authentic Mexican flame. We discuss her observations on the Mexican transformation in Ireland, while also getting the scoop on what brought Lily here (true love); why she won’t eat avocados; why burritos, while tasty, are not Mexican; and where she eats tacos when she isn’t making them herself.  www.picadomexican.com El Grito Mexican Taqueria www.therevolutiontacos.com Insta @ellacantalondon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As compared to Spain or France, for example, cheesemaking in Ireland seems to be dominated by women. How did this come to pass and what does it tell us about Ireland as a whole? What are some of our favorite lady cheeses? In this episode we talk about the ladies who rule the artisanal cheese movement here in Ireland starting with Veronica Steele, creator of Milleens. We also talk about some of  our favorite cheeses: Mileens (super Epoisse-y), Ardsallagh (because we love goat), and Durrus Og (Reblochon-like). Correction: Jeffa Gill is the woman behind Durrus; Giana Ferguson is the lady behind Gubbeen. www.mileenscheese.com www.sheridanscheesemongers.com Ballymaloe www.cookingisfun.ie www.irishcheese.ie Farmhouse Cheeses of Ireland: A Celebration Glynn Anderson and John McLaghlin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ireland has some of the best Indian food we have eaten, compared to big cities like New York and London which have much larger south Asian populations.  In trying to answer this question, we spoke to Indian chefs, restaurateurs, and local residents and discovered that the culture of sophisticated regional Indian food in Ireland largely goes back to one courageous entrepreneur who took a bet on Irish consumers and their willingness to try new things. Restaurants www.anandarestaurant.ie www.ruchii.ie www.picklerestaurant.com www.3leaves.ie www.jaipur.ie Blog about history of ethnic restaurants  www.comeheretome.com/food-drink The Irish Times Food and Drink Club Indian food shops www.ingredients.ie www.eurasia.ie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Australian chefs making Nashville hot chicken to Alison Roman putting coconut milk in her stew, cultural appropriation is a hot-button topic right now in the food world. What exactly is cultural appropriation? How has it shaped our culinary landscape? What does it mean when we talk about white privilege and its relationship to cultural appropriation? While we can’t begin to pretend to have the answers to this extremely thorny issue, we touch upon some writers and chefs who are tackling it in their work (like the restaurant critic Soleil Ho), some famous appropriators in food history (both good and bad); and also discuss how we can educate ourselves about responsible appropriation in the future. Referenced in this episode: Soleil Ho, “Craving the Other” Osyai Endolyn, “Fried Chicken is the Common Ground” Michael Twitty, The Cooking Gene Plus Racist Sandwich is one of our favorite podcasts on gender, race, appropriation, food and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone loves a food feud. In the wake of the recent Alison Roman-Chrissy Teigen dustup, we take a look at some of our favorite culinary squabbles, which range from delightfully entertaining to downright nasty. Also we salute some of our dearest food provocateurs, the late, great Anthony Bourdain among them. Why are food fights so tantalizing to us? What role, if any, do they play in shaping the food’s future? Amidst all the dishing, there is room for thoughtful conversation about how food fights make us think about appropriation, honesty, plagiarism, and race.   Correction: In the podcast, Mei states that a restauranteur filed a lawsuit against a reviewer before she published her article entitled, “The Peacock, the Critic, and the Blind Pussy.” He did not; he wrote a solicitor’s letter. Also Alison Roman is 34, and not 31. Mentioned in this episode: Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent (2017 documentary) Grimod de La Reyniere (food critic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Balthazar_Laurent_Grimod_de_La_Reyni%C3%A8re Martha v. Gwyneth: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/martha-stewart-gwyneth-paltrow_n_5966142 Alison v. Chrissy: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/11/chrissy-teigen-alison-roman-food-fight The Blind Pussy and other Irish and English dust-ups: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/aug/20/foodanddrink.features6 Achatz vs Muñoz (Alinea vs. Diverxo) https://elcomidista.elpais.com/elcomidista/2014/11/17/articulo/1416204000_141620.html  Adría vs. Santamaría (El Bulli vs. Can Fabes) https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/world/europe/01spain.html  Martinez Moutiño vs Diego Granado (16th-17th century Spanish cookbook authors) The Oxford Companion to Food (2006). Alan Davidson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest this week is Manuela Spinelli, whose recent Irish Times article celebrating carbonara went viral. Spinelli is the secretary general of Euro-Toques Ireland, and is also beloved by many in this country as the former translator of football coach Giovanni “Trap” Trappatoni. Listen to us dish about the Italian food in Ireland, a narrative that ranges from fish and chips, over-the-top Celtic Tiger restaurants like the Unicorn and current spots like Grano. Spinelli has lived in Dublin since 1993, so she brings a personal spin to this tale. What was it like back when you couldn’t buy pasta at Tesco? What is authentic Italian food, and is it even possible in Ireland? What it is like to be an (unofficial) Italian-born ambassador to Irish food and culture? Plus, sports fan Blanca will quiz Spinelli on what Trap ate and “Mushroom Gate”. For more about Manuela Spinelli: www.euro-toques.ie Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network Mentioned in this episode: Ragazzi Restaurant, 109 Coliemore Rd, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, A96 RX57. (01) 284 7280 Il Ristorante -- Luca Fantin,  2 Chome-7-12 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan +81 3-6362-0555 Grano. Unit 5, Norseman Court, Manor St, Stoneybatter, Dublin, D07 XD89. (01) 538 2003 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While everyone's become a pioneer wife, turning to the cookbooks that teach pantry cooking and parsimony, in this episode we celebrate the ridiculous, the aspirational, the esoteric, and the gloriously dated. From the entertaining menus of fabulous interior designer Lee Bailey (no, we would not be invited to any of his soirées) to the sourdough loaves baked in outdoor ovens by the Basque shepherds of Idaho, Blanca unloads the best of these, along with some hilarious stories, from her time at London's judgiest cookshop, Books for Cooks. Tune into us to hear about some cookbooks that you will not be turning to in times of need-- unless you crave a green jelly avocado ring in your life. Learn more about Books for Cooks on: https://www.booksforcooks.com/ Some of our favourite ridiculous books: Lee Bailey, Lee Bailey’s City Food Mary Berry, The Colour Book of Freezer Cookery Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart's Appetizers   Gordon Ramsay, Passion for Seafood   Sandra Lee, Semi-Homemade Cocktail Time Chan Chen Hei, Dim Sum Roberto Marin, Secrets of Patagonian Barbecue Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about Ireland's contribution to the world of crisps. For many Irish, the cheese and onion Tayto crisp is the equivalent of Proust's madeleine. As outsiders, Julia, Blanca, and Mei have observed the Tayto phenomenon with fascination.  This episode was recorded March 5, so while we rubbed our hands with Purell, we were still three friends and a baby, sitting around the table sharing a bag of crisps. SpiceBags explores why the Tayto crisp (created by a man called “Spud” Murphy) is an important culinary pioneer, not only in Ireland, but also to the world. We also touch upon American and Spanish potato crisps, like Cape Cod, Pringles, and Bonilla a la Vista, the artisan Galician crisp whose popularity soared after being featured in the Korean Oscar-winning film Parasite. After all, this is a snack that we globally share.   Warning: this episode contains moments of audible crunching. Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcoming Lunar New Year the K-Way with Gunmoo Kim & Soonie Delap   South Korea is a country that is a pioneer of pop music, cinema, television, fashion, and cuisine. In this episode, we talk to Gunmoo Kim and Soonie Delap as they reminisce about the Korean Lunar New Year.   Our guests are from different generations and backgrounds. Gunmoo came to Ireland in 2010, founded Jaru, a food enterprise that meshes modern Korean cooking with Irish produce, and is opening his first restaurant, Space Jaru on Meath Street. Soonie, a retired social worker, arrived with her Irish husband in the 1980s, and has been for decades at the forefront of promoting Korean culture. She is now the principal of the Korean language Hangeul School in Dublin.   Gunmoo is from Daijeon, a modern, science-forward industrial city. Soonie is from Gyeongju, which was Korean’s capital until the 10th century, and remains steeped in history as a mecca of Confucian practice.   Expect conversation about New Year ancestor worship and why red (a lucky New Year color for many countries) is eschewed in Korean culture. What is Confucianism and its role in Korean Lunar New Year rituals? What is the rice-cake dduk and its significance? Why do some Koreans have pizza on the ancestral table?   Also listen to Spice Bags co-host Mei, who is the 2023 cultural ambassador for Dublin Lunar New Year, chat about Zodiac signs and her favourite Lunar New Year events, which encapsulate both historically erudite and youthfully cool.   새해 복 많이 받으세요! Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!   Mentioned in this episode:   Dublin Lunar New Year and events www.dublinlunarnewyear.ie   About Gunmoo Kim www.jaru.ie https://www.koreadailyus.com/30-year-old-entrepreneur-brings-the-taste-of-kimchi-to-dublin/   About Soonie Delap and the Hangeul School www.hsdublin.org https://www.independent.ie/life/how-a-house-build-ended-up-unearthing-five-12th-century-bodies-36857404.html   https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/a-flavour-of-lunar-new-year-in-every-sichuan-household-there-will-be-a-whole-steamed-fish-40047417.html   Nation of Broth https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21443848/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we interview Dublin-based restaurateur, former Irish Times food columnist, and cookbook writer Domini Kemp. “Forty percent of Irish people were eating out twice or three times a week,” says Kemp. Obviously this is no longer the case. But even back in January 2020, before this country felt the impact of Covid-19, Kemp had foretold Irish restaurant closures. We talk to Kemp about how she is handling these times. As the owner of a food business empire that survived the 2008 crash, she’s anxious. However, as a food author who has long championed creative, healthy home cooking, she’s excited that the Irish are in the kitchen once more. What does Kemp predict for Irish restaurants’ future? How can we, as restaurant diners, help when the dust has settled? Plus, Kemp offers sanity tips for cooking while housebound and homeschooling, and explains why salt, butter, and anchovies are key.   For more about Domini Kemp:   www.itsa.ie; theketogenickitchen.com Instagram: @dominikemp Twitter: @dominikemp Cookbooks mentioned: Alison Roman, Nothing Fancy https://www.alisoneroman.com/nothing-fancy Rozanne Gold, Radically Simple and Cooking 1-2-3 http://www.rozannegold.com/radically-simple Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk to Irish chef JP McMahon, author of the ambitious, artfully-produced 500-recipe doorstopper The Irish Cookbook, just out from Phaidon. McMahon’s book tries to transport the reader and home chef not just through Ireland’s recent history but to its prehistory, invoking Bronze-Age people sprinkling dulse on their smoked oysters like it’s a Michelin-starred tasting menu. But how do mesolithic fantasies square with kitchen realities? And does this nostalgia for the ur-Irish leave room for the contributions of centuries of foreigners? Warning: this episode may inspire you to light a turf fire in your flat; better to live the fantasy through our chat with McMahon and his culture-changing book. Follow the show on Instagram @spicebagspod Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. Check out all the episodes and more at HeadStuff here  Follow JP here: Twitter: @mistereatgalway Instagram: @mistereatgalway The Irish Cookbook  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With many of the Chinese restaurants in Dublin’s unofficial “Chinatown” on Parnell Street shuttered, we‘re talking Chinese. In this episode, our guest is chef Kwanghi Chan, creator of Chan Chan Spice Bag seasoning and the chef and owner of the modern Chinese restaurant Bowls by Kwanghi. Chan provides a personal perspective to our conversation: Born in Hong Kong, he came to Donegal when he was eight years old, to the small town of Buncrana, and lived with his uncle who ran a Chinese restaurant. We talk about what it was like being the only Chinese kid in town, how he rediscovered his own Chinese heritage, the history of Chinese food in Ireland and what its future holds as local palates and attitudes evolve. How did you run a Chinese restaurant when you got rice and soy sauce from England once a month? Why are there separate menus for the Irish and Chinese? And, most burningly, what the heck is up with the Spice Bag? Follow the show on Instagram @spicebagspod Spice Bags is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network. Check out all the episodes and more at HeadStuff here  For more on Kwanghi check out: www.bowls.ie Twitter: @bowlsD1 Instagram: @bowls_by_kwanghi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quick preview of what's to come on Spice Bags: Ireland's relationship with international food and spicy interviews with people from Irish international communities and beyond. With co-hosts Mei Chin, Blanca Valencia & Dee Laffan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices