Climate Cuisine

Malabar spinach is a leafy green in the tropics that grows all year round, and its vibrant purple seeds can even be used for hair dye. In this episode, we’ll talk with a Texan woman who dyed her daughter’s hair purple with the seeds, a plant researcher in Washington D.C. describing it is a great alternative food source, and a rooftop gardener in Taipei using it as a spinach substitute. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:07: Meet Stephanie Fredrickson Min 2:14: Intro to malabar spinach Min 3:59: Experiments with the berries Min 6:47: Meet Mamatha Hanumappa Min 8:09: Why grow malabar spinach? Min 11:09: Ways to cook malabar spinach Min 13:04: The health benefits Min 15:11: Meet Kate Nicholson Min 17:17: Other similar perennials Min 18:56: Reevaluating the definition of sustainability Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world; some varieties can grow up to three feet daily. Considered invasive in some parts of the United States, it is embraced in Latin America and Asia for its use in architecture, fashion and food. In this episode, we’ll chat with Hans Friederich, the former director of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization; Momoko Nakamura, a food educator and storyteller in Japan; Kevindra Soemantri, a food journalist in Indonesia; and Hui Ting Tsai, a bamboo weaver in Taiwan. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:17: Meet Hans Friedrich Min 2:27 The enormous potential of bamboo Min 6:17: Growing bamboo in Europe Min 7:38: Meet Hui Ting Tsai Min 7:45: Weaving and eating bamboo in Taiwan Min 9:30: Meet Momoko Nakamura Min 10:10: Bamboo used in dining and cooking in Japan Min 13:25: Diminishing craft Min 16:01: Meet Kevindra Soemantri Min 16:24: Ways people use bamboo in Indonesia Min 19:17: Different perspectives on bamboo Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Hans Friederich (@gozohans), Hui Ting Tsai (@bamboo_says_2020), Momoko Nakamura (@_momoko_nakamura_), Kevindra Soemantri (@kevindrasoemantri)

One of the staple pulses in Indian cuisine, the pigeon pea is much more than just a tasty ingredient in daal. It doubles as a natural fertilizer and can take nitrogen from the air and fix it into the soil. In this episode, we’ll talk with Aeles, an indigenous chef in Taiwan, about the ways her tribe cooks the pea; Vikram Doctor, a food journalist in India on how it’s used in Indian cuisine; and Koreen Brennan, a permaculture instructor based in Florida, on why it’s such a great plant to have in tropical gardens. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:00: Meet Aeles Min 2:07: What is pigeon pea? Min 3:22: How Aeles and the Taromak cook pigeon pea Min 6:21: Meet Vikram Doctor Min 6:39: Why split legumes? Min 8:04: The fundamentality of pigeon pea to Indian cooking Min 11:51: Legumes as nitrogen fixers Min 16:17: Increasing substitution of pigeon peas with yellow peas Min 19:34: How climate change will affect legume consumption Min 22:14: Meet Koreen Brennan Min 23:04: How a permaculturist grows pigeon pea Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Aeles, Vikram Doctor (@vikram.doctor), Koreen Brennan Want to hear the entire episode of Spirit Plate? You can listen to Shiloh Maples here.

The breadfruit tree can live up to 100 years and produce more than 2,000 pounds of fruit each season. It’s been a staple in the tropics for generations and can be made into chips, waffles, and porridge. This episode will dive into how it’s eaten in Puerto Rico and Hawai’i. Plus, a bit about its dark history in the slave trade. We’re talking about Mike McLaughlin from the Trees That Feed Foundation, Mike Opgenorth from the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawai’i, Juliane Braun, who wrote a paper about breadfruit’s role as an 18th-century superfood, and Von Diaz, a cookbook author and esteemed food writer. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:31: Meet Von Diaz Min 1:43: What is breadfruit and why is it important in the tropics? Min 2:56: Meet Mike McLaughlin Min 5:13: Agroforests Min 8:04: Challenges of planting breadfruit trees that last Min 10:47: Meet Mike Opgenorth Min 11:42: Breadfruit across the Pacific Min 15:53: Ways to cook breadfruit Min 17:57: Surprising nutritive qualities Min 20:35: Meet Juliane Braun Min 21:06: Breadfruit’s dark past in the Caribbean Min 24:15: Human adaptability to food Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Mike McLaughlin (@treesthatfeed), Mike Opgenorth (@ntbg), Von Diaz (@cocinacriolla), Juliane Braun

Meet culantro—cilantro’s tropical counterpart. It tastes like a more pungent cilantro, and in the right conditions, it grows all year round. This episode touches on how limited our repetoire of herbs are and the possiblities that come when we expand our selection beyond what's just avaliable at the grocery store. We’ll talk to food blogger Reina Gascon-Lopez on how culantro is used in Puerto Rican cuisine and award-winning cookbook author Andrea Nguyen on how she uses it in Vietnamese cooking. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:45: Annual plants and their tropical counterparts Min 3:19: Meet Reina Gascon-Lopez Min 4:17: What is culantro? Min 6:11: How Reina cooks with cilantro Min 7:42: Culantro in the US Min 8:46: The downside to culantro Min 9:45: Meet Andrea Nguyen Min 11:37: Three sources of cilantro notes in Vietnamese cooking Min 12:42: How colonization and globalization affect our palates Min 17:24: Expanding the way you think of herbs Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Reina Gascon-Lopez (@thesofritoproject), Andrea Nguyen (@andreanguyen88)

There are more than 1,000 different types of bananas in the world. So why do we only have one type of banana in the grocery store? This episode is an exploration into the rich diversity of bananas and plantains — and why North American grocery stores only sell one type. We talk with biologist Rob Dunn, who wrote a book about this topic, Von Diaz, an esteemed food writer and cookbook author, Meenakshi J., a freelance journalist who wrote an article about sacred bananas, Vidya Balachander, the South Asia editor at Whetstone, and Vanessa Mota, a food blogger behind My Dominican Kitchen, for more. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:43: Meet Von Diaz Min 1:53: Differences between bananas and plantains Min 4:29: Meet Rob Dunn Min 8:03: Story of the Cavendish banana Min 13:28: Meet Meenakshi J. Min 14:16: Bananas as divine offerings Min 15:40: Meet Vanessa Mota Min 16:55: Dominican mangú Min 18:30: Meet Vidya Balachander Min 20:04: Cooking and eating with banana leaves Min 24:26: Changing the food system Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Rob Dunn, Meenakshi J. (@polkajunction), Von Diaz (@cocinacriolla), Vidya Balachander (@vidya83)

Cactus isn't just a pretty backdrop in Western movies. It can be used for food, fashion, and biofuel. In fact, some varieties of cacti use 80% less water than traditional crops. We talk with John Cushman, Adrián López Velarde, and Fadi Kattan and explore how it's a crop of the future, how it's been eaten for generations in Mexico, and how it's also a symbol of resistance in Palestine. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:36: Meet Fadi Kattan Min 3:39: The symbolic resilience of cactus in Palestine Min 7:27: How Fadi cooks with prickly pear Min 11:53: Meet Alan Bergo Min 12:25: What is a barrel cactus and what can you cook with it? Min 14:22: Meet John Cushman Min 17:03: Cactus’ potential as a source for feed and biofuel Min 20:14: Meet Adrián López Velarde Min 20:45: Origins and spread of cactus Min 23:20: Farming cactus sustainably Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Fadi Kattan (@fadi.f.kattan), John Cushman, Alan Bergo (@foragerchef), Adrián López Velarde (@desserto.pelle)

Taro is the basis of many Polynesian creation stories and one of the world's oldest food crops. In fact, it is so important that the Polynesians carried it with them on their boats as they migrated across the Pacific Ocean. Every part of the tuber can be eaten, from the leaves to the tuber, and back in the day a healthy taro patch meant a clean and vibrant waterway. This episode dives into the reason taro is such a staple crop, a bit about all the varieties, and why you cannot eat it raw. We chat with Arthur Wierzchos, chef Lance Seeto, and Ryan Nebeker from FoodPrint for more. Topics covered in this episode: Min 1:02: Taro’s role in the creation story of Hawai’i Min 3:30: Meet Arthur Wierzchos Min 4:33: Why you should never eat taro raw Min 9:18: Meet Lance Seeto Min 11:15: Different ways of cooking the entire taro plant in the Pacific Islands Min 13:17: Challenges to taro cultivation over time Min 17:11: Meet Ryan Nebeker Min 17:48: The importance of FoodPrint Min 20:55: Ways to cultivate taro Min 21:28: Why taro can be important in the face of challenges posed by climate change Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Arthur Wierzchos, Lance Seeto (@lanceseeto), Ryan Nebeker (@foodprintorg)

Around the world, farmers are increasingly planting cassava rather than other crops to mitigate the effects of drought. Due to cassava’s drought-resistant qualities and ability to survive defoliation, it's an ideal crop for communities impacted by climate change and food insecurity. In today’s episode of Climate Cuisine, we’re discussing how cassava has been feeding people throughout South America, Africa, and Asia. It is one of the most resilient starches out there and can be processed into bread, couscous, and even boba. We’re speaking with Pierre Thiam and Andrea Castillo to learn more about this incredible crop. Topics covered in this episode: Min 1:26: An intro to Climate Cuisine Min 2:14: What is cassava? Min 2:44: Meet Tammy Turner Min 3:59: Figuring out one’s natural ecology Min 5:53: What happens when you don’t eat in accordance with your climate Min 9:36: Meet Andrea K. Castillo Min 11:02: The surprising toxin in cassava Min 11:39: Steps to make Belizean cassava bread Min 15:38: Meet Pierre Thiam Min 17:12: Ways cassava is used in West African cuisine Min 19:44: How Pierre decolonizes his cuisine Min 21:54: The ills of monoculture cassava farms Min 24:45: Increasing interest in African food cultures Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Climate Cuisine at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Tammy Turner, Pierre Thiam (@chefpierrethiam), Andrea K. Castillo (@andreakcastillo)

Check out the trailer for #ClimateCuisine hosted by Taipei-based journalist Clarissa Wei. Launching this Wed, Dec 8!