The Star Ingredient

In his compact Parisian restaurant, Chef Laurent Veyet adds the finishing touches to one of his signature dishes. He has prepared a shortbread sablé upon which sits some apple-flavoured hummus, carrots roasted in honey and tomatoes baked with thyme.  To this, Chef Laurent adds the pièce de résistance: A few dehydrated mealworms and some whole crickets for crunch and flavour that will also mar...

Teff is the star ingredient of Ethiopian cuisine and it’s essential for the  delicious chechebsca, a traditional breakfast dish in the country. This small grain can withstand harsh climate conditions and is mostly produced in the Horn of Africa. However, political and economic instability in Ethiopia has limited the country’s ability to benefit from its production. Aggravating the situation i...

Cowpea or niébé is an essential ingredient in Senegalese street food. Branded as ‘food for the poor’ by the colonists, the cowpea has long been neglected by African countries. But chef Fati Niang is determined to give niébé a comeback as a popular legume used to flavour fancy finger food recipes like accras .  Hosted by Tokunbo Salako.  Written and produced by Naira Davlashyan, Marta Rod...

In modern cities, we rarely know the full story of our food: where it comes from, how it is produced, and how it can affect our environment. In this episode of The Star Ingredient, we travelled to London to meet two women, Carolyn Steel and Chloё Dunnett, who are working to enhance food security by bringing food production to the core of our urban centres. Carolyn is an architect who came up with...

The first thing that hits you is the smell. The pea-sized néré pods from the néré tree or African Locust Bean as it’s known in English, may be small but they pack a powerful punch.  And once transformed into mouth watering soumbala, they’re a crucial addition to a host of traditional meals eaten all across West Africa. We’ll be hearing all about soumbala and more in this episode of the Star I...

Seen as food for the poor, traditional Basotho dishes aren't as popular in Lesotho as their Italian or American counterparts. As a result, the country's own food culture is fast disappearing.  In this episode, we meet chef Ska Moteane, the first chef to have published a cookbook dedicated to Basotho cuisine and who is committed to bringing traditional flavours back to the table.  Hosted...

“In the last 25 years, food has become a commodity. food is produced all across the world and the value of food is not related to the way of production, but to different factors that are external to the food production.”  It seems a logical premise: Produce enough food for the global population and no nation should fall victim to a succession of food crises. But in a world where globalisation...

Acorns are thought of as food for pigs or squirrels in most cultures. However, it is a highly nutritious, and delicious, ingredient which nature makes available to us at zero cost – like many other wild foods. And knowing how to cook them can help us through times of scarcity. In this episode,  we take a detour to Europe to trek through the forests of Italy with chef Eleonora Matarrese, known...

In this episode, we travel to the remote Burundian village of Ruhagarika to meet Jeanne Cimpaye, a woman who discovered sorghum in a refugee camp and used this forgotten grain to survive as she escaped a civil war. Jeanne will also share her recipe of the traditional Burundian beers ikiyama and impeke.   Hosted by Tokunbo Salako.    Written and produced by Naira Davlashyan, Ais...

“Many people think African agriculture, the traditional systems, are backward or primitive, but these are the systems which are feeding people in Africa”. These are the words of Edie Mukiibi, a farmer, agronomist and activist from Uganda and our guest for the third episode of The Star Ingredient podcast. He has  also recently taken over the reins of the global Slow Food Movement from its foun...

Bambara Groundnut is something of a superstar amongst relegated African crops. Known as a ‘complete food’, it’s versatile, hardy in marginal soils and highly resistant to adverse climate conditions.    In this episode, we’re travelling to Nigeria to meet two women determined to put this overlooked bean on top of the menu, at home in Nigeria and around the world.   Hosted by Tokunbo...

Fonio is Africa's oldest cultivated grain. It matures quickly in one of the poorest and driest soils on the planet. It is also gluten-free and extremely nutritious. So why doesn't it ring a bell, why has it fallen into oblivion?   In this episode, award-winning Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam shares two of his favourite fonio recipes with us and tells us why he has made it his life's mission to...

Our new documentary podcast series will take you on a culinary journey across Africa where we’ll meet communities and local chefs on a mission to revive the continent’s indigenous crops - all while sharing delicious new recipes and flavours. Subscribe to The Star Ingredient on your favourite podcast app or find it on euronews.com or africanews.com from October 28. Ce podcast en français: La surpri...