Ben Birchall & Emily Naismith
Ingredipedia
Want to feast on funny food facts and fables? Or slurp up strange and spicy stories from supermarkets and society? Bite into Australia’s funnest food podcast, Ingredipedia. Each episode, competitive hosts Emily Naismith (Broadsheet, frankie magazine) and Ben Birchall (3RRR FM’s Breakfasters, Smith Journal) try to serve the most interesting stories about a specific ingredient (say, Tim Tams or chillies) in a bid for your affection. You get to vote for who was the most interesting on Instagram! It’s fun! It’s lighthearted! It’s largely unhinged! It’s the McDonald’s Happy Meal of the podcast worl...
Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.ingredipedia.com.au
Author
Ben Birchall & Emily Naismith
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Nov 1, 2026
Where to listen?
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Episodes
🍫Violet Crumble: Peanut butter to protein powder… why is it suddenly everywhere?👀 16.11.2025 15:07
Is Violet Crumble the most prolific brand in the supermarket? It just may be. This week we investigate how a once-niche Australian chocolate bar quietly took over every supermarket aisle – from ice-cream toppings to muesli bars to protein powder (wtf). We taste-test the elusive peanut-butter Violet Crumble, question its cultural status, and ask the big question: why is it suddenly everywhere...
🫢Asparagus: What it means if your wee smells & vintage appetizers🥂 09.11.2025 22:38
Ever wondered why asparagus makes your wee smell weird? Or what women were serving at fancy bridge parties in the 1920s? This episode covers both. We revisit the golden age of tinned asparagus (in two forms) and uncover why this diva of the vegetable world demands your respect. [00:52] Vintage dinner party recipe [6:05] The mysteries of asparagus wee [10:13] Why asparagus is a diva [13:56] Cream o...
❄️Nat Thaipun hosts freezer dinner parties and thinks bananas are overrated🍌 02.11.2025 23:30
Ever wanted to make a Thai style Bunnings sausage? Or pimp your tinned sardines Thai-style? Since winning Masterchef, Nat Thaipun has worked with Jamie Oliver and some of the world’s best restaurants and now she has a (seriously beautiful) cook book Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere. In this interview, Emily and Ben find out the stories behind the dishes in her new cookbook (like the &ldqu...
🌽Frozen Veg: Depressing or underrated hero? (feat. a life-changing green sauce)😻 26.10.2025 14:56
If you hate frozen veg, you might just need to know the heavy hitters and also how to make the greatest green sauce slash dip slash do-it-all condiment with a bag of frozen <redacted>. We don’t want to give away the secrets without you hearing our elaborate back stories! Where’s the fun in that?! [1.15] Depressing or delicious? [7.55] Best thing to make with frozen veg Follow us...
🐔Is Chargrilled Spiced Chicken the new Honey Soy Chicken? Is pistachio the new vanilla?🍦 [Road Test] 19.10.2025 9:25
Are the new Red Rock Deli x Andy Cooks Chef Series chips worth investing in? How about the new pistachio gelato tub from Connoisseur? We will taste them and let you know. And then, of course… we dip the chips in the ice-cream because we have free will!!! Sweet and salty and unhinged! [0:40] Connoisseur Pistachio gelato [2.56] New Red Rock Deli flavour [7.01] CHIPS DIPPED IN PISTACHIO ICE CR...
💪Cottage Cheese: From Fitness Girlie Snack to Cult Chocolate Bar🍫 12.10.2025 28:26
This episode contains 112% of your recommended daily protein intake. If you’re into obscene retro recipes, there’s a “salad” in here that’ll haunt you for years — but, if you can believe it, there are also some genuinely delicious ones. We get to the bottom of why cottage cheese is suddenly impossible to find (and why it went viral), and discuss the U.S. preside...
🥒 How does popcorn pickle? And what are these mango gummies all about? [Road Test] 🥭 05.10.2025 9:03
Another SNACK ROAD TEST where we put our mouths on the line by taste testing new snacks and then share our deep thoughts and feelings. Today we're starting in the popcorn aisle, then getting freaky with gummies. Strap in. Got any snacks you want us to try? Drop us a challenge on Instagram or even email ingredipedia@gmail.com Thanks pals! [0:46] Pickle popcorn [4:30] Mango gummies Follo...
🍄 Shiitake: Is this powdered Shiitake snack completely unhinged? And what is a Stir Dry? 🫓 28.09.2025 25:31
Is shiitake powder the ultimate MSG hit? What does it have to do with the spice trade and 16th century ketchup? And does it pull as well as pork? We also “invent” the stir-dry. It’s going to catch on, believe us. [1:49] Powdered [9:00] Ketchup [14:11] Pulled [19:05] Stir Dry Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snac...
🎂 Ten Years of Ingredipedia: Best Fails 21.09.2025 19:19
We can’t believe it either, but Ingredipedia is 10 years old this month. To celebrate, we reaching back to two of our most cursed (and viral) fails. Liverwust Pineapple that didn’t make it out of the fridge, and Maple Butter that wouldn’t butter. Turns out failure is in our DNA. [3:40] Liverwurst Pineapple [9:44] Maple Butter Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok (...
🍦Golden Gaytime: Ice-cream stardom and biscuit sleuthing🕵🏼♀️ 14.09.2025 13:30
They’re an Australian icon, but what the hell do they have to do with the greatest New Zealand biscuit of all time? Plus, find out which international superstar eats five Gaytimes a day when they visit. [1.20] Golden Gaytime biscuits (and other collabs) [9.18] International stardom Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snacky fo...
🍞Toast: Can sweat make it better? Plus, an AFL player shows us how to dunk it🏉 07.09.2025 22:43
Are you missing out on the greatest form of French toast in the world?! How about the simplest sandwich you've absolutely never tried?! We also talk Frasier, cheap toasters and the baffling way the Melbourne Football Club's Christian Petracca eats Vegemite toast. [1.41] The greatest French toast [7.21] Christian Petracca toast [11.19] Toast sweat [17.19] Toast sandwich?! Follow us on Instagr...
🍫Does anyone actually like Cadbury Twirl? Plus, Zooper Dooper Twisties [Road Test]🫣 31.08.2025 9:17
We’re trying a lil something new! NEW SNACK ROAD TEST! We’ll put our mouths on the line by taste testing these new snacks and then share our deep thoughts and feelings. Today we’ve got a cavalcade of Twirl varieties and some disturbingly pink Twisties . Strap in. Do you want us to try more new snacks like this? Or stick to strictly the Civil War and ungodly snack combinatio...
😠Parsley: Does the curly one deserve the hate? Garlic bread investigation🍞 24.08.2025 25:17
WHAT’S THE POINT OF PARSLEY? We start off asking the big questions and end up with parsley stuck in our teeth. There’s an investigation into supermarket garlic bread and Ben fires up about the merits of three different types of parsley. [1.25] What's the point? [6.57] Why it gets stuck in your teeth [12.42] Garlic bread investigation [18.58] Curly vs flatleaf vs dried Follow us o...
🚫Rice cakes: Why the government ban? How to revive a stale one🍚 17.08.2025 15:35
Are they delicious crispy spread canvases? Or boring stale cardboard? Either way you slice it, we find out which Australian state government has serious rice cake hate and give you two ways to crisp up stale rice cakes. [1.31] Government ban [7.33] How to revive a stale rice cake Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursu...
🍫Dates: Can fruit really replace a Snickers? The best sticky date pudding's unexpected location🚗 10.08.2025 24:51
From a fast-food sticky date pudding you’ve probably never heard of, to a “healthy” Snickers dupe, and even a butter-filled date that tastes like cookie dough – we’re uncovering the sweetest (and strangest) sides of this exotically-coded fruit. Plus, Ben’s deep dive into a famous breakfast buffet sauce! [1.10] Sticky date pudding [7.59] Mysteries of HP sau...
🇯🇵Pocky: Is Pepero coming for them? Plus, all the cutest limited editions 💕 03.08.2025 16:21
Is Korea’s Pepero a copycat, a contender or just a chunkier-coated cousin? Plus, we share our all-time favourite limited edition Pocky flavours (heart-shaped sticks! real cheese!) and the truly wild varieties we wish we could try. From pumpkin to chilli crab, fortune-telling to Star Wars collabs, this episode is a stick-shaped biscuit lover’s dream. [1.39] Limited edition faves [8.07]...
🥝 Kiwi: Nature’s sleeping pill… or pizza’s next big scandal?🫢 27.07.2025 24:40
Could a humble green fruit really help you sleep better? And more controversially… does it belong on a margherita? This week, we investigate the kiwi fruit: its surprising sleep science and its unexpected cameo on pizza. We also explore the fruit’s fuzzy history: where it came from and why it’s called “kiwi” (spoiler: it’s not originally from New Zealand). Also...
🍋Solo: Can you taste the masculinity? What about the alcohol?💪🏻 20.07.2025 11:28
We crack open Australia’s most questionably marketed soft drink and slam it down. Ben investigates the myth of the original ‘Solo Man’ and the sweaty, hyper-masculine world he paddled in from. Meanwhile, Em attempts a taste test to see if she can tell the difference between regular Solo and its boozy rebrand, Hard Rated. Is it still the “thirst crusher”? Or just a Cru...
🌮Tortillas: Are hard shell tacos actually tacos? (And did we just invent the gummy taco?)🌮 13.07.2025 23:33
Hard shell tacos: iconic or imposter? Em investigates the surprisingly complicated history of crunchy tacos. Meanwhile, Ben makes a tortilla filled with Doritos and gummy bears (yes, really) and shares his deep love for his favourite kitchen gadget which tbh, is pretty impressive. Also, we explain how tortillas have saved lives (well, at least one). [0.53] How hard shell tacos happened [9.46] Ben'...
🐸Which ‘90s Freddo did we bring back from the dead? Plus, Ben's childhood nickname trauma😖 06.07.2025 15:47
We’re diving deep into the murky chocolate waters of Freddo Frog history — from lost flavours of the ’90s to chocolate frog-inspired emotional trauma. Em brings back a colourful, much-loved Freddo (kind of), while Ben shares why he used to be called “Freddo Frog” at school and a wild story that links biosecurity and cane toads to the humble Freddo. We mentioned Eamon...
🫣Kangaroo is my main protein. Am I a monster? Would you eat a McRoo?🦘 29.06.2025 25:07
Em makes a shocking confession: a huuuuge portion of the red meat she eats is kangaroo and she feels weird about it. We unpack why eating Australia’s most iconic animal still feels taboo, even though it's iron-rich, sustainable, and weirdly delicious in tacos. Also in this episode: - Why there’s no McRoo on the Macca’s menu - A completely subjective ranking of supermarket kangaro...
🍫Mars Bar: Is Moro the ‘Temu’ version? Uncanny Mars Bar tweaks worldwide🤯 22.06.2025 12:54
Does the Mars Bar deserve it's status as one of the elite chocolate bars? Or have major developments in the Moro landscape have it quaking in its boots? Also, just what the f**k is a Mars Bar in other countries? Because it's not the one we're used to. [1.08] Is Moro finally coming for the Mars Bar? [6.10] Uncanny Mars Bar tweaks around the world Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredip...
🍓Matcha: Are strawberry matcha lattes over? Matcha vs coffee jitters😰 15.06.2025 22:18
Plus, can matcha give you a jitter-free caffeine boost (unlike coffee)? And we explore whether “ceremonial grade” is a con. And yes, we look into what’s next in the iced strawberry matcha latte world and also think about whether matcha can make ANYTHING better! [1.07] Is the strawberry matcha trend over? [7.30] Can matcha make everything better? [11.43] Matcha vs coffee jitters [...
🤨Milo: Has it finally gone too far? And why is it huge in Malaysia?🦖 08.06.2025 13:36
How do you drink your Milo? Everyone has their own personal rituals which we’ll explore, but we’ll also cover the incredible ways it’s enjoyed in Malaysia. And of course, we get a little ranty about all the wild Milo products on supermarket shelves. Crack the tin and inhale it with us! [1.28] Why is Milo big in Malaysia? [7.46] Has Milo gone too far? Follow us on Instagram ( @ing...
😖Seaweed: How the f*ck do you open an onigiri? Bento box salad secret!🤯 01.06.2025 21:09
Plus, we find the king of all chips – the one everyone else looks up to! And find a cool way to cook and eat seaweed you may not have come across. [1.09] How the f*ck do you open an onigiri? [5.50] Seaweed knots? [10.47] Uncovering the bento box seaweed secret [15.25] The king of all chips Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird...
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