The Star Ingredient

Insects: The food of the future?

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 marry well with the ground crickets and cheese that form the sablé base. 

For classically trained chef Laurent, cooking more respectfully and more intelligently refers to the challenge of feeding a projected global population of 9 billion people by 2050, without harming the environment. And to Laurent, insects are the food of the future.

In this final episode of The Star Ingredient, we’re getting to grips with all things edible insects: How do you cook with them? What are the environmental benefits? And will Europeans ever make the leap and accept them on their dinner plates?

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Aisling Ní Chúláin, Alice Carnevali Marta Rodríguez Martínez and Naira Davlashyan. 

With original reporting by Alice Carnevali and Aisling Ní Chúláin.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consultant editor: Catalina May. 

Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. 

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Ethiopia: Reviving teff's ancient roots through modern farming

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 is the issue of biopiracy, a topic we delve into in this episode.

In Ethiopia, we meet Yonas Alemu to  discover his business Love Grass. Put on your headphones to discover how the company wants to modernize teff production and restore the grain to its origins. 

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Naira Davlashyan, Aisling Ní Chúláin and Marta Rodriguez Martinez, in Lyon, France. 

Our assistant producer is Alice Carnevali. 

Original reporting by Suad Ahmed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Consulting editor: Catalina May

Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. 

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Sound design is by Naira Davlashyan, sound mixing is by Hugo Pouillard.

Production coordinator:Louise Lehec 

Editor-in-chief : Patrick Heery. 

Cowpea, a truly Senegalese ingredient for decolonizing street food

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 Rodríguez Martínez, Aisling Ní Chúláin, and Alice Carnevali

With original reporting by Marta Moreiras. 

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Creating Sitopia: a city built around food

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 concept of Sitopia, a perfect place built around food, and Chloё is a farmer who is creating it. 

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Naira Davlashyan, Marta Rodríguez Martínez, and Aisling Ní Chúláin. 

Assistant producer: Alice Carnevali

With original reporting by Naira Davlashyan. 

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Sound design by Naira Davlashyan.

The sound mixing is by Matthieu Ducheine.

Consultant editor: Catalina May. 

Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. 

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Soumbala, a Burkinabé flavour powerhouse

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 Ingredient, where we’re travelling to Burkina Faso to meet a devoted champion of Burkinabé traditional cuisine, Franceline Tranagda. 

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Naira Davlashyan and Aisling Ní Chúláin. 

With original reporting by Sasha Gankin and Aisling Ní Chúláin.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consultant editor: Catalina May. 

Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. 

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Lesotho: This Chef is saving Basotho cuisine from disappearing

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 by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Naira Davlashyan and Aisling Ní Chúláin. 

With original reporting by Pascalinah Kabi and Naira Davlashyan.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consultant editor: Catalina May. 

Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. 

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

How financial speculation creates hunger in low-income countries

“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 and the financialisation of our food system can determine where our food comes from and how much we pay for it, it’s the poorest countries that end up counting the cost. 

Award winning filmmaker and journalist, Stefano Liberti has spent much of his career grappling with these challenges and is our guest for this special episode of The Star Ingredient.

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Aisling Ní Chúláin, Marta Rodríguez Martínez and Naira Davlashyan. 

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consulting editor: Catalina May. Solution journalism consultant: Michèle Foin.

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Special thanks to the Slow Food movement and Terra Madre festival for its contribution to this episode.

Acorn, a buffer in times of crisis

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 as La Cuoca Selvatica – the Wild Cook – to explore how foraging can play its part in a more resilient food chain.

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Naira Davlashyan and Aisling Ní Chúláin. 

With original reporting by Marta Rodríguez Martínez.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consultant editor: Catalina May. Solutions journalism consultant: Michèle Foin. Subeditor: Lindsey Johnstone.

Production co-ordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Sorghum, a forgotten ancestral grain from Burundi

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, Aisling Ní Chúláin, Marta Rodríguez Martínez. 

With original reporting by Clarisse Shaka.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consulting editor: Catalina May. Solution journalism consultant: Michèle Foin.

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Edie Mukiibi: Can agroecology feed the world?

“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 founder, Carlo Petrini, who formed the group in the 1980s in response to the proliferation of mass-produced food.

Edie, who is in his early 30s, represents a new generation of energetic thinkers in the food system. In this episode, Edie will recount the path his life has taken - from growing up on a humble farm in rural Uganda to leading a global food justice movement active in 160 countries.

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Aisling Ní Chúláin, Marta Rodríguez Martínez and Naira Davlashyan. 

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consulting editor: Catalina May. Solution journalism consultant: Michèle Foin.

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Special thanks to the Slow Food movement and Terra Madre festival for its contribution to this episode.

Bambara Groundnut, an African 'hero crop'

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 Salako. 

Written and produced by Aisling Ní Chúláin, Marta Rodríguez Martínez and Naira Davlashyan. 

With original reporting by Samuel Okocha.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consulting editor: Catalina May. Solution journalism consultant: Michèle Foin.

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Thanks to WoodScope Limited in Lagos for giving us a place to cook.

and to the Culinary Arts Practitioners Association of Nigeria, who support and promote the work of Nigerian Chefs.

Fonio, the ancient African quinoa

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 make the world fall in love with this “miracle grain".

Hosted by Tokunbo Salako. 

Written and produced by Marta Rodríguez Martínez, Naira Davlashyan and Aisling Ní Chúláin. 

With original reporting by Selly Thiam.

The theme music is by Andy Robini. 

Consulting editor: Catalina May. Solution journalism consultant: Michèle Foin.

Production coordinator: Louise Lehec. Editor-in-chief: Patrick Heery. 

Euronews presents - The Star Ingredient

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.