Original version

BBC World Service Online

The Food Chain

Factual: Food & Drink

Examining what it takes to put food on your plate

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service East Asia

The Food Chain: How a new cuisine is born

Magazines & Reviews

How a new cuisine is born

18/11/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - The Food Chain, How a new cuisine is born

The evolution of ‘Cape-Malay’ and ‘Viet-Cajun’ cuisines

The evolution of ‘Cape-Malay’ and ‘Viet-Cajun’ cuisines.

How is a new cuisine created? Ruth Alexander explores two unique cuisines in South Africa and the USA: ‘Cape-Malay’- a 300-year old tradition born out of colonialism and slavery that unites Indonesian and Dutch tastes; and ‘Viet-Cajun’ -  a more recent phenomenon that has seen the Vietnamese diaspora experimenting with Cajun flavours in Texas. We explore how history’s darkest episodes can lead to some of the most captivating flavour combinations and ask why some people will cringe at the term ‘fusion food’. 

(Picture: Pot lid being opened. Credit: Getty/BBC)

If you would like to get in touch with the show please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Contributors:

Cass Abrahams: Chef and Author, Cape Town, South Africa
Mai Pham: Food writer, Houston, USA

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Food Chain

How a new cuisine is born

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service