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Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives, making us see the world differently.

Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.

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Sideways: 41. A Small Bowl of Rocket

41. A Small Bowl of Rocket

BBC Radio 4 - Sideways, 41. A Small Bowl of Rocket

Matthew Syed sticks his fork into the world of food to think about how taste is formed.

Matthew Syed delves into the world of food to examine how our dislikes are formed, and how they change over the course of a lifetime, allowing us to find greater joy in food.

Lydia Harris has always struggled with food. For as long as she can remember, she has avoided fruit and vegetables - their texture simply disgusts her. But one day, that began to change, with a small bowl of rocket leaves.  

Eating is one of the greatest pleasures in life for many of us - but, at the same time, it's an arena fraught with choice and decision. No wonder that, as creatures of habit, many of us settle staunchly upon a shopping list of likes, and a mental bank of dislikes. 

But in this episode, Matthew Syed sticks his fork into the delicious world of food, reminding us that taste is malleable. With an appetite for curiosity, Matthew thinks about how we can find greater joy in our three daily meals. 

With thanks to food writer Ruby Tandoh, Carolyn Korsmeyer (Professor of Philosophy at Buffalo University, New York) and Charles Spence (Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford).


Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Nadia Mehdi
Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Sound Design and Mix: Naomi Clarke
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

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