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Walk through any supermarket, and you’ll see shelves full of highly processed foods. We’ve come to see this as normal. The UK government’s ban on advertising less healthy food and drinks may look like a big win for public health. It’s surely a step in the right direction, but we should not let it distract us from the bigger problem. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy shows what can happen when policies encourage companies to change their products. It has been linked to significant

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY ‘There is no such dish as 'curry' in India.’ That was what a friend from India told me. I could not understand what she meant. Until then, I had never questioned the idea that curry was India's national dish. A fish curry made by my friend from Tamil Nadu in southern India, using his mother's recipe. For Japanese people, curry is a home-cooked favourite, loved by both children and adults, alongside fried chicken and hambur

Every festival begins with an act of faith. Faith that ordinary life can be suspended. Neighbours will laugh together. Families will return to the same table. Strangers in a crowded square will feel less alone. Whether lanterns drift across Japanese waters, fireworks illuminate India's skies, or Italian families gather by the sea in the height of summer, festivals ask us to do one simple thing: stop. Gather. It is one of humanity’s oldest habits. We often think of festivals a

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY One day, I came across Yakult in an Italian supermarket. I stopped in my tracks. ‘They have Yakult in Italy?’ While studying the gut microbiome at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, I realised that the variety of probiotic drinks and functional yoghurts found in Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores is unusual internationally. A scene I took for granted in Japan seemed rather strange abroad. A classmate from T

The book catalogs one hundred herbs, It covers history and botanical origins. Entries offer tips for food and health. The text includes custom illustrations. It improves skills for modern cooks.

Modern life reduces herbs to a visual cliché. We see them as bright green flourishes rather than food. Herbarium reminds us this is a mistake. Herbs are not garnish, they are essential nutrition. We are missing the point. Their leaves are dense with vital compounds. Consider the parsley in the Algerian Slata Maadnous (parsley salad), where parsley is the main ingredient, tossed with tomatoes and a zesty vinaigrette. You consume a dense, raw concentration of Vitamin K, Vitamin

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY I recently visited the Netherlands for a university study trip. One memorable visit was to Koppert Cress, a Dutch company supported by many leading chefs, including those working in Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. They supply microgreens and edible flowers to professional kitchens. They do more than deliver ingredients; they also offer new ideas and cooking inspiration. Today, the company offers around 60 pr

The government’s new ‘Great British Summer Savings’ initiative cuts VAT from 20% to 5% on children’s meals. It makes eating out more accessible. But for MoM, it’s more than a subsidy for a cheaper meal. We live in an age of nutritional displacement. Corporate fast-food chains colonise our high streets. They serve food engineered for mass transit and shelf-life, not for seasonal nourishment. When we eat at these chains, we consume a product, not a meal. We end up participating

Italian Bakery Apprenticeship Series (3) LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY I baked a sourdough loaf using the starter shared by a local bakery in Bra. The next day, I returned to the bakery to ask what they thought of the result. That conversation unexpectedly led to an invitation. I spent several mornings learning alongside the bakers. This is the final instalment of my series. I want to share my observations and the quiet philosophies behind how Ital