This Is TASTE

Sana Javeri Kadri is the founder of Diaspora Co., an equitable—and highly useful—spice company paying an average of six times the commodity price to 150 farm partners across India and Sri Lanka. On this episode Sana unpacks exactly how Diaspora Co. has expanded their scope and scale while remaining true to their mission, plus moving back to Mumbai and much more. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from youMORE FROM SANA JAVERI KADRI: In Los Angeles, an Indian Chinese Feast Celebrating Female Founders [New York Times] It’s 2023. Do You Know Where Your Spices Come From? [Afar]

Klancy Miller is the author of For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food, a fantastic new anthology pairing recipes and reflections that began as a magazine with the same name. Klancy is also a trained pastry chef, a recipe developer, and the author of Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking for Yourself. We’ve long admired Klancy’s work, and it’s a thrill to have her on the show to talk about creating the book she wished she had access to when coming up in the industry, her love of Paris, and much more.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from youMORE FROM KLANCY MILLER: A Juneteenth Menu from Chef Klancy Miller [Vogue] Klancy Miller's Favorite NYC Spots Run By Black Women [The Infatuation]

Kaitlin and Sarah Leung, creators of the food blog The Woks of Life, talk about their journey from cooking enthusiasts to professional bloggers. They discuss key elements of Chinese cooking, common mistakes when using a wok, turning vegetable scraps into stir fry, and the process of designing their cookbook. They also share their dream food project of exploring Chinese regional home cooking.

Dan Frommer, founder and editor in chief of the New Consumer, talks about 2023 consumer trends, big moves in consumer packaged goods and retail, and the future of the food industry. The hosts also discuss their cooking resolutions for 2024, food retail trends in Japan, the use of drug V for weight loss, the impact of TikTok Shop on shopping, challenges and successes in the CPG industry, favorite breakfast foods and desserts, and cooking resolutions for the new year.

Emily Sundberg has a knack for writing stories that get people talking. The freelance writer and mind behind the business newsletter Feed Me has an expert eye for trends in the food space and beyond, like the return of whole milk and the rise of the “shoppy shop”—you know, those cute, curated grocery stores that all seem to carry the same made-for-Instagram products. We wanted to have Emily back into the studio to talk about the year in food and drink retail—the products, the trends, and all the media that flows around them. We also talk about the future of Bon Appétit, and how food media is struggling to fight for your "time and your tabs." Emily is truly one of our favorite voices on the food internet (and really online as a whole), and we were excited to have her on the show. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt discuss the year in new (and kind-of-new) products and call out their favorites. These include Diaspora Co. pumpkin spice mix, Confusion Snacks popcorn, Cabi Foods dashi soy sauce, OLIPOP everything, Taiwanese soy paste, and Lexington Bakes brownies.        Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.MORE FROM EMILY SUNDBERG: Welcome to the Shoppy Shop [NY Mag] Ultimate New York Beauty Black Book [Feed Me] The Dinner Party Is Over [NY Mag] Ranked: the 42 Secret Puppet Masters of Food [The Supersonic] This Is TASTE 253: Ben Leventhal [TASTE]

Cake Zine is an independent print magazine exploring society through sweets, cofounded by Tanya Bush and TASTE contributing editor Aliza Abarbanel. Their fourth issue, Tough Cookie, presents a hearty batch of trials and triumphs, all in the context of cookies. On the show, Aliza and Tanya unpack how they made the issue, the many cultural connotations of cookies, and their latest trip to London. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt catch up about the trip to London and where Aliza ate and drank so well!MORE FROM CAKE ZINE: This Is TASTE 244: Cake Zine Fennel Fronds and Fine Lines: Food Tattoos Take Root Buy: Tough Cookie

A writer, editor, illustrator, cookbook author, children’s book author, and really fun guy to get to know, Joshua David Stein has got the goods, and we welcome him back into the studio. We catch up about all things cookbooks and food media, including his soon-to-be-published Korean cookbook, collaborating with Tom Colicchio, and his work on the wonderful Esquire Best New Restaurants list. It’s so great talking with JDS, and we hope you enjoy this conversation.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.MORE FROM JOSHUA DAVID STEIN: Three Days on a Boat with Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio [Esquire] The Best New Restaurants in America, 2023 [Esquire] How Lilia Chef Missy Robbins Is Reimagining the Restaurant Model [Fast Company]

Nasim Lahbichi is a recipe developer based in Brooklyn, where he’s built a big following creating videos that blend craveable recipes drawing from his Moroccan and Puerto Rican heritage with highly relatable dating escapades. His roots in interior design and New York City inform his work in exciting ways, and we’re excited to have him on the show today to talk about the future of food content creation. Also on the show Matt catches up with Kyle Newman, the co-author of a very cool and unique new cookbook, Heroes' Feast Flavors of the Multiverse: An Official D&D Cookbook. They talk about translating themes from the iconic game to real recipes, and how Kyle’s career in film has led to this path. We also talk about him directing several Taylor Swift videos, and what food was like on set. MORE FROM NASIM LAHBICHI: I’m a Food TikTok Star. Here’s What I Wish My Followers Knew. [Eater] Orange Blossom Snickerdoodles [Washington Post]

Erudite observer of food and culture trends, Jon Bonné, and celebrated wine writer, Alice Feiring, discuss the evolution of French wine, the mythic quality of Provence, and the future of wine. They also touch on the role of a managing editor at Rezi and the resurgence of salads as a popular dining option. The podcast covers various topics including writing motivations, childhood memories, and generational differences in the wine industry. They explore the chilling experience of visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau and delve into the joys and complexity of wine. The perception and popularity of natural wine, developing individual taste, and recent restaurant experiences in New York City are also discussed. Finally, the versatility of rabbit meat, the rise of home cocktail culture, and the mission of the publication 'Punch' are highlighted.

Kat Craddock, Editor and CEO of Saveur magazine, shares her plans for the future of the publication and her favorite stories. They discuss acquiring the legendary publication and the qualities of a good croissant. They also talk about the transition from being a restaurant chef to working in food editorial, the debate between grams vs spoons in pastry recipes, favorite desserts and breads, and their favorite stories and food media outlets.