Listen "Burnt"
Episode Synopsis
From the golden crust on a perfectly-baked loaf, to a crispy, crunchy potato chip - do you ever wonder why food that's been browned or charred, can smell, taste and look so good? It's one of cooking's most important flavour secrets. But it's now at the centre of a battle between health campaigners and the European food industry. The BBC’s Mike Johnson follows the story of browned and burnt food from an unexpected discovery in Paris 100 years ago to a state-of-the-art food testing laboratory in the UK, picking up some tips at a London cookery school along the way.(Picture: Unhappy burnt toast Credit: Thinkstock)
More episodes of the podcast The Food Chain
Family ties
25/12/2025
What is the ultimate hangover cure?
18/12/2025
Food heroes and villains
11/12/2025
How to eat well in the cold
04/12/2025
To tip or not to tip?
27/11/2025
Food by drones?
13/11/2025
Turmeric: The golden spice
06/11/2025
The chefs
30/10/2025
The coffee habit: Why do we love it so much?
22/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.