Ingredipedia

Ingredipedia

Want to feast on funny food facts and fables? Or slurp up strange and spicy stories from supermarkets and society? Bite into Australia’s funnest food podcast, Ingredipedia. Each episode, competitive hosts Emily Naismith (Broadsheet, frankie magazine) and Ben Birchall (3RRR FM’s Breakfasters, Smith Journal) try to serve the most interesting stories about a specific ingredient (say, Tim Tams or chillies) in a bid for your affection. You get to vote for who was the most interesting on Instagram! It’s fun! It’s lighthearted! It’s largely unhinged! It’s the McDonald’s Happy Meal of the podcast world (but back when you actually got a Cheeseburger and a toy inside). Join us on social media for more weird and snacky food pursuits Instagram: @ingredipedia TikTok: @ingredipedia Credits Music: Jarrad Brown of Eagle and the Worm Artwork design: Jess Ramsey Photography: Phoebe Powell

Episodes

November 16, 2025 15 mins

Is Violet Crumble the most prolific brand in the supermarket? It just may be. This week we investigate how a once-niche Australian chocolate bar quietly took over every supermarket aisle – from ice-cream toppings to muesli bars to protein powder (wtf). We taste-test the elusive peanut-butter Violet Crumble, question its cultural status, and ask the big question: why is it suddenly everywher...

Mark as Played

Ever wondered why asparagus makes your wee smell weird? Or what women were serving at fancy bridge parties in the 1920s? This episode covers both. We revisit the golden age of tinned asparagus (in two forms) and uncover why this diva of the vegetable world demands your respect.

[00:52] Vintage dinner party recipe
[6:05] The mysteries of asparagus wee
[10:13] Why asparagus is a diva
[13:56] Cream of asparagus soup

Fo...

Mark as Played

Ever wanted to make a Thai style Bunnings sausage? Or pimp your tinned sardines Thai-style? Since winning Masterchef, Nat Thaipun has worked with Jamie Oliver and some of the world’s best restaurants and now she has a (seriously beautiful) cook book Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere. 

In this interview, Emily and Ben find out the stories behind the dishes in her new cookbook (like the “trifle situation”) and lear...

Mark as Played

If you hate frozen veg, you might just need to know the heavy hitters and also how to make the greatest green sauce slash dip slash do-it-all condiment with a bag of frozen <redacted>. We don’t want to give away the secrets without you hearing our elaborate back stories! Where’s the fun in that?!

[1.15] Depressing or delicious?
[7.55] Best thing to make with frozen veg

Follow us on Instagram (@ingredipedia) and...

Mark as Played

Are the new Red Rock Deli x Andy Cooks Chef Series chips worth investing in? How about the new pistachio gelato tub from Connoisseur? We will taste them and let you know. And then, of course… we dip the chips in the ice-cream because we have free will!!! Sweet and salty and unhinged!

[0:40] Connoisseur Pistachio gelato
[2.56] New Red Rock Deli flavour
[7.01] CHIPS DIPPED IN PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

Follow us on Insta...

Mark as Played

This episode contains 112% of your recommended daily protein intake. If you’re into obscene retro recipes, there’s a “salad” in here that’ll haunt you for years — but, if you can believe it, there are also some genuinely delicious ones. We get to the bottom of why cottage cheese is suddenly impossible to find (and why it went viral), and discuss the U.S. president who paired it with our favourite...

Mark as Played

Another SNACK ROAD TEST where we put our mouths on the line by taste testing new snacks and then share our deep thoughts and feelings. 

Today we're starting in the popcorn aisle, then getting freaky with gummies. Strap in. Got any snacks you want us to try? Drop us a challenge on Instagram or even email ingredipedia@gmail.com

Thanks pals! 

[0:46] Pickle popcorn

[4:30] Mango gummies

Follow us on Instagram (@ingredipedia) a...

Mark as Played

Is shiitake powder the ultimate MSG hit? What does it have to do with the spice trade and 16th century ketchup? And does it pull as well as pork? We also “invent” the stir-dry. It’s going to catch on, believe us.

[1:49] Powdered

[9:00] Ketchup

[14:11] Pulled

[19:05] Stir Dry

Follow us on Instagram (@ingredipedia) and TikTok (@ingredipedia) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursuits.

See omnystudio.com/lis...

Mark as Played
September 21, 2025 19 mins

We can’t believe it either, but Ingredipedia is 10 years old this month. To celebrate, we reaching back to two of our most cursed (and viral) fails. Liverwust Pineapple that didn’t make it out of the fridge, and Maple Butter that wouldn’t butter. Turns out failure is in our DNA.

[3:40] Liverwurst Pineapple[9:44] Maple Butter

Follow us on Instagram (

Mark as Played

They’re an Australian icon, but what the hell do they have to do with the greatest New Zealand biscuit of all time? Plus, find out which international superstar eats five Gaytimes a day when they visit.

[1.20] Golden Gaytime biscuits (and other collabs)
[9.18] International stardom

Follow us on Instagram (@ingredipedia) and TikTok (@ingredipedia) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursuits.

See omnystudio.co...

Mark as Played

Are you missing out on the greatest form of French toast in the world?! How about the simplest sandwich you've absolutely never tried?! We also talk Frasier, cheap toasters and the baffling way the Melbourne Football Club's Christian Petracca eats Vegemite toast. 

[1.41] The greatest French toast
[7.21] Christian Petracca toast
[11.19] Toast sweat
[17.19] Toast sandwich?!

Follow us on Instagram (
@ingredi...

Mark as Played

We’re trying a lil something new! NEW SNACK ROAD TEST! We’ll put our mouths on the line by taste testing these new snacks and then share our deep thoughts and feelings. Today we’ve got a cavalcade of Twirl varieties and some disturbingly pink Twisties. Strap in. 

Do you want us to try more new snacks like this? Or stick to strictly the Civil War and ungodly snack combinations? Tell us what you think on Instag...

Mark as Played

WHAT’S THE POINT OF PARSLEY? We start off asking the big questions and end up with parsley stuck in our teeth. There’s an investigation into supermarket garlic bread and Ben fires up about the merits of three different types of parsley.

[1.25] What's the point? 
[6.57] Why it gets stuck in your teeth
[12.42] Garlic bread investigation
[18.58] Curly vs flatleaf vs dried

Follow us on Instagram ...

Mark as Played

Are they delicious crispy spread canvases? Or boring stale cardboard? Either way you slice it, we find out which Australian state government has serious rice cake hate and give you two ways to crisp up stale rice cakes.

[1.31] Government ban
[7.33] How to revive a stale rice cake

Follow us on Instagram (
@ingredipedia) and TikTok (@ingredipedia) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursuits.

See omnystudio.com/li...

Mark as Played

From a fast-food sticky date pudding you’ve probably never heard of, to a “healthy” Snickers dupe, and even a butter-filled date that tastes like cookie dough – we’re uncovering the sweetest (and strangest) sides of this exotically-coded fruit. Plus, Ben’s deep dive into a famous breakfast buffet sauce! 

[1.10] Sticky date pudding
[7.59] Mysteries of HP sauce
[16.39] Can fruit replace ...

Mark as Played

Is Korea’s Pepero a copycat, a contender or just a chunkier-coated cousin? Plus, we share our all-time favourite limited edition Pocky flavours (heart-shaped sticks! real cheese!) and the truly wild varieties we wish we could try. From pumpkin to chilli crab, fortune-telling to Star Wars collabs, this episode is a stick-shaped biscuit lover’s dream.

[1.39] Limited edition faves
[8.07] Pocky vs Pepero

Fo...

Mark as Played

Could a humble green fruit really help you sleep better? And more controversially… does it belong on a margherita?

This week, we investigate the kiwi fruit: its surprising sleep science and its unexpected cameo on pizza. We also explore the fruit’s fuzzy history: where it came from and why it’s called “kiwi” (spoiler: it’s not originally from New Zealand). Also, hot sauce (obviously).

[1.13] Oh ...

Mark as Played

We crack open Australia’s most questionably marketed soft drink and slam it down. Ben investigates the myth of the original ‘Solo Man’ and the sweaty, hyper-masculine world he paddled in from. Meanwhile, Em attempts a taste test to see if she can tell the difference between regular Solo and its boozy rebrand, Hard Rated. Is it still the “thirst crusher”? Or just a Cruiser in disguise?

[0.57] The...

Mark as Played

Hard shell tacos: iconic or imposter? Em investigates the surprisingly complicated history of crunchy tacos. Meanwhile, Ben makes a tortilla filled with Doritos and gummy bears (yes, really) and shares his deep love for his favourite kitchen gadget which tbh, is pretty impressive. Also, we explain how tortillas have saved lives (well, at least one).

[0.53] How hard shell tacos happened
[9.46] Ben's favourite gadget
[16...

Mark as Played

We’re diving deep into the murky chocolate waters of Freddo Frog history — from lost flavours of the ’90s to chocolate frog-inspired emotional trauma.

Em brings back a colourful, much-loved Freddo (kind of), while Ben shares why he used to be called “Freddo Frog” at school and a wild story that links biosecurity and cane toads to the humble Freddo.

We mentioned Eamon Donnelly's incredible book The Milk...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Ruthie's Table 4

    For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.