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Michael Mosley and James Wong reveal the science of our food. James visits the Peruvian Andes to learn how a bitter potato helps inhabitants survive the altitude.

Michael Mosley and James Wong explore the sensations, tastes and flavours we enjoy in our food. From luscious strawberries that deceive us into thinking they are sweeter than they actually are, to the tastiest French sea salt combined with caramel that delights the tongue. Together they unpack the wonderful evolutionary story of our food and our sense of taste and smell.

Michael heads to Spain to search for some of the most powerful tastes on the planet, whilst James travels high in the Peruvian Andes to discover how a bitter potato - a cousin of the humble spud - has been tamed to help the inhabitants survive the extreme altitude. Using the latest imaging techniques to take us inside our food, right down to the molecular level, Michael and James offer us a whole new way of thinking about taste: far more than being just delicious, it's actually a matter of survival.

58 minutes

Last on

Wed 31 Jan 2024 14:15
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two

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We Are What We EatSeries 1

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Food on the BrainSeries 1

See all episodes from The Secrets of Your Food

Clips

See all clips from A Matter of Taste (2)

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:06

    Goodie Mob

    Invitation To The World Party

  • 00:38

    The Performers

    A Long Goodbye

Credits

Presenter Michael Mosley
Presenter James Wong
Series Producer Gideon Bradshaw
Producer Toby Macdonald
Director Toby MacDonald

Broadcasts

Learn more food secrets in an OU exclusive interview with James Wong

Watch on The Open University website.