Episode Description

Honey is one of the rare foods we eat that’s essentially a finished, shelf-stable product made by another species. Bees do the work, we take the credit.

Join me as we dive deep into the world of honey exploring its history, process, health benefits and more!

In this episode

• The oldest known evidence of humans harvesting honey
• Why bees make honey
• Who does what in the hive: queen, drones, workers
• How honey is made from nectar
• How honey is extracted from comb
• Why honey tastes different
• Raw vs “regular” honey, filtering and why crystallization is normal
• Manuka honey: what UMF means and why it’s so expensive
• Honey fraud: why it’s one of the most counterfeited foods and what tests are actually reliable
• Health evidence

Connect with Noha

• Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode

• Joint Research Centre, European Commission. (2023). Food fraud: How genuine is your honey?
• European Commission, EU Agri-Food Fraud Network. (2023). EU coordinated action “From the Hives” (Honey 2021–2022).
• European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). (2023). No money for fake honey – From investigation to legislation.
• Atlas Obscura. (2021). A 7,500-Year-Old Cave Painting of Humans Gathering Honey.
• Best Bees. (2022). Hive Hierarchy: Drone Bee, Worker Bee, and Queen Bee.
• Cochrane. Oduwole, O., et al. (2018). Honey for acute cough in children.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2026). Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit: Honey before 12 months.
• UMF Honey Association. (n.d.). UMF Certification Comparison.
• Tashkandi, H. (2021). Honey in wound healing: An updated review.
• Chrysostomou, D., et al. (2024). Medical-Grade Honey Is a Versatile Wound Care Product for the Elderly.

It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc.

This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional, or professional advice.

Episode Description

Kimchi is often treated like a trendy fermented side dish, but it started as a practical survival food and became a cultural cornerstone long before it hit Western grocery stores. In this episode, we go deep into kimchi’s historical roots, how it evolved over time, the science of fermentation, what “probiotics” actually means and what human research suggests about potential health effects.

In this episode

• What kimchi is
• The early history of kimchi and how it evolved over time
• The chili pepper timeline
• Traditional kimchi-making and storage methods vs modern refrigeration and commercial production
• Fermentation science
• Probiotics: what kimchi can be, and what that word actually requires
• What human studies and RCT reviews suggest about potential health effects
• The major types of kimchi

Connect with Noha

• Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode

• Surya, R., et al. (2023). Kimchi throughout millennia: a narrative review on the early history and evolution of kimchi.
• UNESCO Archives (2012). Kimjang, Making and Sharing Kimchi. UNESCO Intangible Heritage multimedia archive.
• Cho, J., Lee, D., Yang, C., Jeon, J., Kim, J., Han, H. (2006). Microbial population dynamics of kimchi, a fermented cabbage product.
• Lee, S.H., et al. (2015). Source tracking and succession of kimchi lactic acid bacteria during fermentation.
• Song, E., et al. (2023). Effects of kimchi on human health: a scoping review of randomized controlled trials.
• Lee, W., et al. (2024). Effects of kimchi consumption on body fat and intestinal microbiota in overweight and obese adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
• Cha, J., et al. (2024). Does kimchi deserve the status of a probiotic food?

Episode Description

Believe it or not, pizza didn’t start as a global “fast food.” It started as practical street food in Naples, then became a craft, then became a symbol and eventually became a mass-produced product category in a lot of places. In this episode, we explore the history behind pizza, a popular legend, cultural trends and everything in between.

In this episode

• The earliest known written mention of “pizza”
• Pizza in Naples during the 1700s–1800s
• The first pizzeria and what we know from historical records
• The Margherita story
• The UNESCO recognition of Neapolitan pizza-making as a cultural practice
• Pizza styles beyond Neapolitan (Italy + global styles)
• How pizza became industrialized
• Pizza meal prep

Connect with Noha

• Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode

• Mattozzi, Antonio. (2015). Inventing the Pizzeria: A History of Pizza Making in Naples.
• National Geographic. (2022). Pizza Margherita may be fit for a queen, but was it really named after one?
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. (2017). Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’.
• Bon Appétit. (2018). What Is the Difference Between a Calzone and a Stromboli?
• History Today. (2016). History of Pizza.

It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc.

This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional or professional advice.