Food

Paul Sinha looks through all of human history and examines how we came to be where we are.

He starts with something every day, something we all know to be true; he then reveals the quirks of history and the fascinating stories that led up to this point.

This time it's food. Paul’s starting point is his own high street in south London.

What historical events gave his hometown its name? But more than that - how did it end up being culinarily dominated by Chinese and Indian restaurants?

The story starts in 1600 and takes in trade, invasion, opium, a bloody civil war that left 30,000,000 people dead, giant greenhouses and the cultivation of saffron.

Written and performed by Paul Sinha.

Producer: Ed Morrish.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.