Rye

In Edible Economics, Ha-Joon Chang is inspired by his passion for food to reflect on why economics matters - or, as he puts it, “a hungry economist explains the world”.

Over five episodes he zooms in on garlic, bananas, okra, rye and chocolate, using the histories behind familiar foods - where they come from, how they are cooked and consumed, what they mean to different cultures - to explore economic theories. Witty and thought-provoking, Professor Chang sets out to challenge ideas about the free-market economy which he believes have been too easily accepted for decades.

Today - rye.

Ha-Joon had never encountered rye in South Korea, but he was a lover of English detective stories, and coming to Britain he was determined to taste the food which inspired his favourite Agatha Christie detective story, “A Pocket Full of Rye”. Once tasted, he never looked back - soon he was snacking late-night on rye crispbread when burning the midnight oil as a graduate student. Exploring the history of rye, he discovers that it’s so important in Germany that it’s crucial to the creation in the late 19th century of the first welfare state in the world – by Otto von Bismarck.

“People in today’s rich countries owe their security – and prosperity – to a humble, hardy grain – rye.”

Professor Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at SOAS University of London, and is one of the world's leading economists. His books include Economics: The User's Guide, Bad Samaritans and 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism.

Reader Arthur Lee is a British actor of Korean descent who made his international debut on HBO Cinemax’s Strike Back in 2015 and who recently appeared in Doctor Who. Arthur grew up mostly in London, but also spent several years in South Korea advancing his knowledge of Korean language and culture.

Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4