Napoleon once commented that if the Earth were a single state, Istanbul (nee Constantinople) would be its capital. The general clearly knew his geography: Istanbul is the meeting point of Europe and Asia to the East and West, the Black Sea and the...
Jun 11
How 10 Whalers Survived Three Years Shipwrecked in the South Pacific
In 1832, a New Bedford whaleship called the Mentor struck a reef in the remote Pacific archipelago of Palau. The tiny, 100-foot-long ship began sinking immediately, and the 22 men who made up its crew were thrown into one of the most extraordinary survival ordeals in American mar ... Show More
54m 19s
Jun 9
The Nobels Built Russia’s Oil Industry, Invented Dynamite and the Oil Tanker, But Were Still Crushed by the Bolshevik Revolution
The Nobel family (which are the namesake of the Nobel prize), had a rags-to-riches story bigger than the Rockefellers or Morgans. The Nobel patriarch Emanuel fled debtor’s prison in 1837. He then travelled east and built a foundation for the largest oil empire in Russian history. ... Show More
44m 38s
Jun 4
The American Revolution Went Way Outside of America, Pulling in Caribbean Colonies, African Forts, and Chinese Trading Houses
The thirteen colonies that became the United States were just half of the British colonies that existed in the 18th century. The empire stretched from New England, south to Georgia and Florida and the islands of the West Indies, east to India, Scotland, and Ireland, and south aga ... Show More
52m 33s
Mar 2024
What the Mesopotamian Kitchen Passed On to Modern-Day Iraqi Food Traditions | Nawal Nasrallah
To kick off the new season of Matbakh, we sat down with iconic and award-winning food historian, researcher and educator Nawal Nasrallah. We travel back in time to Medieval Iraq and talk about inherited food traditions, social histories, and 10th century understandings of cuisine ... Show More
1h 3m
Nov 2022
Sami Zubaida | Ethnicity of Arab Food
Sami Zubaida talked about culinary cultures of the Middle East, drinks and social boundaries, and the history of his chosen single dish: Koshari.Sami Zubaida is Emeritus Professor of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck, University of London and has held visiting positions in Cairo ... Show More
54m 46s
Aug 2021
Soner Çaǧaptay, "A Sultan in Autumn: Erdogan Faces Turkey's Uncontainable Forces" (I. B. Tauris, 2021)
A Sultan in Autumn: Erdogan Faces Turkey's Uncontainable Forces (I. B. Tauris, 2021) is a primer for anybody who wants to understand modern Turkish politics and its central player Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who, for better or worse, has shaped Turkish politics and society for the last ... Show More
52m 35s
Aug 2022
Celeriac Shawarma & Other Lebanese Roots at Noma, Copenhagen | Tarek Alameddine
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Tarek Alameddine about his experiences in the culinary field between Copenhagen, Egypt, and Lebanon. Tarek believes that Levantine flavors and seasonal produce should be celebrated in the fine dining scene. In the process of creating dishes and ... Show More
27m 58s
Feb 2024
Rebuilding Turkey’s food culture
In February 2023, two earthquakes devastated parts of Turkey. The disaster claimed the lives of nearly 60,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria. In this programme Victoria Craig travels to the city of Antakya, part of Hatay Province, close to the border with Syria. It’ ... Show More
27m 7s
Apr 2023
The Palestinian Home Cooking Community | Haya Bishouty
Haya Bishouty talks about her techniques in recreating traditional Palestinian food through Haya's Kitchen. She speaks about her favorite dishes and desserts such as Christmas Kaak, Rummaniyeh, Shush Barak Bel Laban and more.Haya Bishouty is the founder of Haya's Kitchen, a suppe ... Show More
57m 15s
