We’re excited to share with you the launch of fork the empire, your new go-to podcast about fresh and spicy musings on food!
The "fork" doesn't just convey the sheer joy of eating, it also means challenging the status quo. The "empire(s)" we’re referring to range anywhere from the historical empires that have shaped global cuisines to corporate food culture, as well as the trends, traditions, and power structures that uphold them. From street food to fine dining, we aim to unpack the stories behind the plates.
We’re your co-hosts, Kiran and Puninda - both of Indian background. Kiran is from Australia, and Puninda from Canada, and we're currently based in London, UK. We realized how much we enjoy talking about food. So, we decided to subject all of you to our reflections.
Reach out at forktheempire@gmail.com (or to Kiran/Puninda personally) with your thoughts! Share the link to the pod with anyone who might appreciate it, and thanks for listening!
Music credits:
Eps 1-5: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Eps 6 onwards: soderbhan
DISCLAIMER: We do not own the rights to the audio clips interspersed between segments throughout the show. All rights belong to the owner. No copyright infringement is intended.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Shownotes:
Listen to episode playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/214qDxANhXiiKrhCbJxa9Y?si=LUuwCeisQhmrWu2rfGtqEg
Poutine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine
Poutinie - Tooting, London: https://www.poutinie.com/
Gerry’s Hot Subs - London: https://www.gerryshotsubs.com/
Smoke’s Poutinerie - Canada: https://smokespoutinerie.com/menu/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
28 Apr 2026
Keeping up with Samosa Chaat in Tooting
Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6weckGCzpNySvyArKgUq1W?si=Z0OLv1V7RemmvwH-eHJiTQ
Achaar: https://www.sourcedjourneys.com/post/the-art-craft-and-gendered-labour-of-achaar
Raw mango pickle: https://rakskitchen.net/vadu-mango-pickle-recipe-maavadu-pickle/
Lime leaf pickle: https://www.archanaskitchen.com/recipe/vepilakatti-lime-leaves-pickle-recipe
Dhamaka Bites: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EPiwBhek75H6Q2fy6
Dosa 'n' Chutney: https://maps.app.goo.gl/L6BwRJR6tePMJbBZ7
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
2 Apr 2026
The world has a coke addiction
Episode 15 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Ec8R7j696bkdImHHTWDz1?si=lXqPIqi4TY6VXWCia4ex0Q
Cocacolonization: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocacolonization
Coca Cola and plastic waste: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/27/coca-cola-plastic-waste-in-oceans-expected-to-reach-602m-kilograms-a-year-by-2030
Coca Cola and water shortage: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2025/1/8/forgotten-how-one-mexican-city-struggles-against-big-industry-for-water
What Coca-Cola’s logo reveals about the history of writing in America https://www.vox.com/2015/5/29/8685619/coca-colas-
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
20 Feb 2026
South Africa, Cacio e Pepe, Paneer
Andrew Garfield’s very wrong opinion: https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2024/10/andrew-garfield-ketchup-chips/
District 6 Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
https://www.districtsix.co.za/
Braai
https://thecommontable.eu/i-like-to-braai/
Bunny Chow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunny_chow
Lamb Burger from: https://www.mimosa.co.za/
Venison Tartare from: https://www.instagram.com/22churchstreet/?hl=en
Black pepper from Diaspora Spice Co for cacio e pepe: https://www.diasporaco.com/products/aranya-black-pepper?variant=42725162483883
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
20 Jan 2026
Back to the motherland
The hosts of "fork the empire" discuss their recent travels to India, highlighting culinary experiences and cultural sites.
4 Nov 2025
Coffee, the magical beverage
This episode explores the impact of climate change on coffee production, referencing articles from National Geographic and Conservation International.
20 Aug 2025
Leftovers for Breakfast!
Host Adai shares a recipe for "Leftovers for Breakfast!" offering a delicious way to repurpose meals.
8 Aug 2025
Breakfast of Comrades
Three friends discuss Toronto's new sandwich shop, Tutto Panino, and Edward Bernays' influence on breakfast choices in this interview episode.
3 Jun 2025
Dip-lomatic Relations
This episode of "fork the empire" likely explores the intersection of food, diplomacy, and potentially the Palestinian experience, referencing donation links and articles on food colonialism.
2 May 2025
The Falafel Spreadsheet
...with special guest Noi!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
8 Apr 2025
East West Fusion: Colonialism Gone Right?
Snippets for this episode come from this amazing interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY53YU-Uq8I&t=147s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY53YU-Uq8I&t=147s)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
24 Mar 2025
2Pac, Henry Kissinger, and Vada Pav
Shownotes:
Will Bowlby interview: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/five-minutes-with-krickets-head-chef-will-bowlby/
The trial of Henry Kissinger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial_of_Henry_Kissinger
Poutine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine
Vada Pav: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vada_pav
New intro music credits: soderbhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
14 Feb 2025
Kolonized via Kricket (again)
Interview with Will Bowlby: https://www.countryandtownhouse.com/food-and-drink/interview-will-bowlby/# (https://www.countryandtownhouse.com/food-and-drink/interview-will-bowlby/#)
KP mango: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Pride (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Pride)
Sambar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish))
Rasam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasam_(dish) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasam_(dish))
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
11 Jan 2025
Vegetarianism, and the Papadam Incident
Gandhi - a controversial vegetarian (https://www.npr.org/2019/10/02/766083651/gandhi-is-deeply-revered-but-his-attitudes-on-race-and-sex-are-under-scrutiny); more on his complex legacy (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/4/7/coming-to-terms-with-gandhis-complicated-legacy)
Bourdain in Punjab, India (https://explorepartsunknown.com/destination/punjab/)
Plant-based diets and climate change (https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/chapter-5/5-5-mitigation-options-challenges-and-opportunities/5-5-2-demand-side-mitigation-options/5-5-2-1-mitigation-potential-of-different-diets/figure-5-12/)
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 2013 22-day vegan challenge (https://www.thecut.com/2013/12/first-glimpse-of-beyonc-and-jays-vegan-life.html)
Book recommendation: The Vegetarian by Han Kang (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489025-the-vegetarian)
Sam Niell dances for red meat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNWB6Vq18xc)
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9 Dec 2024
Pro-Car, Pro-Europe, Propaganda: The Michelin Star System
Some controversies around Michelin Stars:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_Guide#Controversies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_Guide#Controversies)
Masala Zone:
https://www.masalazone.com/ (https://www.masalazone.com/)
What in the world is COP29 - UN Climate Conference:
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cop29 (https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cop29)
Global Call to Transform Food Systems:
https://shorturl.at/ZcMzE (https://shorturl.at/ZcMzE)
True Cost of Food Report:
https://openknowledge.fao.org/bitstreams/b1c41474-95de-44d3-97b6-a7321dc46cdd/download (https://openknowledge.fao.org/bitstreams/b1c41474-95de-44d3-97b6-a7321dc46cdd/download)
Meat And Dairy Products Mislabeled As Vegan And Vegetarian At COP29:
https://shorturl.at/mfw1B (https://shorturl.at/mfw1B)
https://shorturl.at/DBmFN (https://shorturl.at/DBmFN)
Gaggan Anand “bad boy of Indian haute cuisine” Interview:
https://www.thehindu.com/food/features/chef-gaggan-anand-wants-to-bring-equality-to-the-table-what-does-that-mean-for-fine-dining/article68681382.ece (https://www.thehindu.com/food/features/chef-gaggan-anand-wants-to-bring-equality-to-the-table-what-does-that-mean-for-fine-dining/article68681382.ece)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
11 Nov 2024
Don't vegetarians deserve the privilege of eating rice?
Show notes:
Jamie Oliver’s plantain dosa (https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables/jamie-s-special-dosa/)
Vatavaran’s menu: https://vatavaran.uk/menus/ (https://vatavaran.uk/menus/)
Jake Dryan is @plantfuture on Instagram
ENO (https://www.eno.co.in/) is a fruit salt for digestion, but is often used for idli (https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/rava-idli-recipe-quick-rava-idli/)
More on pav bhaji (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pav_bhaji)
More on bisi bele bath (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisi_Bele_Bath)
A pic of Amritsari chole kulcha (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amritsari_Kulcha_served_with_chhole.jpg)
The “vatavaran” Bollywood movie scene comes from a film called Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ae_Dil_Hai_Mushkil)
DISCLAIMER: We do not own the rights to the audio clips interspersed between segments throughout the show. All rights belong to the owner. No copyright infringement is intended.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
22 Oct 2024
Dishoom, Soho House, and the India-Pakistan partition
How people are learning to cook Indian food
We begin to explore food instagram influencer Jake (not Jack) Dryan (@plantfuture (https://www.instagram.com/plantfuture/?hl=en)) though we barely scratch the surface!
We also mention Harsha Bhogle's interview on the Grade Cricketer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY53YU-Uq8I), and Cyril (not Daniel) Radcliffe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Radcliffe,_1st_Viscount_Radcliffe), who drew the India-Pakistan partition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partition_of_India).
Dosas
Kiran is planning to host a dosa brunch, so we dig into how popular we think dosas are!
What are dosas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa_(food))? A type of savory crepe from South India, made mainly from a fermented batter of rice and lentils. Dosas are typically paired with chutneys (e.g. coconut and/or tomato) and a lentil soup/stew called sambar.
Soho House (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soho_House_(club)) is an elitist club in London.
"Your Indian friends [approve/disapprove] of..."
We give you our hottake on one of the most popular Indian restaurants in London, Dishoom (https://www.dishoom.com/).
Read Kitchen Confidential (https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/kitchen-confidential-insider-s-edition-anthony-bourdain/952473?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1NK4BhAwEiwAVUHPUOucsbgSZi6KreEQEJtnpmMNSzSR6Ha1jXCcIulWDk3fOaCJ29l3mRoCtnoQAvD_BwE) Puninda's red hot book recommendation
"Keeping up with Kiran in the kitchen"
Some insider tips to elevate your kitchen game, like Kendall Jenner’s expert cutting of cucumbers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmrZyz6TcQI).
This episode, Kiran gives you the 101 on bhel puri, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhel_puri) a form of chaat (Bombay street food).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
16 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 4 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
9
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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