Ingredipedia

Ben Birchall & Emily Naismith•www.ingredipedia.com.au

Want to feast on funny food facts and fables? Or slurp up strange and spicy stories from supermarkets and society? Bite into Australia’s funnest food podcast, Ingredipedia.

Each episode, competitive hosts Emily Naismith (Broadsheet, frankie magazine) and Ben Birchall (3RRR FM’s Breakfasters, Smith Journal) try to serve the most interesting stories about a specific ingredient (say, Tim Tams or chillies) in a bid for your affection. You get to vote for who was the most interesting on Instagram!

It’s fun! It’s lighthearted! It’s largely unhinged! It’s the McDonald’s Happy Meal of the podcast world (but back when you actually got a Cheeseburger and a toy inside).

Join us on social media for more weird and snacky food pursuits
Instagram: @ingredipedia
TikTok: @ingredipedia

Credits
Music: Jarrad Brown of Eagle and the Worm
Artwork design: Jess Ramsey
Photography: Phoebe Powell

Last refreshed: August 16th, 2025 at 7:10 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

🍆Eggplant: How Did It Become A Sex Symbol? McDonald’s Does Eggplant… Incorrectly 🙀

This episode is a little NSFW (as much as a food podcast can be, anyway). We delve into the wholesome origin story of the eggplant emoji and what led to the phallic meaning it has today. Should you salt your eggplant? (FYI, we’re talking about the vegetable now.) The best way to eat it. (Vegetable.) When you could briefly get it at McDonalds. (Vegetable.) This episode is a true landmine! 🙃 Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snac...

Nov 19, 2023•24 min•Ep. 86

🥞Pancake Parlour: Is It Actually Good? Or Very Much Not? [Debate]

It’s time to step inside the Ingredipedia courtroom where Ben and Emily present their cases for and against the Pancake Parlour. You’re either going to be lining up for an Alice In Wonderland (or god-forbid, the Mexican chicken crepes) minutes after listening or mentally igniting every sugar-laced pancake memory you had stored in the deep recesses of your brain after hearing about its unconfirmed links to Scientology. Lovely! Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) ...

Nov 12, 2023•24 min•Ep. 85

🦍YoGo: God-Tier Custard Tarts; Iconic ‘90s Gorilla Ads

Is YoGo yoghurt? Or is it some other delicious concoction? In this episode we get a lil creative and make a YoGo based treat that will send shockwaves through the nation with its deliciousness. We also deep dive into the iconic huge-budget ads from the ‘90s featuring Australia’s favourite TV gorilla. Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursuits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Nov 05, 2023•9 min•Ep. 84

🎃Pumpkin: Is It The Most ’90s Ingredient Ever? WTF Is Pumpkin Spice?

Do you remember pumpkin focaccias fondly or with disgust? Either way, there’s no denying pumpkin had an absolute griphold on us in the 1990s. We also look into what the hell ‘pumpkin spice’ is and try our own DIY pumpkin spice treat. There’s also a roasted pumpkin seed recipe featuring pickle brine, Japanese pumpkin art and XXL pumpkins. Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursuits. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Oct 30, 2023•35 min•Ep. 83

🥜Coca Cola: Why You Should Put Salted Peanuts in Coke; Ben’s Big Mistake 😬

Coke is one of the greatest drinks in the world – no argument. But there is a salty improvement you can make with the addition of peanuts (don’t worry we’ll explain). Also in this episode Ben makes a big mistake (in the eyes of Em, anyway) and we want to know if you agree he made a grave error of judgement. Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursuits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Oct 22, 2023•10 min•Ep. 82

Raspberry: What If They Work In Twisties? The Great Iced Vovo Conspiracy 😱

What happened to Iced Vovos? We have a story to tell and it’s not what you think! We try potentially the last bag of Raspberry Twisties left in the nation and a whole range of “blue raspberry” flavoured snacks to get to the bottom of what the hell it actually is. There’s also some nostalgic jelly cakes and a little hack to stop your raspberries growing mould the second you get them home. Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snacky ...

Oct 15, 2023•32 min•Ep. 81

🍝Jaclyn Crupi Makes Pasta By Hand and Owes It All To Her Nonna

Pasta pals, this is for you! (Especially if you want to find out the ultimate pasta shapes for any kind of dish.) We chat to proud Italian-Australian pasta maker and devotee Jaclyn Crupi about pasta dough, shapes and of course, what lurks in her freezer (and yes, it’s also pasta related). She’s just written an incredibly inspiring book called Pasta Love , which is a love letter to pasta and those who make it. This episode is part of our Ingredipedia Bites rapid-fire interview series (basically a...

Oct 08, 2023•18 min•Ep. 80

Olives: Should Olive Brine Replace Gatorade? Why Do Martinis Have Olives?

What the hell gave pimento the right to be featured in the olive emoji? Should you drink olive juice after a run instead of sports drinks? Who put olives in martinis anyway? So many olive questions in this salty little episode. We also talk about the best snack in the entire world (featuring anchovies, obviously) and find out which incredible country eats over 10 kilos of olives per person a year (it’s not who you probably think). Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingrediped...

Oct 01, 2023•21 min•Ep. 79

Meat Pies: The Best (And Strangest) Way To Eat Them You’ve Never Tried

It’s pie week (aka footy finals) so make sure your pie-eating game is at its peak by listening to us rank all the best and worst pie-eating methods, PLUS Ben shares a largely unhinged way to eat a meat pie, straight out of his childhood. We give it a go and, let’s just say the results are not as expected. So please, scald the roof of your mouth and bite into this meaty yet snack-sized episode (the last in our Icons of Australian Food series). Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok (...

Sep 24, 2023•13 min•Ep. 78

🥣Weet-Bix: Is It Ever OK To Eat Them Dry? And How They’re Religious.

We are divided on whether it’s ok to eat Weet-Bix sans milk – where do you stand? There’s a world record attempt, truckie food and some real exposés in the fourth episode in our Icons of Australian Food series. Em interrogates her childhood to get to the bottom of a religious Weet-Bix tinged memory and Ben goes deep on ad jingles and finds some truly scary stuff. Follow us on Instagram ( @ingredipedia ) and TikTok ( @ingredipedia ) to see visuals of our weird and snacky food pursuits. See omnyst...

Sep 17, 2023•24 min•Ep. 77

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