A pinch of salt

Arts & Ideas

BBC

Society & Culture

4.2 • 598 Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Free Thinking looks at today's world with "a pinch of salt" tonight. From stories in the bible to desalination plants, preserving food to salt taxes: how does salt help us think about the past and present? We use phrases like "being worth your salt" or "dropping salt" meaning to spread rumours. With food writer Bee Wilson, materials scientist Mark Miodownik, the novelist and writer on folklore Zoe Gilbert and artist David Soin Tappeser. Plus, especially salty guest Baga Chipz. Matthew Sweet hosts.

David Soin Tappeser, along with Himali Singh Soin, is one half of Hylozoic/Desires, whose exhibition Salt Cosmologies is at Somerset House in London until the 27th April.

Producer: Luke Mulhall

Transcript

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0:00.0	Can I just say?
0:01.5	You're about to listen to a BBC podcast.
0:04.0	It's such a wonderful listen.
0:05.6	So nice.
0:06.5	There are loads more like it on BBC sounds.
0:08.8	Different paces, different heights.
0:10.6	The roof is buckling.
0:11.9	Where you can also listen to live sports commentary.
0:14.2	It's right foot goes for goal.
0:16.7	And then enjoy even more podcasts full of analysis and reaction to the big stories.
0:21.6	The stat that is astonishing is they ended with the lowest amount of possession.
0:25.2	And she's had to live with that.
0:26.8	So if you love sport, a passion, it's almost like a religion.
0:29.7	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:31.7	Sort of expecting that every week now.
0:34.6	You're listening to the Arts and Ideas podcast with me, Matthew Sweet. There's a taste that goes with tonight's program, a taste of where we came from, a taste of what's within us. And it's so fundamental that I want to start tonight's rethinking by getting our studio guest to describe it without naming it, without saying the word that
0:56.9	will be on their lips. This will be difficult, but shall we give it a go? Guests, I need you to use
1:03.4	your tongues, to taste the taste and tell me about it. And as you give me the descriptors, I'll tell
1:09.3	the listeners who you are. Taste away, please, and give me the descriptors, I'll tell the listeners who you are.
1:11.1	Taste away, please.
1:12.2	And give me the words that go with this substance.
1:17.4	Estringent and overwhelming?
	...

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