The tomato was dismissed as poison for 200 years in Italy, though it’s now celebrated as a staple of its cuisine. Italian migration to Australia helped make the tomato a mainstream ingredient here. Learn about the people who grow it, preserve it or cook it — whether it’s Italian Australians bottling passata in their ‘second kitchen’ (garage) in Sydney, the Cambodian refugee family growing heirloom tomatoes on a former zoo, or the Indigenous café owner serving bush tomatoes on her menu.

This episode features Sharon Winsor, Ngemba Weilwan woman and founder of Indigiearth and Warakirri Dining; Dr Cecilia Leong-Salobir, food historian and author; Joseph Vargetto, chef and owner of Mister Bianco; and Leakkhena Ma, farmer at Goldenfield. The Looking for Alibrandi footage was generously provided by Robyn Kershaw Productions.

Image by Alana Dimou.

The tomato was dismissed as poison for 200 years in Italy, though it’s now celebrated as a staple of its cuisine. Italian migration to Australia helped make the tomato a mainstream ingredient here. Learn about the people who grow it, preserve it or cook it — whether it’s Italian Australians bottling passata in their ‘second kitchen’ (garage) in Sydney, the Cambodian refugee family growing heirloom tomatoes on a former zoo, or the Indigenous café owner serving bush tomatoes on her menu.
This episode features Sharon Winsor, Ngemba Weilwan woman and founder of <a href="https://indigiearth.com.au/">Indigiearth</a> and <a href="https://indigiearth.com.au/warakirri-dining-experience/">Warakirri Dining</a>; Dr Cecilia Leong-Salobir, food historian and <a href="https://www.cecilialeongsalobir.com/publications">author</a>; Joseph Vargetto, chef and owner of <a href="https://misterbianco.com.au/">Mister Bianco</a>; and Leakkhena Ma, farmer at <a href="https://yourfoodcollective.com/collections/vendors?q=Goldenfield">Goldenfield</a>. The Looking for Alibrandi footage was generously provided by Robyn Kershaw Productions.
Image by Alana Dimou.

The Culinary Archive Podcast is a series from the Powerhouse with food journalist Lee Tran Lam exploring Australia’s foodways: from First Nations food knowledge to new interpretations of museum collection objects, scientific innovation, migration, and the diversity of Australian food.

Contributing editor Lee Tran Lam is a freelance journalist who has worked with The Sydney Morning Herald, Gourmet Traveller, The Guardian, SBS Food, FBi, ABC, Australian Financial Review, Rolling Stone and Turkish Vogue. She hosts The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry podcast— which has been recommended by Bon Appétit, Broadsheet, Concrete Playground and chosen to be archived by the National Library; co-founded Diversity In Food Media Australia; and has edited the "New Voices On Food" book, showcasing emerging creators from under-represented communities and their food stories. She was named a Future Shaper by Time Out Sydney. 

The Culinary Archive Podcast is a series from the Powerhouse with food journalist Lee Tran Lam exploring Australia’s foodways: from First Nations food knowledge to new interpretations of museum collection objects, scientific innovation, migration, and the diversity of Australian food.
Contributing editor Lee Tran Lam is a freelance journalist who has worked with The Sydney Morning Herald, Gourmet Traveller, The Guardian, SBS Food, FBi, ABC, Australian Financial Review, Rolling Stone and Turkish Vogue. She hosts <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiUld6y-f_xAhXPAnIKHQYDAboQFjAAegQICBAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheunbearablelightnessofbeinghungry.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw1QpIti4MLtsU5ky-yKyAzu">The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry</a> podcast— which has been recommended by Bon Appétit, <a href="https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/entertainment/article/nine-food-focused-podcasts-fill-restaurant-shaped-hole-your-life">Broadsheet,</a> Concrete Playground and chosen to be archived by the National Library; co-founded <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diversityinfoodmedia.au">Diversity In Food Media Australia</a>; and has edited the "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjfx9fH-f_xAhUWA3IKHTGaBdcQFjARegQIDhAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foodcourtbooks.com%2Fshop%2Fp%2Fnew-voices-on-food-diversity-in-food-media&amp;usg=AOvVaw0GEJcwdR0ZLdO3pkyN1XfC">New Voices On Food</a>" book, showcasing emerging creators from under-represented communities and their food stories. She was named a <a href="https://www.timeout.com/sydney/things-to-do/time-outs-food-and-drink-future-shaper-lee-tran-lam">Future Shaper</a> by Time Out Sydney.

CULINARY ARCHIVE PODCAST

The Culinary Archive Podcast is a series with food journalist Lee Tran Lam exploring Australia’s foodways: from First Nations food knowledge to new interpretations of museum collection objects, scientific innovation, migration, and the diversity of Australian food.

Contributing editor Lee Tran Lam is a freelance journalist who has worked with The Sydney Morning Herald, Gourmet Traveller, The Guardian, SBS Food, FBi, ABC and Turkish Vogue. She hosts The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry podcast— which has been recommended by Bon Appétit, Broadsheet and Concrete Playground; co-founded Diversity In Food Media Australia; and edited the New Voices On Food book, showcasing emerging creators from under-represented communities and their food stories. She was named a Future Shaper by Time Out Sydney.  

Image by Alana Dimou. 

The Culinary Archive Podcast is a series with food journalist Lee Tran Lam exploring Australia’s foodways: from First Nations food knowledge to new interpretations of museum collection objects, scientific innovation, migration, and the diversity of Australian food.
Contributing editor Lee Tran Lam is a freelance journalist who has worked with The Sydney Morning Herald, Gourmet Traveller, The Guardian, SBS Food, FBi, ABC and Turkish Vogue. She hosts <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiUld6y-f_xAhXPAnIKHQYDAboQFjAAegQICBAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheunbearablelightnessofbeinghungry.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw1QpIti4MLtsU5ky-yKyAzu">The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry</a> podcast— which has been recommended by Bon Appétit, Broadsheet and Concrete Playground; co-founded <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diversityinfoodmedia.au">Diversity In Food Media Australia</a>; and edited the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjfx9fH-f_xAhUWA3IKHTGaBdcQFjARegQIDhAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foodcourtbooks.com%2Fshop%2Fp%2Fnew-voices-on-food-diversity-in-food-media&amp;usg=AOvVaw0GEJcwdR0ZLdO3pkyN1XfC">New Voices On Food </a>book, showcasing emerging creators from under-represented communities and their food stories. She was named a <a href="https://www.timeout.com/sydney/things-to-do/time-outs-food-and-drink-future-shaper-lee-tran-lam">Future Shaper</a> by Time Out Sydney.  
Image by Alana Dimou.

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