S2E1 - In New Orleans, What Counts As Food These Days?

About this episode

The episode explores the evolution of America's food system through the lens of New Orleans' rich culinary traditions.

To kick off Season 2 of the Philanthropist’s Conversation, our hosts Jay and Garth take us to New Orleans, a city shaped by migration, music, and some of the richest food traditions in the United States. So yes, our journey starts with a rich gumbo and freshly made beignets, but it also uncovers a harder truth: America’s food system has drifted far from the ancestral wisdom that once shaped its kitchens. In this episode, Jay, Garth, and their lead guests explore the roots of that drift: What happened to everyday cooking in America? How did ultra-processed foods become the norm? Why is eating well so difficult today? And what can we learn from a city that sits in the roots of its cultural upheaval, yet still cooks to keep the memory alive? Through supermarket aisles, street corners, and the very heart of a New Orleans kitchen, we break through the amnesia created by convenience and industrialisation. Along the way, we get to know this season’s cast too. Jay will connect the dots between culture, and identity; our astute journalist Mateo will unpack the deeper social history behind American eating habits; Garth, the food system expert, will break down how food chains work today…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jay, Garth

Guests: Mateo, Rohan, Zane

Topics covered

• food traditions
• American food system
• cultural identity
• cooking habits
• processed foods
• New Orleans cuisine

Keywords

• New Orleans
• food system
• cooking
• cultural traditions
• processed foods
• Creole cuisine
• Cajun cuisine

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: gumbo, beignets

Places: New Orleans

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• S2E2 - Tipping the balance back, in Hanoi, Vietnam. · March 4, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Welcome to Season 2: Culture, Resilience, and the Food that Sustains Us · December 10, 2025 · 4 min
• S1E4 - The Heat of Now: Designing the Future of Urban Heat, in Abu Dhabi · June 3, 2025 · 1h 8m
• S1E3 - Follow the Money: Heat as an Economic Opportunity in New York City · February 26, 2025 · 49 min
• S1E2 - The Heat of the Action: A Lesson on Political Engagement in Paris · November 27, 2024 · 40 min