Kenji Lopez-Alt: Mapo Tofu

When Kenji makes a late-night grilled cheese sandwich in his kitchen, with a Go-Pro camera strapped to his head, more than 10 million YouTubers tune in to watch. His recipe for scrambled eggs was the New York Times' most clicked on recipe in 2021 and every book he writes goes straight to the bestseller list, including his newest, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques. But his last meal goes back to his childhood, when he was more focused on being a scientist than a sous chef. The defining ingredient of Kenji's last meal is Sichuan peppercorn, a spice that numbs and tingles the tongue and is, frankly, not a peppercorn at all. Dr Stuart Farrimond joins the show to explain the science behind the Sichuan peppercorn and answers host Rachel Belle's questions about spice, such as: can you learn to like spicy foods or is a tolerance for heat genetic? But if there's one reason to listen, it's to learn Kenji's well-researched method of how to boil eggs with guaranteed easy-to-peel shells. Follow along on Instagram and please subscribe and review! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.