蜜芽传媒

Today's mixtape is all about humble ingredients made special by the people who lavish them with love.

Usha Prabakaran is India's 'Queen of pickles'. She learnt the art of pickle-making from her in-laws, a family from the Komiti Chettiar community known as the Arya Vysyas and famed in India for their culinary skills. After demand from friends and family grew for her creations, she began hunting down and compiling over 5000 pickle recipes, some of them closely-guarded secrets. But just as she released her first cookbook, Usha was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and became a recluse. Unbeknown to her the book became a global hit - drawing in foodie fans desperate to try her recipes. After her recovery years later, Usha would gain new fame and status with her jars of joy.

Slobodan Simi膰 is a former Serbian parliamentarian turned donkey farmer. He runs a nature reserve which produces a rare delicacy - Balkan donkey cheese. Priced at over $1,000 per kilogram, this cheese is possibly the most expensive in the world. This interview was first broadcast in 2019.

Gerald Stratford is a British gardening enthusiast whose photos and videos of his produce have earned him the nickname 鈥榯he undisputed king of giant veg'. This interview was first broadcast in 2021.

Dave Benscoter is a former FBI investigator now known as the 'apple detective.' He's taken it upon himself to find lost varieties of American apples, inspired by his father's love of the fruit. This interview was first broadcast in 2018.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Tommy Dixon

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)