Food and Wine
Sample our tasty coverage of local food and wine stories.
Next Meal: Engineering Food
Are the benefits of genetically engineered foods worth the risks? This half-hour QUEST Northern California special explores the pros and cons of genetically engineered crops, and what the future holds for research and regulations.
Video on May 07, 2013 by Gabriela Quirós from QUEST Northern California
Uncool Cherries
Climate change is contributing to reduced cherry yields in California. This video is part of the Heat and Harvest series, co-produced by KQED and the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Video on Sep 28, 2012 by Mark Schapiro from Center for Investigative Reporting
Dry and Salted
Salty groundwater is ruining almond crops in the Central Valley, and scientists expect sea level rise to worsen the problem. This video is part of the Heat and Harvest series, co-produced by KQED and the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Video on Sep 27, 2012 by Mark Schapiro from Center for Investigative Reporting
The Heat is On For California Wines
You’ve probably heard of the wines that made Napa and Sonoma famous, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. But what about Negroamaro or Nero d’Avola? They’re wine grapes that are well-adapted to hotter temperatures — the kind of conditions that California may be facing as the climate continues to warm.
Audio Report on Sep 04, 2012 by Lauren Sommer from QUEST Northern California
Try This at Home: The Chemistry of Fresh Cheese
You can make cheese at home with some milk and a little bit of chemistry. Here's how.
Post on May 16, 2012 by Melissae Fellet from QUEST Northern California
Coffee Flavor By the Numbers
Technology helps home coffee drinkers analyze and automate their morning brew so that everyone can brew the same artisanal cup of coffee each day.
Post on Apr 04, 2012 by Melissae Fellet from QUEST Northern California
Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee
The science of brewing coffee includes scales, thermometers and trained taste buds. And like any good experiment, it requires a bit of flair too.
Post on Mar 21, 2012 by Melissae Fellet from QUEST Northern California
Post on Mar 12, 2012 by Robin Marks from QUEST Northern California
Chocolate Tasting in the Name of Science!
Chocolate scientists study everything from the disease resistance of cacao trees to the health benefits of the finished product. But they shy away from one critical question: which chocolate tastes best?
Post on Feb 14, 2012 by Danna Staaf from QUEST Northern California
You Say Sweet Potato, I Say New World
As you fill your grocery cart with food for Thanksgiving, pause for a minute and think about where that food came from. I don’t mean is it local or organic or hormone/pesticide /gluten-free—I mean is it Old World or New World? On what continent did that food evolve?
Post on Nov 21, 2011 by Jennifer Skene from QUEST Northern California
Toast To The Dry Days At Cal Academy's Prohibition NightLife
Celebrate the prohibition era with a sneak preview of Ken Burns new documentary and wine tasting at Cal Academy's NightLife.
Post on Sep 21, 2011 by Andrea Kissack from QUEST Northern California
Michael Pollan Says Health Insurance Interests May Be Our Best Chance In Political Food Fight
With the passing of Obama’s Patient Protection Act and Affordable Care Act, insurance and government agencies can no longer neglect individuals with preventable, diet-related chronic diseases.
Post on Sep 16, 2011 by Darya Pino from QUEST Northern California
Science on the SPOT: Dark Matter: Inside the Compost Cycle
How does San Francisco’s 600 tons of compostable waste become a nutrient-rich material that improves the quality of our local wines? Agronomist Bob Shaffer, Northern California’s “compost guy,” takes QUEST into the composting process.
Video on Sep 06, 2011 by Kate Szrom from QUEST Northern California
Carlo Petrini, Slow Food Founder, Kicks Off New UCB Food Politics Class
Carlo Petrini's work has spawned an international movement aimed at overhauling global food systems that he says are unhealthy and way out of balance.
Post on Sep 01, 2011 by Andrea Kissack from QUEST Northern California
Science on the SPOT: Green Eggs By The Gram – Sustainable Caviar
Once an exotic product associated with royalty and overfishing, caviar is now being farmed sustainably right here in California.
Video on Jul 27, 2011 by Gabriela Quirós from QUEST Northern California
The Science & Art of Cheese
Cheese. It comes in more than 2,000 varieties — hard, soft, fresh and aged – and it's been with us for thousands of years. Take a journey to Cowgirl Creamery in West Marin to learn how artisan cheese is made and how scientists are putting cheese under the microscope to gain new insights about this incredible, edible food.
Video on May 18, 2011 by Sheraz Sadiq from QUEST Northern California
Web Extra: The Terroir of Cheese
Watch this QUEST web extra to learn how "terroir" – or the characteristics of a specific region such as its climate, soil and topography – indelibly influences the production of award-winning, artisan cheese.
Video on May 17, 2011 by Sheraz Sadiq from QUEST Northern California
Science on the SPOT: Secrets of Sourdough
What is true sourdough bread? It's more than just the tangy flavor. Science on the SPOT visits with Maria Marco of UC Davis and baker Eduardo Morrell to learn more about the secret science of sourdough.
Video on Mar 23, 2011 by Jenny Oh from QUEST Northern California
Producer's Notes: The Science Of Taste
I love producing QUEST stories because there's so much I learn in the process. Who knew that 95 percent of what we think is taste is actually smell?
Post on Apr 27, 2010 by Sarah Kass from QUEST Northern California
Power Up With Leftovers
Americans throw away a staggering 31 million tons of food each year. As those scraps decompose they create methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – that could be harnessed to light our homes one day. As Tara Siler reports, a wastewater treatment plant in the Bay Area is leading the way.
Audio Report on Jan 11, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
