TV Programme Transcripts

Module 12 Unit 1 Programme B

DOCUMENTARY

VOICEOVER
People's relationship with food can be complex. At its most basic, food provides the
nutrients we need to live and grow. It gives us some emotional comfort too.
Moreover, food has the power to evoke some of our earliest and dearest memories.
What we eat as children can have a big impact on our tastes in later life. Naz is a
British chef and restaurateur of Bangladeshi origins and owner of Ruby, one of the
top Indian restaurants in the UK. He explains how the food of his past influences
what he cooks today.

NAZ
When I left school, I started working in an Indian restaurant as a kitchen porter, and
I've seen the dishes and the spices and I realised, oh my mother used to cook like
that. So I said to myself, one day I want to own my own restaurant and I want to add
the dishes into my menu that my mother used to cook at home, which I've got now in
my restaurant.

VOICEOVER
Like many chefs, Naz was heavily influenced by his family's cooking during his
childhood.

NAZ
We have a big family in Bangladesh. It's like extended family, my mother's side, my
father's side, and we all get together and just enjoy a feast really. It's absolutely
amazing, I still remember them days.

VOICEOVER
He tells us about one of his favourite childhood meals.

NAZ
My favourite dish as a child was egg curry. We used to go to fields and play football
and coming back home and the smell – ah – was absolutely amazing, that's why my
favourite dish was egg curry, I used to love egg, I still do.

VOICEOVER
The smell and taste of food is so powerful that it can evoke memories as far back as
when you were 6 years old. Today Naz is trying to recapture one of those memories.

NAZ
Today I'm going to be cooking a chicken dish, my mother's chicken dish, with egg,
I'm going to add egg to it, the spices are garlic, ginger, coriander, and green chillies.
Put the lid on, and leave it for 10 minutes.

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VOICEOVER
Professor Charles Spence tells us why food raises such clear memories.

CHARLES SPENCE
Smell and taste are very closely linked to memory, more so than –I think– than the
other senses, hearing, vision and touch. Some chefs that we work with, are trying to
deliberately play with nostalgia in the restaurant setting, and one of the chefs we
work with, we would say, tell me the decade you're born in and then he'll have some
sort of flavour or food aroma that he's confident can take you back to your childhood,
and he can do it much more effectively through smell, flavours, than perhaps you
can by just playing a piece of music or showing somebody a picture.

VOICEOVER
More than 75% of what we taste actually comes from our sense of smell. And so
more than our tongue, it is our nose that stirs our memories. That's why a perfume
can make you remember one particular person every time you smell it.

CHARLES SPENCE
In terms of the kinds of memories that foods can trigger, it's going to be primarily
driven by the aroma of foods, the taste of food is really just sweet, sour, salty and
bitter. So it's really the aroma that does most of the work in triggering memories.

NAZ
Delicious.

VOICEOVER
Naz is putting the finishing touches on his favourite childhood meal.

NAZ
There you have my chicken curry with egg, special egg, let's go and serve it.

VOICEOVER
There's no doubt that food is a time machine, transporting you back years and even
decades. Sometimes, this happens through a simple flavour. Other times, it's the
meal itself and the setting in which you eat it. Either way, food plays an important
role in creating the memories that will eventually become the stories of our life. Food
for thought, indeed!

SAME LANGUAGE, DIFFERENT LIVES

Jamaica
The event that's commemorated most in Jamaica is Independence Day, which was,
ah, 1962, August 6th 1962. And so many other events are caught up in that,
because all of those events led to independence.

New Zealand
On February 6th every year we celebrate the Treaty of Waitangi. This was a big
treaty between the Maoris and the invading British. And it signalled peace and

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created a constitution for all time. We celebrate with parties nationally, everybody
has a day off work and we have canoe races in all the main cities.

Scotland
Every year on the 25th January we celebrate Burns Day, where we celebrate the life
of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. And we have Scottish food, Scottish dancing and
Scottish poetry.

Canada
Every July 1st we commemorate Canada's birthday, which is when we became an
independent nation in 1867. So we celebrate that with fireworks and picnics, or
barbeques, things like this.

England
England commemorates Remembrance Day. This is the 11th of November. It was
the date when World War I ended. We observe a two-minute silence to remember
our soldiers and the lives lost.

USA
To a lesser extent now it's Victory Day. And Rhode Island is the only state in the
Union left celebrating the victory over Japan in 1945. And I, I think it's actually quite
an important holiday for people to remember. Uhm, because of the human and
economic costs of the Second World War.

THAT'S THE USA

Alex
Hello and welcome to That's The USA! I'm Alex and together we'll be travelling
around the East Coast of the United States, exploring some of the historic
landmarks, popular attractions and unique customs and culture. We start our
amazing adventure in the booming metropolis of New York City!
New York City, or "the Big Apple" as it's often called, is one of the most influential
and recognizable cities in the world. It's been featured in so many films and TV
shows that most people feel that they know the city, even if they've never been there.
New York has a population of roughly 8.5 million people and attracts more than 50
million visitors a year. The city is made up of 5 boroughs. The Bronx and Brooklyn
are connected to Manhattan via several iconic bridges. This is the Brooklyn Bridge,
which crosses the East River.
Today I'm in Manhattan, which is often claimed to be the cultural and economic
centre of the United States. This is Times Square. With 330,000 visitors daily, this is
one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections.
I'm here with Melissa, who's visiting with her family. Melissa, what do you think are
the best things to do in New York City?

Melissa
There are many fun things to do in New York City. My top favourites are visiting
Times Square, going to baseball games, climbing the Statue of Liberty and going to
see Broadway musicals.

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Alex
Do you think you'll see any theatre while you're here?

Melissa
I'm a dance teacher, so we love seeing theatre. We saw An American in Paris and
every time we come to New York, we see Jersey Boys.

Alex
What memories do you think you and your family will take away when you leave New
York City?

Melissa
Memories are such an important part of any trip. My favourite memories are
spending time with my family, visiting Ellis Island and seeing my family's heritage
and all of the beautiful sights to see.

Alex
This is Wall Street in the heart of the Financial District. Charging Bull, or the Wall
Street Bull, is a bronze statue by artist Arturo Di Modica. It celebrates the ambitious
spirit of America and New York in particular. It's a symbol of virility, courage and a
booming market.
But it's not all business and fast living in New York City: I'm at the 9/11 Memorial &
Museum. The Reflecting Absence Memorial here honours the people who died when
the World Trade Centre was attacked on September 11, 2001. These pools sit within
the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of every person who died are inscribed
on these bronze panels. I'm here with Tom at the Memorial. Tom, what are your
thoughts on visiting these two Memorial pools?

Tom
The events of 9/11, I think, touched our whole country and a lot of the world, in a way
that changed a lot of people's lives.

Alex
Why is it important for us to reflect and remember the events that happened here?

Tom
Well, I think first of all it makes us realise how important and treasured and
vulnerable sometimes our freedom is. And the fact that our country was attacked the
way it was is something that, you know, it's 13/14 years since it happened. For some
people it can seem like a long time ago, but it's really not. It's a short time ago and it
will impact our country for generations.

Alex
Tom, I really appreciate your time. One World Trade Centre, also known as The
Freedom Tower, has recently been completed and has once again changed
Manhattan's skyline. The Freedom Tower is a striking building and a magnificent
symbol of determination, hope and liberty. Well, I hope you've enjoyed our day in
New York. See you next time when we take a look at one of this city's most
remarkable neighbourhoods – Harlem!