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Peppers were once a well-kept secret deep in the heart of the South American jungle but now a quarter of the world’s population eat chillies or other peppers every day and chilli powder is the world’s most popular spice. Chef Paul Merrett explores why we are so addicted to the taste and kick of peppers. He: * reveals that a pepper contains more vitamin C than an orange; * discovers why the British Parliament mutinied when asked to forgo their fiery fix; and * uncovers how chilli powder was once used as an aphrodisiac. In the kitchen, Paul takes our taste buds on tour, from spicy Thai green curry to the classic Italian supper dish, pepperonata with scallops. He also shows us how to roast the perfect pepper for antipasti and how to tame that chilli burn.

We think of honey as a local product, but it’s big business; the world trades nearly half a million tonnes of it every year. Chef Paul Merrett traces the production of honey from the bee hive to your toast, learns why honeys don’t all taste the same and finds out why bees are moving to the heart of London. In the kitchen he creates a sumptuous honey sponge pudding and gives some handy tips on how to store your honey. He shows us how to get the right mix of sweet and sour for his marinated pork chop and explains why his honey-coated cereal bars are a great energy booster. But don’t limit honey to the larder; its medicinal and nutritional health benefits are just as impressive. Paul reveals: * how an Egyptian queen used honey to keep her young and beautiful; * why one of the greatest sportsmen of all time swore by it; and * why even the NHS uses it on patients.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into the perfect cuppa, prepare to be enlightened. Chef Paul Merrett reveals the answers, from the quality of the water to the shape of the teabag. To accompany the perfect cuppa, he indulges in a classic afternoon tea with scones, jam and lashings of clotted cream. To top it all, he cooks up tea smoked chicken and makes a refreshing green tea ice cream to finish. Paul also explores the history behind the global tea phenomenon, with more than 3.2 million tonnes of tea consumed every year. He reveals why it was once so valuable that it was hidden away in locked chests and explains the science of why tea really can help to settle our nerves.

The banana is not only the world’s most popular fruit, it’s the fourth most consumed product on the planet. In the UK alone we eat ten million of them every single day but there’s real fear that the banana we love may be facing extinction. Chef Paul Merrett will be meeting the man whose life's mission it is to rescue the banana. He’ll also be revealing the banana’s unsavoury political influence and finding exactly why this perfectly packaged item is ideal for sportsmen and women. In the kitchen, Paul will be showing us how versatile the banana is with a creamy banana cheesecake, and a plantain and chicken satay – and we’ll find out why his delicious banana smoothie is the perfect hangover cure.