This week we celebrate a joyous G&P landmark as we reach our
ONE HUNDREDTH EPISODE!
In order properly to mark the occasion, we have devised a kind of singles chart (or, in French, un hit parade): two parallel Top Fives, one made up of Muriel’s favourite British-themed episodes presented by Suzanne, and the other of Suzanne’s Gallic favourites. But which episodes were chosen and why? What have we learned so far in scaling the twin peaks of Britishness and Frenchness?
Best of all, there is still so much left for us to explore and explain.
So pop a slice of pickled onion in your glass of Orangina, kick back, and join us in drinking to the next 100, the next 500, the 1,000 episodes of Garlic & Pearls, our nonpareil podcast!
What makes the British so British and the French so French?
From history and geography to arts, politics, perception and attitudes, Garlic & Pearls offers a tour of French and British culture in 1,000 things, ideas and scents
A fascinating and brilliant podcast
I heard Muriel Zagha on Times Radio and immediately looked up her podcast, which was mentioned. As a hopeless Francophile who has always been fascinated by the huge differences between Britain and France, this podcast provides hours of brilliant listening. The presenters are so informed, engaging, witty and the dynamic between them is perfect.
J'adore Garlic and Pearls!
I stumbled across Garlic and Pearls while searching for podcasts featuring Graham Robb, who has written intriguing books about French history and was a guest on the show. What a delight! I studied 19th century French literature and history in university and wrote about the wine trade during my career, so right now I'm working my way through the French episodes, including my favorite - the rise of French perfume. (I was even inspired to order a Guerlain sampler.) Muriel is a fabulous storyteller and Suzanne's droll observations always make for fun listening. It's a much-needed reprieve from the distressing news of the day. Thank you!
Wonderfully charming, funny, and informative
I've been a listener since the first episode and love the podcast! I found G&P when Muriel appeared on another podcast (TRIH), And quickly became very intruiged by her and with what she had to say on the topic of french film. The episodes are always so well researched. The chemistry between Suzanne and Muriel are what makes it work the most. Each of them bring their own charm, insight, expertise and niche interests along with them for each episode (e.g. Suzanne with 'A' roads). Top-quality production and a innovative premise.
Absolutely wonderful! Quirky & Fun
I absolutely love your podcast. Brit living in Suisse Romande, it is both highly entertaining/ interesting from a cultural point of view and really enjoyable being part of your giggles and humour. Keep going it’s great!
Merveilleux !
This is one of my favourite podcasts, and it is the most beguiling - on both sides of the Channel - that I have found anywhere. Such interesting subjects so well delivered (mentions spéciales: les rondpoints, the tax year, Wellingtonias, Orangina!). I had been been missing << Mythologies >> since the untimely disappearance of Roland Barthes deprived us of the great philosopher’s thoughts on < la nouvelle Citroën > or < le bifteck et les frites > - the latter perhaps a forerunner of Garlic & Pearls ? I’m sure the great semiologist would (also) be an avid listener. Anyway, félicitations to you both, Muriel and Suzanne (& happy Christmas)
My favourite podcast
I love your podcast, thank you very much. Educational, unpredictable topics and so jolly, it absolutely makes my day when a new episode comes out
Found out about it after muriel appeared with giles coren on Times radio. Hooked by the fabulous theme tune, and the multicultural chat. Makes me smile and educative
Wonderful
I am hugely enjoying this fascinating Podcast. Only today I ordered an Orangina because it was in the original bottle (and woke it up)! Who else could have made jigsaw puzzles interesting, Brigitte so compelling and the history of the BIC 4 Colours pen so fascinating? No one except Muriel Zagha and Suzanne Raine. This well researched, brilliantly presented, warm and humorous Podcast is in a league of its own.
Light and fluffy but in a good way.
I enjoyed this , both have melodious voices which are pleasant to listen to . Raquel Welch is American.
My thanks to you two lovely ladies!
I so enjoy your podcast and have just listened to your studio edition which was a real treat. In these somewhat fraught times it is wonderful to be able to listen you as you discuss intelligently things that are endlessly interesting and a world away from politics. Thankyou 🌺
Wonderful
How about an episode about the Banlieues after the exhibition in Paris
Interesting Topics, Fabulous Hosts
I'm learning so much about both cultures through the hosts' fun and thoughtful conversations. Truly a perfect podcast!
A wonderful take on our two nations
Not sure how I discovered this podcast but enjoy so much about it. I’m English and have adored France since I was a child when my parents took us camping in Brittany. Your voices are beautiful and Muriel’s delicate French accent is lovely. The way you journey around the topic makes it rich and deep. Enjoyed Pimm’s, Orangina, ID cards and many more!
Gentle, informative and Fun!
I love this podcast. It transports me from my usual diet of politics and is a great listen.
Listen in. You won’t be sorry.
This is a spectacular podcast. Not only are these two delightful women smart, they are so very funny. It is a great listen.
Fantastic
This is a warm and wonderful podcast! Muriel and Suzanne’s friendship demonstrates the entente cordiale that overrides the fascinating cultural difference between France and Britain, which they discuss and dissect. I have learned a lot about both and often laughed out loud. Experience, research and imagination provide an endlessly surprising set of subjects with stories that lead in unexpected directions! Allez, amusez vous!
Vachement bon!
Well I wanted to soak up French culture but I’m learning some pretty esoteric stuff about the UK too. Much more fun than I expected! Now I just want an episode about why the French roads don’t have cats eyes…
Really interesting show
So happy my friend Matt recommended this show. Great chemistry between Muriel and Suzanne and really interesting topics and conversation. And I’m only at the beginning so looking forward to listening to all the episodes
Thoroughly charming as well as being thoroughly thorough!
What a discovery to feel part of the lovely discussion between two knowledgeable ladies. Being able to listen to fun and varied subjects complete with researched historical facts is a marvelous concept for a podcast. The nuances of French and English culture are embraced and challenged with wit and humor.
Brilliant
This is a tremendous podcast. Each episode is so rich and interesting, and the energy is so great between Suzanne and Muriel. Each time I listen I feel as though I have learned so much, am looking at things quite differently, and have a huge smile on my face!
The perfect podcast for curious minds
Quickly becoming one of my all-time favourite podcasts. Muriel and Suzanne are both such warm, charming hosts and their curiosity is infectious. Always leave each episode wishing I could stay with them a little longer!
Fabulous! So entertaining and SO interesting!
I’ve been listening to Garlic and Pearls for a few months now, and I’m impressed by how it effortlessly offers an engaging experience for anyone curious about both cultures. The hosts have great chemistry, and their enthusiasm makes the podcast fun. What I love about this podcast is its wide variety of topics — from French cuisine and festivals to British everyday life and traditions. It’s always so refreshing to hear about cultural nuances in both countries, often with surprising connections between the two cultures. Whether you’re a language learner, a cultural enthusiast, or just curious about the intersections between French and English traditions, I highly recommend Garlic and Pearls. It’s the perfect mix of entertainment, education, and cross-cultural exploration!
Warm and interesting
I am learning so much from Muriel and Suzanne’s lively conversations. I particularly delight in rediscovering my country - merci Muriel!
Witty and educational
I am certainly learning a lot about France; but I am also surprised to find how much I’m learning about Britain, my home. A beautifully made podcast, with excellent hosts and an intriguing selection of subjects.
Latest Episodes
What We Get Wrong About France, With Debora Robertson, Expat Extraordinaire
Suzanne and Muriel welcome as a special guest the food writer and journalist Debora Robertson. a perceptive observer of French village life in the South-West – and the French psyche – in her Substack, Lickedspoon. She describes what it's like to be an exotic Brit in the French countryside and shares on-the-ground anecdotes about French behaviour. We find out which is more important, croissants or yoghurts? ...
Zebra Crossings: Freedom, Safety and British Science in Black and White!
How, wonders Suzanne, did Britain come to gift the Big Z to the entire world? And how did Britain become a place where pedestrians can expect, in most cases, to find a crossing in the right place? The presence of zebra crossings is the fruit of a long evolution involving bitter parliamentary debates and the tension between limiting speed and protecting an Englishman's freedom of the highway. We meet the transformativ...
The 100th Episode: Our Peak-Britain and Peak-France Chart-Toppers!
Muriel and Suzanne raise a shaken, not stirred pickled-onion-and-Orangina cocktail to toast a vintage episode of the podcast. Now 100 hours into exploring Britishness and Frenchness, they each select their 5 favourite episodes presented by the other and reflect on what they have discovered along the way. An overflowing cornucopia of garlic, pearls, revelations, surprises and cultural aperçus, this landmark episode th...
May 68: How and Why France Dreamed Up Another Revolution
Muriel wonders why the May 68 uprisings happened so expansively and explosively in the France of De Gaulle and not in Howard Wilson's Britain. She takes Suzanne back to a time of flying cobblestones and bourgeois Maoist students on the barricades. What triggered the events, what fanned the fire? How much of a revolution was May 68, really? What political and social fracture has it left in French society? And what is ...
The Blue Willow Pattern: A Tale of Romance, Bone and Clay
Suzanne takes Muriel on a journey to a faraway land, travelling into the hidden depths of a dinner plate. Its famous pattern – trees, a pagoda, a bridge, a boat, a fence – tells a version of Romeo and Juliet's story set in Imperial China. The plate was first made in England in the 18th century, but the story and its memorable characters – an eminent mandarin, his beautiful daughter, an ardent young man, a resourceful...
The Laughing Cow: The Quintessential French Cheese
In France, a country with a multiplicity of cheeses, only one achieves national unity: the humble Vache qui rit – or Laughing Cow. But what are the origins of this product? Invented in the wake of the Great War as a trailblazing 'fromage moderne', it shares a terroir with the more prestigious Comté, which is also one of its ingredients. Paradoxically, Muriel suggests, this processed melted cheese – part Proustian mad...
About Garlic & Pearls
Have you ever wondered about the many cultural differences between the British and the French? This podcast is for you.
What makes the French so French and the British so British? Which of the two nations is the weirder? Garlic & Pearls bring you the answers by way of bluebells, steam trains and panto, Harris tweed and bungalows, absinthe and Marseilles soap, French school canteens, concierges and the 4-colour BiC pen, and much, much more.
French cultural journalist Muriel Zagha and British geopolitics expert Suzanne Raine are long-time friends, and in each episode of Garlic & Pearls they take it in turns to astonish and entertain each other and the listeners with insights into their respective cultures.
Garlic & Pearls is wide-ranging and eclectic: Muriel and Suzanne examine everyday objects, foods, scents, iconic designs, films, landscapes, games, folklore, poetry, transport – taking in many eccentric personalities and quirky anecdotes along the way. Join them in their quest to define the essence of Britishness and Frenchness!
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