2012

S4.E1 ∙ Pop Goes the Cake

Fri, Sep 19, 2014

An irresistible combination of caramel, chocolate, and butter pecan, discover the tantalizing secrets of the ice cream you serve like a cake; named after a people who were part of Genghis Khan's famous army, tangy tartar sauce was given a gourmet twist in the 1970s, and is perfected daily; it takes plenty of icing, slabs of cake, and a machine called the 'encruster' to make a single batch of 2,700 bite-size cake pops; and, a special roasting oven and Dead Sea salt give artisanal almonds their signature crunch.

7.7 /10

S4.E2 ∙ Shaken Not Stirred

Fri, Sep 19, 2014

The process of making instant ready-to-blend fruit smoothies is so cool that it takes a river of liquid nitrogen to make it happen; find out how raw organic cocoa beans are turned into luscious salted almond chocolate bars; delicious paneer isn't just the most popular cheese in southeast Asia, it doesn't melt when it's cooked; and, with a killer combination of kick, wasabi horseradish mustard features a spicy family story that only science can explain.

0 /10

S4.E3 ∙ Gold Bars

Fri, Sep 26, 2014

Featuring shredded coconut, toasted almonds, and rum, this Caribbean-inspired candy bar takes a trip through a chocolate waterfall; it takes three kilograms of rosemary, six kilograms of roasted garlic, and 100 kilograms of corn meal to produce a single batch of irresistible polenta crisps; sprinkled with walnuts and glazed by hand, every maple-flavoured Danish is a patriotic pastry that's packed with a magical filling; and, laced with butter and parmesan, Alfredo risotto is so popular that more than 25 million boxes of it are produced every year.

0 /10

S4.E4 ∙ Pasta Straight Up

Fri, Sep 26, 2014

Two fun-loving brothers have put an organic spin on the classic cheese twist, and their high-tech assembly line includes a video system that scans for defective curls; if you've got a hankering for bite-size mint chocolate patties, the good news is that millions of them roll off the assembly line every day; it takes 200 litres of vodka every month to help put the zing in a buttery bacon-scented tomato sauce; and, the surprising thing about high-end chili powder is that it contains seven spices harvested from the four corners of the globe.

0 /10

S4.E5 ∙ Everyday Is Sundae

Fri, Oct 03, 2014

It takes 1.5 million kilograms of strawberry sauce to satisfy the annual demand for strawberry shortcake ice cream; hundreds of delectable tacitos are hand-rolled every minute, and if you want to join the assembly line, it'll take you three months to get up to speed; with gallons of chocolaty fluff and just minutes on the clock, making marshmallows is a race against time; and, after a massive shredder cuts the vegetables down to size, broccoli slaw is washed twice before hitting the spin cycle.

0 /10

S4.E6 ∙ Viva Los Churros

Fri, Oct 03, 2014

The surprising thing about this protein-packed breakfast cereal is that it's made from navy beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, and brown rice; a love for soda pop was the inspiration for an artisanal cream soda that delivers a flavour high without the sugar rush; the recipe for vegan mayonnaise came to its creator in a dream, and a 24-hour production cycle means a whopping annual yield of 4 million kilograms; and, steeped in Spanish history, a quarter of a million churros are dusted with cinnamon and flash-fried to perfection every day.

0 /10

S4.E7 ∙ Lights, Camera, Popcorn

Fri, Oct 10, 2014

Now the official state snack of Texas, millions of tortilla chips are baked in a tunnel oven before taking a quick dip in a giant flash fryer; all-natural ingredients and a whole lot of cinnamon give grandma's kitchen flavour to 200,000 bite-size coffee cakes every day; if you think vegan means bland, then these decadent mint double chocolate cookies will blow your palate and your mind; and, it takes an entire assembly line to provide you with the blockbuster convenience of microwaveable popcorn in a bag.

0 /10

S4.E8 ∙ Fishing for Spuds

Fri, Oct 10, 2014

Triple 'C' cheesecake is a chocolate lover's fantasy featuring a brownie bottom, chocolate cheesecake middle, a chocolate mousse topping, and even more chocolate; discover the unique father-and-son story behind a Noah's Ark of animal crackers, and watch as a massive menagerie of soon-to-be cookies stampedes through a giant tunnel oven; spaghetti-like strands of dough are chopped, baked for just 30 seconds, and then seasoned to become perfectly crispy sweet potato fries; and, combined with its 2000-year history, tofu's bland reputation is getting an overhaul with a sweet and spicy gourmet version that's anything but.

0 /10

S4.E9 ∙ Crepe Escape

Fri, Oct 17, 2014

Up to 70 million, picture-perfect Hershey's Kisses are lovingly produced daily at the world's biggest chocolate plant; a sweet fusion of the French crepe and the Russian blini, every cheese-filled crepini is hand-assembled before a machine finishes the job; there's a real-life sisterhood behind the colourful and tangy gummy candies that look just like rainforest frogs; and, every year, it takes 150,000 kilograms of hand-selected Madagascar vanilla beans to produce top-of-the-line extract by the tanker-load.

8.2 /10

S4.E10 ∙ Green with Envy

Fri, Oct 17, 2014

A giant sheet of molten candy is pulled by hand before a machine takes over to produce thousands of tutti-frutti candies; on their way to your breakfast table, 300,000 spinach potato latkes are flash fried, showered with cold water, and frozen every day; a lesson in Japanese tradition and kitchen science, making gluten-free shirataki noodles requires precision and a magic ingredient; and, these guilt-free crisps pack loads of pinto beans and vegetables into every cheesy bite.

0 /10

S4.E11 ∙ My Cup Runneth Over

Fri, Oct 24, 2014

The recipe for these popular peanut butter cups hasn't changed in nearly a century and neither has the retro packaging; upwards of five million roasted vegetable soufflés are baked to perfection every year; after a successful career as a conductor, this maestro dusted off his grandma's secret almond cookie recipe and turned them into a popular and nearly guilt-free snack; and, it takes almost 7,000 kilograms of crushed tomatoes every day to make traditional Italian puttanesca sauce by the barrel.

7.8 /10

S4.E12 ∙ Cuckoo for Coconuts

Fri, Oct 24, 2014

With 165 years of practice, find out how one of the world's leading chocolatiers produces up to 500,000 dark chocolate bars a day; it takes 35,000 cashew nuts from around the world to make a single batch of the fudge-like East Indian candy called kaju katli, and it's up to a series of robotic arms to package them to perfection; loaded with butter and pecans, these crumbly melt-in-your-mouth cookies go by more names than a secret agent; and, blending tea, spices, and coconut milk, this refreshing smoothie combines tropical flair with a host of health benefits.

7.6 /10

S4.E13 ∙ Pigging Out

Fri, Oct 31, 2014

Packed with a double dose of chocolate pudding and cookies, 144,000 pints of this decadent ice cream are produced every 12 hours; if you love Indian curry, you'll go nuts for this irresistible blend of creamy coconut, spicy ginger, and tender crisp green beans; these champagne and strawberry lollipops will satisfy your adult cravings and the kid in you, and the good news is that up to 35,000 of them are lovingly hand-crafted every day; and, featuring European chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and luscious raspberry jam, these truffle pigs are hunted by the big bad wolf and humans alike.

8 /10

S4.E14 ∙ Chocolate Under Wraps

Fri, Oct 31, 2014

If you've got a serious hankering for chocolate, head to the state-of-the-art factory that produces 1.5 billion truffles a year; packed with veggies, bananas, and heaps of chocolate chips, meet the guilt- and gluten-free muffin that's as satisfying as it is healthy; retro Hot Tamales are North America's number one cinnamon flavored candy, and 73 million of them are produced every day; and, layers of buttery pastry dough and two tangy cheeses are the secret to light and flaky gourmet cheese crisps.

8.8 /10

S4.E15 ∙ Let's TalkTofurky

Fri, Nov 07, 2014

Complete with holiday stuffing in the centre, Tofurky is a hearty vegetarian alternative to Thanksgiving roast turkey; two best friends have put their passion for healthy eating into making tasty and nutritious snack bars that are guilt-free and packed with energy; it's arguably the most famous kiddie cocktail ever, and the good news for fans is that 1.5 million cans of Shirley Temple soda are produced daily; and, these one-bite snacks combine three generations of love with crunchy almonds, tangy cranberries, and decadent white chocolate.

8.2 /10

S4.E16 ∙ Just the Flax

Fri, Nov 07, 2014

First served at a fancy NYC hotel in the 1920s, today you'll find a delectable chunk of red velvet cake in nearly every single spoonful of the ice cream that bears its name; the good news for hungry hikers is that more than half a million pumpkin spice granola bars are pumped out daily; breakfast becomes a nutty decadent treat when you serve up the delectable spread that blends melted chocolate with freshly ground roasted almonds; and, though it may be hard to believe, 100 batches of lemon burst cookies are made every day using the essential oil from 24,000 lemons!

0 /10

S4.E17 ∙ Pepper Party

Fri, Nov 14, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: Planters cocktail peanuts are roasted in a giant oven called the 'Big Daddy'; Betty Lou's chocolate-covered snack bars contain freeze-dried vegetables; follow the assembly line that turns out 21 million crispy cream-cheese-filled jalapeno peppers every year; and, Old Montreal steak spice contains a secret blend of 20 herbs and spices.

0 /10

S4.E18 ∙ Ready for This Jelly

Fri, Nov 14, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: A mother-daughter duo has perfected the recipe for gluten-free Nanaimo bars; 250,000 Chunks O'Fruti frozen strawberry fruit bars are produced every day; uncover the history behind savoury Shanghai dumplings and find out why it's impossible to eat just one; and, these multicoloured retro fruit jellies have attracted a celebrity following.

7.6 /10

S4.E19 ∙ From Argentina with Love

Fri, Nov 21, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: Discover the chicken pad Thai kits guaranteed to improve your kitchen cred; visit the Florida candy factory that's turning out heavenly melt-in-your-mouth mints; the search for the ultimate chimichurri recipe reveals a spicy love story and tons of herbs and garlic; and, every year, half a million lucky bananas are lovingly transformed into chocolate-covered frozen treats.

8.7 /10

S4.E20 ∙ Juiced Up

Fri, Nov 21, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: The stats on this mammoth Florida orange juice factory will blow your mind; tour the family-run business that produces 2.5 million balls of pizza dough every day; Fruiti Farts candies feature a rainbow of flavours and a personality that's all their own; and, over a million bite-size cream puffs roll off this California assembly line every day.

9.2 /10

S4.E21 ∙ Working for Peanuts

Fri, Nov 28, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: Skippy has been perfecting its iconic peanut butter recipe since 1933; eggplant Parmesan is made by the truckload in this California facility; a staggering three million bags of shelled pistachios roll off this assembly line every day; and meet the perfect movie-night chocolate bar that's packed with crunchy tortilla chips and pop-in-your mouth candy.

9.3 /10

S4.E22 ∙ Miso Hungry

Fri, Nov 28, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: Making candy-covered almonds is a painstaking 10-hour process; the hole-free Bagelwich is boiled and baked at a rate of 15,000 buns per hour; half a million pounds of S'mores snack mix roll off a California assembly line every year; and, enough miso soup concentrate is produced annually to make over six billion cups of soup.

8.6 /10

S4.E23 ∙ Brine Time

Fri, Dec 05, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: Discover the magic ingredient that keeps chocolate chips from melting away when baked; 1,000 kilograms of nuts are roasted every hour to keep up with the demand for this gourmet snack mix; these pickle slices are called bread and butter chips even though they contain neither; and, a trip to South America was the inspiration for this creamy mushroom soup.

7.5 /10

S4.E24 ∙ Pipe Dreams

Fri, Dec 05, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: More than half a million squeezable yogurt tubes are produced every day; an Italian grandma ensures every batch of old-school tomato sauce is made with love; a mind-blowing 1,400 fruity chews are cut and wrapped per minute; and, these two entrepreneurs are betting that tofu's protein-packed cousin tempeh will become number one.

8.7 /10

S4.E25 ∙ Easy as Pie

Fri, Dec 12, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: Rice-A-Roni's massive assembly line produces six million boxes per week; this speedy Caesar salad kit takes just 30 seconds to prepare; it takes 100,000 Granny Smith apples to make a year's worth of delectable Whole Foods apple pies; and, nearly 40 million of Glutino's gluten-free multi-grain English muffins are baked every year.

8.8 /10

S4.E26 ∙ Red Hot Delight

Fri, Dec 12, 2014

From raw materials to finished products, Food Factory goes behind the scenes to reveal how our favourite foods are produced: After a century, Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce still turns up the heat; seven million boxes of Shredded Wheat are produced every year; it takes art, culture, and science to create these coffee-chocolate bars with barista flair; and, from an obligatory nap to a robotic assembly line, this family-operated farm has perfected the art of hard-boiling eggs.

8.8 /10