Do you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in France? Of course you do – most likely thanks to Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 movie Pulp Fiction.
It’s not the only scene that puts food front and centre – making it ideal fodder for The Cinema Chefs, a podcast in which chefs Clara Park and Jenn de la Vega slice and dice the foodie content of famous films.
Pulp Fiction has ladles of it. The opening diner robbery scene immediately raises questions for the hosts.
“It’s weird because there’s only one plate, maybe they’re sharing?” queries de la Vega. “But there’s no share plates – what the hell?”
The scene provides a jumping-off point for the chefs to discuss why diner food tastes so good, and is served so fast. The “gigantic hot griddle” is a major factor.
The pair also dissect the ‘Big Kahuna Burger’ take-out that’s pivotal in a scene in which hitmen Jules and Vincent visit (and massacre) a group of crooks early one morning.
“It’s 7.30am – did they get this burger last night or did they go out for it at 7am?” de la Vega asks.
Logic dictates last night, Park decides, “but it looks fresh when they’re eating it. And also it sounds like there’s ice in the drink.”
The hosts sway slightly more towards foodie than film buff – sometimes sounding shocked by the movie’s content. “It was triggering for me. I was like wow – they say that so many times,” says de la Vega in reference to some foul language. But the amiable pair do a solid job of marrying their dual passions.
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