Adam meets the chefs behind two of Melbourne's top restaurants, Lily finds out why some of our favourite foods are fermented, and Renee discovers two food pioneers in tropical Queensland growing cocoa and vanilla.

In the first of a new series, host Adam Liaw discovers the delights of sea urchin, pond smelt and boutique cheesecake on Japan's wintry, northern-most island, Hokkaido.

Adam Liaw goes to sea with the Japanese fishermen who caught the "million dollar tuna", and then meets the soy sauce maker who saved most of his staff from the 2011 tsunami.