Maxime Bercholz

Maxime is a Research Associate on the Global Food Research Program. Since joining the team in January 2020, his work has focused on evaluations of policies that aim to improve diets (warning labels, SSB taxes, etc.) in countries like Chile, Colombia, and South Africa. He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, political science, economics and sociology, and a master’s degree in economics. He loves the methodological aspect of his work and contributing to the wider evidence base on food policy worldwide.

The craziest thing I’ve ever eaten is… grasshopper tacos in Mexico. They taste a little bit like chicken, but the texture is very different to what I usually eat!

When I’m in a time crunch, I love to make… pasta with a quick sauce, such as linguine al limone. Here is a rough recipe for two, largely inspired by the great Gennaro Contaldo:
– If using dry pasta (I recommend De Cecco pasta), start cooking the pasta in lightly salted boiling water. (If using fresh pasta, start with the sauce and start cooking the pasta when the sauce is ready and off the heat, as fresh pasta cooks in a minute or two.)
– In a pan over medium heat, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil and, if you’re greedy like me, a knob of butter. When hot, add two cloves of garlic, not too thinly sliced, chopped red pepper (to taste) and a few capers (to taste). Let the garlic sweat but be careful not to burn it. Add freshly grated lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice (say half a lemon) and leave for a minute or so, then turn off the heat.
– When al dente, transfer the pasta to the pan, keeping a ladle of pasta water on the side in case to get the right consistency for the sauce. Throw in freshly chopped parsley if you have some and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and grated parmesan.

My favorite food-related smell is… the smell of a bakery in France (my home country, so I can’t say I’m not biased) — a heavenly combination of freshly baked, slightly sour and lightly browned bread, buttery and flaky croissants, and sweet pastries (not to mention the beautiful sight of it all!).