If you follow local food wonk Dr. Ricky on Twitter, you'll notice that unlike so many food writers, the biomedical research scientist doesn't push the gospel of organic, sustainable, natural foods, either on social media or on his blog, Science Based Cuisine. Instead, Dr. Ricky wants consumers and diners to have a better understanding of genetically modified foods as well as overlooked or maligned ingredients from other cultures.

In this TEDxHouston talk from the 2013 conference—which was featured this week on the TEDx site as an editor's pick—you can view Dr. Ricky's entire speech. It's a thoroughly researched and provocative talk on the dangers of pseudoscience and "culinary xenophobia" that anyone interested in food should listen to. Yes, even those opposed to genetically modified foods. After all, any good apologist should be well-armed with information from all sides. And you never know—Dr. Ricky may change your mind about more than the allure of century eggs.