The older you get, the more spice you need

I've been trying really hard this month to avoid writing about those well-covered subjects such as G20, Brexit and the Olympics. So here we go with something everyone can relate to, and that's food.

If you want to start an animated conversation in my office here in London, just casually ask which region in China produces the best food. Then sit back and wait for the food wars to begin.

Like most Britons of my generation, my introduction to Chinese food came in my teens via a Cantonese-run restaurant, in this case in Oxford.