74 Items Tagged

Food History

The blood Voltaire drank came from a bull on his country estate in Ferney, France, now called Ferney-Voltaire.

Why Voltaire Drank Bull’s Blood

Bull’s blood isn’t poisonous; so why did people think it was for centuries?

Andrew Coletti September 5, 2024

The Strange Allure of Blue Food

When nature’s rarest color shows up in food, it elicits a range of reactions.

Andrew Coletti August 26, 2024

This embroidered wedding bread fed 130 party guests.

The Beautiful Art of Greece's 'Embroidered' Bread

A museum outside of Athens preserves this fading custom.

Yana Frigelis August 22, 2024

This unusual ice cream has a long history.

The Unlikely Popularity of Grape-Nuts Ice Cream

This simple flavor has a cross-cultural and cross-generational appeal.

Anne Ewbank August 21, 2024

100% farm to table fresh brunch – burrata, pesto and heirloom tomatoes on toast.

A Gastro Obscura Guide to Los Cabos

If you’re looking for an abundance of farm-to-table dining and a culinary scene committed to sustainability, Los Cabos delivers.

Sponsored by Los Cabos Tourism

<em>Approaching Storm</em> by German landscape painter Julius Bergmann shows a cowherd bringing his animals to shelter.

Can Thunderstorms Spoil Milk?

The answer eluded scientists for centuries.

Andrew Coletti July 30, 2024

The world's first cold-storage banquet was held in the Hotel Sherman, considered at the time to be Chicago's swankiest hotel.

Remembering the World’s First ‘Cold-Storage Banquet’

At the turn of the 20th century, the concept of a refrigerated feast was terrifying.

Diana Hubbell July 12, 2024

Coriander <em>or cilantro</em> has a long history in Italy.

Why Italy Fell Out of Love With Cilantro

Coriander went from ancient staple to persona non grata.

Andrew Coletti July 1, 2024

A display at the Global Conference of Millets in 2023 featured a millet map of India.

In India, Music Helps Spread the Message of Millets

New and ancient songs show that there’s more to reviving a crop than planting seeds.

Andrew Coletti June 17, 2024

<em>A Midnight Modern Conversation</em> by William Hogarth depicts punch-drinkers in an 18th-century coffeehouse.

Tea Punch Was the First Cocktail

This boozy brew used to be the British and American drink of choice.

Andrew Coletti June 10, 2024

This Swedish school lunch features potatoes and other vegetables, juice, and a <em>knäckebröd</em> cracker.

School Lunch Around the World

Not every country has the same recipe for brain food.

Andrew Coletti May 27, 2024

Chinese bagels range from sweet to savory.

These Stuffed, Fluffy Bagels Are Taking China by Storm

Chinese bakers are putting their own spin on a North American classic...minus the poppy seeds.

Andrew Coletti May 23, 2024

Springtime meant strawberries, cream, and cakes.

The 19th-Century ‘Strawberry Parties’ That Raised Money and Spirits Each Spring

Servers wore strawberry hats and green gowns while guests feasted on shortcake, sherbet, and ice cream.

Anne Ewbank May 2, 2024

A waza (Kashmiri chef) carrying dishes and rotis from the kitchen to the dining room.

This Tiny Restaurant Helps Keep Kashmiri Cuisine Alive in Pakistan

The Dilbar Hotel has been a hub and haven for Kashmiri Muslims since 1950.

Hasan Ali April 26, 2024

The original maple bacon doughnut is derived from a variation of the rectangular "Long John."

Meat-Filled Desserts From Around the World

Have you tried any of these literal sweetmeats?

Andrew Coletti April 22, 2024

Maria points to a mysterious symbolic representation of an early chemistry experiment.

The Ancient Female Alchemist Whose Name Is in Your Kitchen

Who put the Marie in "bain-Marie"?

Andrew Coletti April 8, 2024

Author Dan Pashman knows a thing or two about pasta.

Cream. Clams. Why Carbonara Once Looked Very Different

In his debut cookbook, Dan Pashman busts pasta myths alongside delicious, unorthodox recipes.

Diana Hubbell March 19, 2024

Old Javanese inscriptions describe vegetables eaten raw or boiled and seasoned with fermented shrimp paste.

How a Dinner Series Brought Borobudur’s Stone Reliefs to Life

The most famous monument in Indonesia shaped these ninth century–inspired feasts.

Andrew Coletti March 7, 2024