Food History

Shrimp and rice grits.

Rice Grits: Southern Comfort Food From Flaws

Nearly all of the intact grains were exported, but Carolinians developed a fondness for the faulty brokens, or middlins, that stayed at home

Traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes but the First Thanksgiving likely included wildfowl, corn, porridge and venison.

What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving?

The history of the holiday meal tells us that turkey was always the centerpiece, but other courses have since disappeared

Although the potato is now associated with industrial-scale monoculture, the International Potato Center in Peru has preserved almost 5,000 varieties.

How the Potato Changed the World

Brought to Europe from the New World by Spanish explorers, the lowly potato gave rise to modern industrial agriculture

A parent hopes an authentic Roman banquet will bring the Latin language alive for their son.

Ad Nauseam

Recreating a Roman banquet seemed like a good idea

Jamaica possessed superb growing conditions for sugar cane, and by 1513, Spanish farmers in Sevilla la Nueva tended fields bristling with the green stalks.

Sugar Masters in a New World

Sevilla la Nueva, the first European settlement in Jamaica, is home to the bittersweet story of the beginning of the Caribbean sugar trade

The Humdinger sandwich is a mother-in-law with melted cheese on top.

Searching for a Mother-in-Law Sandwich

Eager enthusiasts track Chicago’s indigenous—and sometimes endangered—food traditions

A carpet of moss.

Ancient, Doomed "Iceman" Had Been Eating Mosses

Scientists found six species of moss in the stomach of the famous five thousand-year-old glacier mummy

Happy Repeal Day!

Cheers! Today marks the 75th anniversary of the US government changing its mind about Prohibition

Fried chicken: the last meal of choice.

What Would You Choose for Your Very Last Meal?

That's what the National Museum of Crime and Punishment asked 500 of its visitors

A proud turkey.

The Eat-ymology of the Turkey

What do you really know about where the turkey came from?

Navajo frybread cooks in an iron frying pan.

Frybread Recipe

A recipe from Foods of the Americas: Native Recipes and Traditions

None

Tea's Time

The ancient drink makes a comeback

The traditional Thanksgiving turkey is delicious, but is it paleo?

How 260 Tons of Thanksgiving Leftovers Gave Birth to an Industry

The birth of the TV dinner started with a mistake

None

Shaker Recipes

A compendium of thoughts on the Shakers from some quotable notables

None

Two for Tea

America's only commercial tea crop is grown on an island with plants more than a century old

Page 31 of 31