Food History

Downtown New Canaan

The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2019

From Neil Armstrong's hometown to the heart of Oklahoma's Osage County, these towns are ripe for exploring this year

Smoked paprika, the finished product.

The Smoked Paprika Museum in Spain Honors a Family Tradition

In Extremadura, entire families participate in harvesting peppers and making smoked paprika

To some, beets' soil-like smell is so strong that eating the vegetable holds the same appeal as dining on a chunk of dirt.

New Study Reveals How One Person’s ‘Smellscape’ Can Differ From Another’s

A single genetic mutation could determine whether you perceive beets’ soil-like smell, whiskey’s smokiness and lily of the valley’s sweetness

The Impossible Whopper signals the growing market for meatless meat

We're Entering a New Age of Meatless Meat Today. But We've Been Here Before

At the turn of the 20th century, the first mock meat craze swept the nation

"Super tomatoes" or regular tomatoes?

How Scientists Are Recapturing the Magic of a Beloved, Long-Lost Tomato

Wiped out by disease and market demands, the Rutgers tomato may be making a comeback

Detail of photograph by Eadweard Muybridge

When California Went to War Over Eggs

As the Gold Rush brought more settlers to San Francisco, battles erupted over another substance of a similar hue: the egg yolks of a remote seabird colony

Swiss Miss sells more than 50 million boxes every year

Charles Sanna's Cocoa Packets Changed the Way We Drink Hot Chocolate

Sanna invented Swiss Miss, the first instant hot chocolate mix that could be made with hot water instead of milk

A recently uncovered thermopolia in the ruins of Pompeii.

Recently Uncovered Thermopolium Reminds Us That Romans Loved Fast Food as Much as We Do

Similar snack counters dug up throughout Pompeii were once destinations for on-the-go Romans looking for a quick bite

Jennifer Levasseur from the National Air and Space Museum notes that the museum’s supply of popular astronaut foods is less comprehensive than its collection of rejects. “We only get what they didn’t eat (above: Apollo 17's spiced fruit cereal is now in the collections)."

Rita Rapp Fed America’s Space Travelers

NASA’s food packages now in the collections of the Air and Space Museum tell the story of how a physiologist brought better eating to outer space

Stonehenge Pig Roasts Drew People From All Over Neolithic Britain

Isotopic analysis of pig bones in feasting sites near the monument show people were traveling as far as Scotland with their own pigs

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Six Ways to Experience Bermuda's Swirling Cultures

Bermuda’s myriad of cultural influences is reflected in everything from historic buildings to food.

Beer Yeast Is a True International Collaboration

A new study looking at the genomics of brewer's yeast indicates it's a combination of European grape wine and Asian rice wine strains

Italy May Need to Import Olive Oil After Extreme Weather Decimates Local Crops

This year's harvest is down 57 percent, and may force the nation to import its treasured olive oil from other parts of the Mediterranean

"A New Yorker in the snow this afternoon carrying what seems like ... iced coffee? #OnlyInNYC #BundleUpNY," @nycgov tweeted on January 30.

What’s the Deal With Ordering Iced Coffee in the Winter?

A hot take, if you will, on the iced trend

An Appreciation of <i>Küchle</i>, My Family’s Deep-Fried Dough Tradition for Fat Tuesday

Avoid a grease fire. Support a local bakery.

Women have graced coinage since the third century B.C.

Who Was the First Woman Depicted on Currency and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

The Patents Behind Your Box of Valentine's Day Chocolates

Before you sample a truffle or a coconut cream, consider all of the innovation that has been poured into the sweets and their lovely presentation

Vomiting and higher levels of perceived drunkenness were linked with more severe hangovers

Whether You Drink Beer Before Wine or Vice Versa, You’ll Probably Still Get a Hangover

90 volunteers downed copious amounts of alcohol in the name of science

Paella, a national favorite in Spain, is a hearty dish prominently featuring two of Linford's Seven Wonders—rice and tomato. It may be seasoned with salt and chili flakes as well.

The Mouthwatering History of Seven Fundamental Foodstuffs

A new Smithsonian book whisks readers on a culinary odyssey, tracing the history of salt, pork, honey, chili, tomato, rice and chocolate

An image of the true U.S. pizza king Filippo Milone in the May 9, 1903 issue of the Italian-language newspaper Il Telegrafo.

The Father of American Pizza Is Not Who We Thought He Was

New research suggests pizza came to the U.S. earlier than 1905, spread by pizza evangelist Filippo Milone

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