Food History

Reuben Riffel on Becoming a Top Chef in Post-Apartheid South Africa

South African food culture fosters connection, he says

La Tour d'Argent restaurant offers dramatic views of the Paris skyline.

Does the Classic Paris Meal Still Exist?

Two food lovers set out to learn whether the Paris dining experience of their youth can still be found

The packaged foods you get at the grocery store are all regulated by the FDA. So are drugs, medical devices, cigarettes and condoms.

Where Did the FDA Come From, And What Does It Do?

From unglamorous origins, the federal agency has risen to ensure the safety of everything from lasers to condoms

Chef Margarita Carrillo Arronte on Why Mexican Cuisine Is a UNESCO Treasure

Meet the woman dedicated to preserving traditional Mexican cuisine

Detail from the stela of Mentuwoser, c. 1955 B.C., shows the steward preparing for a feast.

For Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Life Was a Banquet, But the Afterlife Was the Greatest Feast of All

Life after death for the Ancient Egyptian elite included lots, and lots, of food

Appert devised the canning process using that old standby, trial-and-error.

The Father of Canning Knew His Process Worked, But Not Why It Worked

Nicolas Appert was trying to win a hefty prize offered by the French army

Many Chinese restaurant names with words like golden, fortune, luck and garden are chosen for their auspiciousness—out of the owners’ desire for success.

Why Do Chinese Restaurants Have Such Similar Names?

Consistency and familiarity is the tradition

When Happy Hour Was "Green Hour" in Paris

When the clock struck five, 19th-century Parisians turned to absinthe

Félicitations, Team USA!

America Just Won the Olympics of Cooking You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's the first time the USA has been awarded gold

Celebrated Middle Eastern Food Writer Claudia Roden Shares Stories and Recipes From Her Kitchen

For Roden, food is a lens to understand history

The bigger the tomato, the blander the taste.

The Quest to Return Tomatoes to Their Full-Flavored Glory

We’ve bred the original tomato taste out of existence. Now geneticists are asking: Can we put it back?

On the Dangers of Erotic Truffles

A 19th-century investigation into the power of the aphrodisiac

"Gung Haggis Fat Choy" may be the only celebration that combines both traditional Robert Burns Night festivities, including bagpiping, with a celebration of the Chinese New Year.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy: This Canadian Celebration Combines Robert Burns Night and Chinese New Year

Started by "Toddish McWong" in 1998, the annual dinner has grown and grown

A London Music Hall Hid a Long-Forgotten Storeroom Packed With Condiments

Construction workers uncovered the tasty trove while excavating its foundations

The Ever Expanding World of Wine Takes Your Palate to Unexpected Places

Never before have so many diverse wines, from so many places, been available to so many people around the globe

A reconstruction of Ötzi the Iceman at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.

Ötzi the Iceman's Last Meal Included Goat Bacon

Analysis of the 5,300-year-old mummy's stomach contents shows he ate dry-cured meat from a mountain ibex

As his ancestors have done for generations, Icelander Árni Hilmarsson catches an Atlantic puffin in a net called a háfur.

Disappearing Puffins Bring an Icelandic Hunting Tradition Under Scrutiny

Historically, hunting seabirds has been a distinctive feature of Nordic coastal culture. Should it still be?

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Presidential Food?

In honor of Inauguration Day, here's a little quiz to see how much you know about presidential food history

Tony Lu prepares a dish.

Meet the Michelin-Starred Chef Pushing the Limits of Vegetarian Cuisine in China

Master chef Tony Lu discusses China’s changing tastes and his own innovative approach to 'Vegetarian Fusion'

On a chilly day in Tokyo, customers slurp hot ramen at the Tsukiji fish market.

You've Been Slurping Ramen All Wrong

In Japan, ramen is a culinary touchstone that goes way beyond food

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