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Arts & Culture / Food

The Syrian shawarma, originally served in the alleys of Damascus and Aleppo, has become a culinary mainstay in Berlin.

How Shawarma Became a Soul Food of Syria’s Diaspora in Berlin

The popularity of the humble street food is a testament to cultural survival for the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who arrived in Germany as refugees and asylum seekers in 2015

“The base of Ethiopian cuisine as a whole is very much Jewish, more than anything else,” says Beejhy Barhany.

At This Harlem Chef’s Table, the Rosh Hashana Menu Is Full of Ethiopian Spices

With a café in New York City and a new cookbook, Beejhy Barhany is bringing the stories and flavors of Ethiopian Jews to the States

Every September in the Swiss Alps, dairy farmers drive their herds from mountain pastures to the villages where they spend the winter.

When the Cows Come Home in the Alps, the Swiss Eat Raclette

Every September, dairy farmers herd cattle from high-alpine pastures back to the villages where they reside for the winter and celebrate the occasion by roasting cheese over a fire

A worker lowers a pump system into the water. The tube sucks in the berries and pulls them into a machine that separates the fruit from water, stems and debris. 

These Photos of Harvesting Cranberries Transform the Annual Ritual Into a Shimmering Spectacle

In eastern Massachusetts, flooded wetlands cover the landscape as farmers collect the crop that features on Thanksgiving tables nationwide

Apps like the newly launched Runmates provide links to running clubs worldwide.

Third Places Are Being Reimagined—and Welcoming Travelers in the Process

Outside of home and work, spaces like parks, food halls and libraries are stepping up with social offerings

Kulfi is the perfect cool-down in Delhi's sweltering heat.

Fancy a Kulfi? From Granita to Queso Helado, Cool Down With These Seven Frozen Desserts Found Around the World

Shaved ice, stretchy ice cream and other cold treats can transport you in time and place

Jewish communities in Poland originated foods like the bialy, the knish and the bagel.

Jewish Food Is Making a Comeback in Poland

Bagels, knishes, bialys and more are popping up in bakeries as the country reckons with historical trauma

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There's More to That

Why You Should Love Durian, the World’s Smelliest Fruit

The southeast Asian crop is a complex and layered one-of-a-kind fruit that consumes the lives of the devoted

One of the most popular and expensive varieties of durian, the Musang King is known for its bittersweet flavor and creamy consistency. Each fruit can weigh up to eight pounds.

A Search for the World’s Best Durian, the Divisive Fruit That’s Prized—and Reviled

Devotees of the crop journey to a Malaysian island to find the most fragrant and tasty specimens

Fishing guide Tori Arnona, 23, holds a redfish caught near Buras in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

Can the Redfish, That Gulf Coast Culinary Icon, Be Brought Back From the Brink?

The Cajun cooking craze nearly wiped out the species native to Louisiana, but conservation stemmed the tide. Now the fish faces new threats

Ma’amoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie often enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays, made by combining semolina flour with butter and milk, forming it into a dough, and filling it with nuts or dates.

The History of Ma’amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a ‘Love Letter’ to Our Ancestors

Stuffed with nuts or dates, the shortbread cookie is enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays

Seltzer is the little black dress of drinks—suitable for any occasion.

The Effervescent History of Seltzer, From the Early Days of Home Delivery to Today’s Trendy Cans

A century before LaCroix or Spindrift were refrigerator staples, factories in New York City were carbonating gallons and gallons of tap water each day

Vanilla producer Bertrand Côme displays bound and dried vanilla beans for sale at his Réunion farm. The beans generally grow as long as 6 to 11 inches.

The Bittersweet Beginnings of Vanilla Cultivation Can Be Traced Back to the Far-Flung Isle of Réunion

A journey to the remote Indian Ocean island reveals the story behind the fragrant, delicious, ubiquitous spice—and the enslaved youth who made it a commercial success

The last operating Woolworth lunch counter, in Bakersfield, California, seen in the 1990s.

The Last Operating Woolworth’s Lunch Counter Will Be Up and Running Once Again in California

A neighborhood icon, the Bakersfield luncheonette will mix modern design touches with classic decor

A batteau is a flat-bottomed vessel, a wooden relic of the 18th century that once carried tobacco, iron and flour through Virginia.

Two Centuries Ago, Batteaumen on Virginia’s James River Ended Long Work Days With a Taste of Freedom

The James River Batteau Company, an outdoor recreation-meets-historical tour business, has designed a dinner cruise that honors the resilience and culinary ingenuity of enslaved boatmen

Tomatoes from arranged shopping trolleys seen outside a store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on March 29, 2025

How the Misrepresentation of Tomatoes as Stinking ‘Poison Apples’ That Provoked Vomiting Made People Afraid of Them for More Than 200 Years

The long and fraught history of the plant shows that it got an unfair reputation from the beginning

The well-known Nabulsi knafeh consists of crumbled Nabulsi cheese topped with fried kataifi pastry.

The TikTok-Famous Dubai Chocolate Traces Its Origins to the 13th-Century Middle East

Generation Z is putting its own spin on knafeh, a dish first designed to quash a caliph’s hunger pangs

An 1896 illustration of Coffea stenophylla in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, which noted the species’ “superior flavor” and market potential.

How a Forgotten Bean Could Save Coffee From Extinction

One leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new species that could keep our mugs full

A reproduction of a World War II-era package, featuring Sailor Jack and loyal Bingo.

The Salty, Sweet and Irresistible History of Baseball’s Most Famous Snack

Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize? That, and so much more, is what you get with a Cracker Jack

The Burren House in San Rafael, California, is one of the most recent projects of the Irish Pub Company, a Dublin-based design group that has created upwards of 2,000 pubs in more than 100 countries on every continent except Antarctica.

How the Irish Pub Became One of the Emerald Isle’s Greatest Exports

The Dublin-based Irish Pub Company has designed upwards of 2,000 pubs in more than 100 countries around the globe

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