The Disco-Blasting Robot Waiters of 1980s Pasadena
In 1983, a Chinese fast-food restaurant hired a curious-looking pair of servers: Tanbo R-1 and Tanbo R-2.
April 19, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Colonel Curmudgeon and KFC’s Mascot Problem
Colonel Sanders thought the quality of his chicken had "slipped mightily" and the whole culture of fast food appeared to disgust him
April 18, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Backwoods Workouts With the World’s Fittest Man
Erwan Le Corre can climb a tree as quickly as cat. He is also is adept at carrying logs, hoisting rocks, scaling cliffs, slogging through mud pits and wrestling
April 17, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Where Are All the Ramps Going?
Ever since Martha Stewart published a recipe for ramps, the onion-like bulbs have gone from a rite of spring in Southern mountain culture to a compulsory purchase for foodies
April 16, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
How the Titanic Tragedy Reshaped the Fishing Industry
Alarmed by the sinking of the ocean liner, a radio pioneer devised a way to detect icebergs—and then submarines, reefs and schools of fish
April 13, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
The Most Dangerous Game: Chasing a Sea Snail?
Abalone divers die of exhaustion, heart attacks, or becoming entangled in kelp. The fear of being eaten by a great white shark is persistent and haunting
April 11, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Where Did Katniss Get Its Name?
The tuber that gave its name to the heroine of the Hunger Games books has its roots in an era when European explorers met native Americans
April 11, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Springtime Comes to the Flood-Damaged Cinque Terre
The future is looking brighter for the cliffside Italian villages ravaged by last fall's rains
April 11, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
More Fruits Worth a Voyage Around the World
Pawpaws are scarcely cultivated and even more rarely sold in markets, so pack a machete and a fruit bowl and get thee to the backwoods of Kentucky
April 10, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Stories Behind Five Famous Advertising Characters
Inspired by the Sriracha Flamethrower Grizzly, a look back at some of the great icons of food branding
April 10, 2012 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Fiddlehead Ferns: How Dangerous is the First Taste of Spring?
The French botanist named 6,700 species in a manic quest for fame. But did his taste for wild foods do him in?
April 09, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Exotic Fruits to Eat Locally When Traveling Globally
The crimson fruits occur by the millions, and fishermen, tequila-sipping cowboys, families from the city and even a few tourists take to the desert to pursue the pitahaya
April 06, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Sicilian Easter Sweets
On the Italian island, marzipan figures—pears, plums, Paschal lambs—are a favorite holiday treat
April 05, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
What Does Sweetness Sound Like?
Lab experiments show that we associate different sounds with different flavors, and that sounds influence how foods taste
April 05, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
The Art of the Biscuit Tin
Double-baked biscuits with a long shelf life were the food of choice for European travelers, and the tins they were packaged in are now hot collector's items
April 04, 2012 |
By Guest Blogger
A World of Cocktails
Unmixed feelings about mixed drinks, from the Singapore Sling to the Spritz con Aperol, courtesy of a thirsty traveler
April 04, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
Making Noise and Selling Ice Cream
Put the bumpy, sour, off-key sound of a mobile ice cream vendor on repeat and play it loud, and you've got an infectious earworm
April 03, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Indulging in American Basque Cuisine
The Basques followed the sheep from Europe to the western United States and they brought with them their boardinghouse cuisine
April 2012 |
By Jonathan Gold
More Brews and Booze from Around the Globe
Stick to the road, ignore everyone and beware of liquid that looks like water—because it's probably chacha, and in the Republic of Georgia, locals will make you drink it
March 30, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Sound of Success, Mobile Food Truck Edition
What does a folk song have to do with food trucks, Good Humor bars and the Beach Boys?
March 28, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
