Food

The miniature cakes, which fit in the palm of a hand, are most commonly made with a thin pastry layer encasing a dense filling of sweetened red beans, melon purée or mixed nuts.

The Rebellious History of Mooncakes, the Note-Passing Dessert That Liberated China

During Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese around the world eat the miniature molded and filled cakes to wish their families wealth and happiness

Robotic kitchens aren’t on homemakers’ must-have lists yet, but they are starting to gain traction in restaurants.

Robots Are Coming to the Kitchen. What Does This Mean for Everyday Life?

Can automated restaurants still be community and cultural spaces, or will they become feeding stations for humans? These and other questions loom as new food tech reaches the market

José Santiago of Palenque Don Lencho, in San Pablo Guilá village, with wooden vats of fermenting agave prior to distillation

The Race to Save Mezcal From the World

Climate change, corporate money, soaring demand—can Mexico’s local agave growers find a viable path for a beloved beverage?

Germany’s Schwarzwald, or Black Forest, has been the backdrop for myths and fairy tales for centuries.

From Sprites to Schnapps, Take a Spirited Trip Through Germany's Black Forest

On the scenic Oberkircher Brennersteig trail, home of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, travelers won’t go thirsty

In Sweden, a popular pie is topped with bananas, cheese, curry and salty ham.

Bananas and Curry on Pizza? That's How the Swedish Do It

Before you turn your nose up at the sweet and spicy combination, consider its roots in the country’s post-World War II food culture

Percebes are generally under two inches long, with a fleshy body and pieces of shell that lead to a point on one end. Let's be honest, they look like dinosaur toes.

Why Are Fishermen Braving Dangerous Waters to Harvest Bizarre-Looking Sea Creatures? They're Delicious

Gooseneck barnacles are tasty, but expensive, given the skill and guts it takes to gather them from slick rocks slammed by waves

The baba au rhum is forgiving and achievable for the average home cook.

The Paris Olympics

The Boozy History of Baba au Rhum

The French are known for their pastries, but few desserts garner as much attention as this dried-out cake resuscitated with rum

Pad thai is made by stir frying thin flat rice noodles in garlic, chai poh (Chinese sweet-salty preserved radish), dried shrimp and tofu, with a sauce made of ​fish sauce, tamarind paste and palm sugar.

The Surprising History of Pad Thai

The national dish of Thailand is actually a fusion of Thai and Chinese food cultures

More than 30 different varieties of cherry tomatoes are grown at this farm in Hillsborough.

Savor the Bountiful Flavors of Summer

These 15 images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest offer a taste of the season

For Union soldiers, a cup of coffee made hardtack biscuits more palatable. 

How Coffee Helped the Union Caffeinate Their Way to Victory in the Civil War

The North’s fruitful partnership with Liberian farmers fueled a steady supply of an essential beverage

More than just a place to eat, many French country bistros offer lodgings and sell local produce. But the transactions of greatest value are the social ones, in which locals come together over a meal or a drink to discuss everything from pressing politics to idle gossip. 

The Paris Olympics

Will the Bistro Save France's Rural Villages?

Because these social hubs are the glue holding communities together, a growing movement seeks to protect them on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list

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There's More to That

America’s Best New Restaurant Celebrates the Flavors of West Africa

The James Beard Award-winning Dakar NOLA is at the forefront of a generation of fine-dining establishments determined to educate foodies about the true origins of “Southern” cuisine

"Top Chef" contestant Eric Adjepong's scallop yassa

These Chefs Are Elevating African and Caribbean Cuisines From Carryouts to Fine Dining

More Americans are eating and learning about dishes such as fufu and curried goat in establishments recognized by the highest echelon of the culinary world

Zongzi are dumplings made from sticky glutinous rice wrapped neatly in a bamboo leaf and filled with umami-rich ingredients, like marinated pork, shiitake mushrooms, peanuts and beans.

How Zongzi Became the Must-Eat Food During the Dragon Boat Festival

A festive recipe to ward off sea monsters remains a staple of one of China’s biggest cultural events

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There's More to That

How Americans Got Hooked on Counting Calories More Than a Century Ago

A food history writer and an influential podcast host tell us how our thinking about health and body weight has—and hasn’t—evolved ever since Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters took the nation by storm

A number of people deserve credit for the birth of the Pop-Tart.

The Contentious History of the Pop-Tart

In the 1960s, two cereal giants raced to develop a toaster pastry

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Tweak the Recipe of This Australian Biscuit, and You Can Get a Hefty Fine or Even Jail Time

On April 25, a national holiday called Anzac Day, Aussies enjoy an Anzac biscuit in honor of military veterans

Farmer Robert Tomlinson harvests forced rhubarb by candlelight on his farm in Pudsey, near Leeds in northern England, in January 2022. 

Northern Europe and the British Isles

The English Farmers Who Harvest Rhubarb by Candlelight

The secret to the world’s sweetest rhubarb? Sealed sheds, total darkness and a little old-fashioned flair

A bright spot for sake is in America. In 2022, according to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, the U.S. was the No. 1 export market in terms of volume and second market in value for sake. 

An American-Made Sake Movement Is Underway

In the last decade, a truly homegrown effort has bubbled up in the United States

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How Kids Cornered the Market on Lemonade

The tangy tale of how America’s children learned to squeeze life for all it’s worth

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