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Arts & Culture / Trends & Traditions

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Those (Waxed Fruit) Times

The artist pays tribute to a family centerpiece that was both inedible and indelible

A plate of assorted oysters at Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco.

The Decades-Long Comeback of Mark Twain’s Favorite Food

When America’s favorite storyteller lived in San Francisco, nothing struck his fancy like a heaping plate of this Pacific Northwest delicacy

In southwest Bolivia, the world’s largest salt flats sit atop a vast pool of brine on the Salar de Uyuni.

A Tasting Tour of Salts Around the World

Food critic Mimi Sheraton samples the different kinds of the world’s most ancient and essential ingredient

According to famed chef Pierre Gagnaire, an egg slowly cooked at 149 degrees Fahrenheit would be unmatched in flavor and texture.

How Do You Cook the Perfect Egg

Chefs and scientists try to solve the ultimate culinary puzzle

Everyone's favorite gumbo is the one their mother makes.

Creole Gumbo Recipe From Mrs. Elie

Invite your friends and family over to dig into the Creole version of this classic Southern dish

New Orleans in a bowl: Proper gumbo is an appetizer as filling, rich and complicated as any dish that follows it.

Best. Gumbo. Ever.

He ate far and wide, but the author found only one true version of the New Orleans dish—Mom’s

Mexican silver miners likely invented the taco, Mexican Americans in the Southwest reinvented it, and Glen Bell mass-marketed it via the crunchy Taco Bell shell.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Where Did the Taco Come From?

Dating back to the 18th century, the dish has jumped from the Mexican silver mines to fast food staple

This custom-made board carried Kelly Slater to victory in Australia in 2010; the champion got his first surfboard at age 8 and from that moment, he says, “I was hooked.”

Kelly Slater, the Chairman of the Board

An ode to surfing’s fiercest, most successful competitor – who now has a place in the Smithsonian collections

Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, was going to name the main character Matt, but didn't think it would go over well in a pitch meeting, so he changed the name to Bart.

Matt Groening Reveals the Location of the Real Springfield

Twenty-five years after The Simpsons made their TV debut, the show’s creator talks about Homer’s odyssey—and his own

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Five Men Who Hated (or Loved) the Number 13

On this Friday the 13th, read about these famous people from history who had a close connection to the supposedly unlucky number

Bugs Bunny pitches in Baseball Bugs.

Baseball on the Screen

In honor of baseball’s Opening Day, here’s a list of baseball-related films that may be new to you

Better Feet Through Radiation: The Era of the Fluoroscope

Cristina Cárdenas and Jeremy Longoria, Houston, 2008.

The 21st-Century American Prom

Renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark invites herself to the dance, capturing the poignant moment teenagers teeter on the edge of adulthood

Greetings From the Land of the Make-Believe Species

Postcards provided proof of lake serpents, jackalopes and assorted curious monsters

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They Do Call it a Marriage Contract After All

Comedian Richard Pryor pontificates on what makes being married truly difficult

According to magician Teller, "Neuroscientists are novices at deception. Magicians have done controlled testing in human perception for thousands of years."

Teller Reveals His Secrets

The smaller, quieter half of the magician duo Penn & Teller writes about how magicians manipulate the human mind

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Know Your Enemy’s Weaknesses – Start with the Kelley Blue Book

Sun Tzu probably got a great deal on a used horse

Illusionist/director/writer Teller of the film "& Teller 2" poses for a portrait during the 11th annual CineVegas film festival held at the Palms Casino Resort on June 13, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Teller Speaks on the Enduring Appeal of Magic

The magician famous for being mute as a performer says that magic is all about the unwilling suspension of disbelief

The Martin Agency has created the jingles for Freecreditreport.com, "Peggy," the worthless customer service agent for Discover Card and the caveman, shown here, for Geico.

What Makes an Ad Successful?

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, John Adams shares what it takes to make a great Super Bowl advertisement

Surveys say that nearly 73 percent of all Americans enter their houses via the garage—each of them staring straight ahead to avoid seeing the stuff piled up where the cars are supposed to go.

The Hoarding Instinct

Dispatches From My War on Stuff

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