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Food History

Crabs not yet at the molting stage are thrown back into the Venice lagoon.

Coastal Cities of Europe

Can Venice’s Iconic Crab Dish Survive Climate Change?

For more than 300 years, Italians have fried soft-shell green crabs, called moeche. But the culinary tradition is under threat

The four-story building, originally a private home, dates to at least 1590.

The Oldest Restaurant in the World Just Turned 300 Years Old

Madrid’s Sobrino de Botín is filled with legends, ghosts and priceless art. The food is pretty good, too

An international team of archaeologists from Italy, Spain and Tunisia has been excavating Henchir el Begar since 2023.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Roman Olive Oil Production Facilities in North Africa

Located in western Tunisia, the plants operated between the third and sixth centuries and likely helped supply precious olive oil to Rome

Smithsonian magazine's picks for the best books about food of 2025 include Good Things, Cellar Rat and We Are Eating the Earth.

The Best Books of 2025

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2025

From cookbooks to memoirs, these new titles will feed your hunger and leave you satisfied

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An Industrious Grocer in the 1930s Wanted to Make It Easier for His Customers to Buy More. They Just Needed a Push

There was a time when shoppers could buy only as much as they could carry. And as ubiquitous as shopping carts are today, it initially took some convincing to use them

The Green Dragon Tavern, a coffeehouse in Boston that served as a meeting place for the Sons of Liberty

America's 250th Anniversary

In Colonial America, Patriots Flocked to Coffeehouses to Debate Politics and Sow the Seeds of Revolution

These storied establishments served up more than just hot drinks. They acted as intellectual hubs and meeting places for dissenters

Researchers have revived an ancient yogurt-making method based on red wood ants.

Scientists and Chefs Team Up to Make Yogurt From Ants

In doing so, the team has revived an ancient Bulgarian fermentation method

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

The production of knives flourished in Sakai due to the rich history of traditional metal processing techniques.

The Japanese City Known for Making Knives That Are a Cut Above

Ninety percent of professional chefs in Japan buy their knives in Sakai. TikTok users are spreading the word, and demand is skyrocketing, as international tourists want in on the action

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Oysters Tell a Surprising Story of New Jersey’s Past—and a Perfect Way to Experience its Present

These remarkable bivalves have long connected New Jersey’s people to its waters—today, they offer a delicious gateway into the state’s maritime past and sustainable future.

Throughout time, women and children have processed food on a daily basis, playing a central role in the story of human survival and evolution.

Through Much of Human History, Women Have Shaped Evolution Through Food Processing

An anthropologist highlights the revolutionary role of the practice, which was often led by women, and was just as crucial to surviving and thriving as hunting

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

In the 1950s, archaeologists found bronze jars in an underground shrine (left). They contained a mysterious sticky residue (right).

Scientists Found Sticky Goo Inside a 2,500-Year-Old Jar. Seventy Years Later, They Finally Know What It Is

By studying the mysterious substance’s chemical makeup, scientists determined the pot was once full of honey

The bones were discovered at two caves in the 1990s, but scientists recently revisited them to take a closer look at the cut marks.

Cut Marks on Animal Bones Suggest Neanderthal Groups Had Their Own Unique Culinary Traditions

Neanderthals in two nearby caves used different techniques when butchering animal carcasses in what is now Israel, according to a new paper

At the Neumark-Nord site in central Germany, researchers found the remains of at least 172 individual animals, including foxes, horses, big cats and an extinct species of rhinoceros.

New Research

Neanderthals May Have Been Running a Sophisticated ‘Fat Factory’ in Germany 125,000 Years Ago

New research suggests that they smashed animal bones into tiny pieces before boiling them to extract the high-calorie grease inside

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

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

A painting found in Pompeii depicting eggs, bronze dishes and two small birds hung on a wall

New Research

This Ancient Roman Casual Dining Joint Served Fish, Chicken and—Fried Songbird

A new analysis of the bones in the eatery’s garbage pit challenges the elite status of thrush in the Roman diet

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