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Food

The newly rediscovered species, Coffea stenophylla, has black fruit or cherries surrounding its "beans" which are actually seeds. Plant researchers are excited by the species' tolerance of higher temperatures and desirable flavor characteristics.

New Research

Rediscovered Coffee Species Boosts Crop’s Climate Resilience Without Sacrificing Taste

The rare, wild species was well-received by taste-testers and can grow in much higher temperatures than the most commonly cultivated varieties

The boba shortage is expected to affect the entire bubble tea industry in the U.S., especially businesses on the West coast.

West Coast Bubble Tea Shops Brace for Boba Shortage as Cargo Ships Jam Los Angeles Ports

The popular sweet drink might not be available in some locations for awhile due to shipping delays

An ear of corn sits on topsoil in Nebraska, part of the nation’s Corn Belt. Scientists estimate the region has lost about 35 percent of its topsoil.

The Nation’s Corn Belt Has Lost a Third of Its Topsoil

Researchers used satellite imaging and surface soil color to find out how much of the nutrient-rich earth has eroded away

Paper packets are filled with pea seeds.

How to Germinate Seeds for Your Garden Using an Instant Pot

Hack your way to planting success with the popular kitchen appliance

Cascatelli, a play on the word for waterfall in Italian, was designed to hold the right amount of sauce with its 90-degree curve and hollow slide-like inside.

Get Lost in the Sauce With a Brand New Pasta Shape, Cascatelli

The ruffled, waterfall-inspired noodle resembles a combination of mafaldine and bucatini

A stone-lined latrine was one of the few surviving remnants of a medieval hall in Oxford's Jewish quarter.

Cool Finds

Medieval Jews in England Kept Kosher Laws, New Research Suggests

An 800-year-old trash dump in Oxford reveals adherence to Jewish dietary codes

Sea beans, otherwise known as sea asparagus and pickleweed, belong to the genus Salicornia, marsh plants that thrive in salty soils.

How One Farmer Is Introducing Americans to Sea Beans

In Charleston, South Carolina, Heron Farms is attempting to grow a gangly, salt-tolerant plant in the face of sea level rise

Can You Dig It volunteers took part in excavation work at Little Wood Hill in 2019.

Cool Finds

Hazelnut Shell Sheds Light on Life in Scotland More Than 10,000 Years Ago

Amateur archaeologists discovered the shell, along with evidence from an Iron Age structure, in 2019

West African culinary traditions

Education During Coronavirus

New Online Portal Chronicles the Culinary Legacy of the African Diaspora

“Feast Afrique,” a digital tool created by food historian Ozoz Sokoh, features nearly 200 texts spanning 1828 to the present

Regenerative farming, which centers on building soil health, is one promising pathway for decreasing agriculture’s carbon footprint.

To Meet Ambitious Emissions Goals, Large Food Companies Are Looking to Lock Carbon in Soil

But the logistics of moving farmers in their supply chains to regenerative agriculture practices can be complicated

The main oven at Pizzeria Da Michele is near customers’ tables. The waiter in the background holds marinaras.

Coastal Cities of Europe

Inside Naples’ World-Famous Pizza Culture

For hundreds of years, artisans in the southern Italian city have been cooking up the ultimate fast food

Bogong moths were traditionally ground into pastes or cakes. Pictured here are a single moth (left) and thousands of moths resting on a rock (right).

Cool Finds

Aboriginal Australians Dined on Moths 2,000 Years Ago

The discovery of an ancient grindstone containing traces of the insect confirms long-held Indigenous oral tradition

Most cat foods contain high-quality proteins but are often plant-based and may drive cats to hunt to get the micronutrients they are missing from their cat food.

To Protect Local Wildlife, Feed Your Cat Meatier Meals

Well-fed felines brought 36 percent fewer kills back home—if allowed outside

Villa Adriana, or Hadrian's Villa, is a Unesco World Heritage Site in Tivoli, Italy, that spans 200 acres and was built around 210 A.D. by Roman leader Hadrian.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Ruins of Emperor Hadrian’s Ornate Breakfast Chamber

In the second century A.D., the Roman ruler entertained his guests on a raised marble platform surrounded by elaborate fountains

In Singapore, a city-state notoriously tight on space, Apollo Aquaculture Group is building an eight-story indoor aquaculture facility.

An Eight-Story Fish Farm Will Bring Locally Produced Food to Singapore

The massive indoor aquaculture facility is an effort to boost food security for the small island city-state

A group of perovskite solar cells that have been treated with capsaicin.

New Research

Chili Pepper Compound Increases Solar Cell Efficiency

Adding capsaicin, the chemical responsible for making chili peppers spicy, improved the efficiency of solar cells in experiments

This month's picks include The Ravine, Four Lost Cities and The Three Mothers.

Books of the Month

Civil Rights Icons’ Mothers, Lost Ancient Cities and Other New Books to Read

These February releases elevate overlooked stories and offer insights on oft-discussed topics

The Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington is hosting a photography exhibit, PHotoEspaña, posted on the fence surrounding its historic mansion.

Virtual Travel

Their Doors May Be Closed, but Embassies Are Still Showing People the World

From cooking demonstrations to poetry readings to special exhibitions, exploring another country has never been easier

Italian company Beeing’s B-Box is small enough to keep on even a modest urban balcony.

Nine Attention-Grabbing Inventions Unveiled at This Year’s CES

Held virtually, the Consumer Electronics Show still debuted plenty of new gadgets, from an easy-to-use beehive to a Bluetooth mask

Shef, which currently operates in the Bay Area and New York City, features meals made by chefs specializing in dozens of cuisines and hundreds of dishes.

Sick of Quarantine Cooking? New Companies Let Chefs Prepare Homemade Meals for You

Startups like Shef and WoodSpoon give Covid-impacted professional chefs and excellent home cooks a platform for sharing their food

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