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Food

Fears materialized when a series of deadly botulism cases struck unassuming consumers throughout the country.

The Botulism Outbreak That Gave Rise to America’s Food Safety System

In late 1919 and early 1920, scientists and canners worked with the government to protect the public from the deadly toxin

A butcher in Meizhou, China

Will China’s Growing Appetite for Meat Undermine Its Efforts to Fight Climate Change?

The country consumes 28 percent of the world’s meat—twice as much as the United States. And that figure is only set to increase.

Trending Today

Europe Applies Strict Regulations to CRISPR Crops

A court has ruled that plants modified with CRISPR technology are subject to the restrictions of the 2001 GMO Directive

A cook works on khorovats skewers at Taron Restaurant in Yerevan.

Armenia

Get to Know Khorovats, Armenia’s Favorite Grilling Pastime

Heinz is why ketchup seemed to become distinctly American.

A Brief (But Global) History of Ketchup

Canada recently slapped a tariff on U.S. exports of ketchup, and the EU plans to do the same. But is the condiment all that American?

New Research

Study Suggests Neanderthals Sparked Their Own Fire

Hand-axe wear suggests our hominid cousins used flint and pyrite to unleash Prometheus’ gift

The Gilbert Stuart painting “Portrait of George Washington’s Cook” may depict Hercules, the first president’s famous chef.

How Enslaved Chefs Helped Shape American Cuisine

Black cooks created the feasts that gave the South its reputation for hospitality

Two tacos, extra ghost pepper sauce, please!

New Research

Tree Shrews Love Hot Peppers Because They Don’t Feel the Burn

A genetic mutation prevents Chinese tree shrews from feeling the heat of capsaicin, making them the only other mammal besides humans that enjoys hot foods

Emirates Flight Catering and Crop One Holdings announced plans this week for what would be the world’s largest vertical farm, to be based in Dubai. This is another one of Crop One’s vertical farms, which don’t use pesticides and are more water-efficient than their soil counterparts.

Dubai Will Be Home To the World’s Biggest Vertical Farm

An indoor megafarm might be the best way for the United Arab Emirates—a country that imports an estimated 85 percent of its food—to attempt to feed itself

Researchers sampling the Iceman's stomach contents in 2010

Before He Died, Ötzi the Iceman Ate a Greasy, Fatty Meal

A detailed analysis of the mummy’s stomach contents suggests he knew precisely what to eat to survive in harsh Alpine conditions

Thermodynamics holds the answers to your wildest campfire dreams.

The Scientific Quest For the Perfect S’more

A trial by fire

The famous Les Deux Magots situated in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris, France

Europe

The Parisian Bistro Is Disappearing

And one bistro owner is on a mission to save them

Forget Baguettes — Why In-the-Know Bread Lovers Should be Heading to the Caucasus (Recipe)

During a culinary research trip to the Republic of Georgia, a team of chefs tour backyard bakeries — and return with inspiration for their flatbread

Coming together for a solstice feast in ancient Peru.

How Feasting Rituals Help Shape Human Civilization

These transformative practices—and the cooperation they require—are a cornerstone of societies the world over

Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam

What Did the Founding Fathers Eat and Drink as They Started a Revolution?

They may not have been hosting a cookout, but they did know how to imbibe and celebrate

Save the crumpet

A Carbon Dioxide Shortage Is Threatening the U.K.’s Supply of Beer and Crumpets

The food industry uses carbon dioxide in several ways, including packaging and meat processing

Each spring the Festival de Sopes del Món Mundial (World Soup Festival) takes place in Barcelona, the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region.

Catalonia

How Soup Nourishes Barcelona’s Tradition of Welcoming Immigrants

In the town plaza of Nou Barris, a festival feast mixes together the spices and flavorings of the world’s cuisines

So gooey, so good.

Let Us Tell You S’more About America’s Favorite Campfire Treat

The gooey snack became popular thanks to technological advances of the Industrial Revolution, which brought cheap sweets to the masses

The first frozen margarita machine is in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

American South

The Uniquely Texan Origins of the Frozen Margarita

A Dallas restaurant owner blended tequila, ice and automation. America has been hungover ever since

The Armenian countryside on the road from Yerevan to Vanadzor.

Unfurling the Rich Tapestry of Armenian Culture

This year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival will offer a window on Armenian visions of home

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