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Food

 Maria Branyas Morera on her 117th birthday

Scientists Studied the Genes of a Woman Who Lived 117 Years. Here’s What They Learned

Maria Branyas Morera, formerly the world’s oldest person, allowed researchers to take a detailed look at her biology before she died last year

A team of Japanese researchers accepts the Ig Nobel Prize for biology. In their experiments, they found that painting cows with stripes roughly halved the number of fly bites the animals received.

Ig Nobel Prizes Honor Fingernails, Painted Cows and Cacio e Pepe in a Celebration of Strange Science

Ten research projects earned awards for achievements that have made people “laugh, then think”

“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

The Scarlet Sunrise is a new, crack-resistant grape tomato variety developed by researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Researchers Just Developed a Tasty New Tomato Called the Scarlet Sunrise

The snackable grape variety is the brainchild of scientists at Rutgers University, who have spent more than a decade trying to produce a firm, crack-resistant fruit with a vibrant reddish-yellow color

Nigerian chef Hilda Baci stirs rice in a giant pot in an attempt to set a world record.

This Nigerian Chef Just Set the World Record for the Largest Pot of Jollof Rice

Hilda Baci, whose winning dish weighed more than 19,000 pounds, had previously been awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon

A sheep jaw bone was one of the samples analyzed in the new study.

New Research

Large Groups Came Together for Grand Feasts at the End of the Bronze Age in Britain

After analyzing bone fragments found in millennia-old trash piles, researchers say that people may have brought livestock from far and wide to consume in the south

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

A worker lowers a pump system into the water. The tube sucks in the berries and pulls them into a machine that separates the fruit from water, stems and debris. 

These Photos of Harvesting Cranberries Transform the Annual Ritual Into a Shimmering Spectacle

In eastern Massachusetts, flooded wetlands cover the landscape as farmers collect the crop that features on Thanksgiving tables nationwide

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

Revelers throw tomatoes during the annual Tomatina festival in Buñol on August 27, 2025.

How a Spontaneous Food Fight Became La Tomatina, Spain’s Annual Tomato-Throwing Festival

Thousands of people gathered in a small Spanish town this week for the event, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary

The Iowa State Fair butter cow has been carved annually since 1911.

How Life-Size Cows Made of Butter Became an Iconic Symbol of the Midwest

The Iowa State Fair has featured a bovine butter sculpture for more than 100 years. Now, the tradition is part of the “State Fairs” exhibition at the Renwick Gallery

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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.

Apps like the newly launched Runmates provide links to running clubs worldwide.

Third Places Are Being Reimagined—and Welcoming Travelers in the Process

Outside of home and work, spaces like parks, food halls and libraries are stepping up with social offerings

Colorful umbrellas protect beachgoers from the glaring sun on a day when most seemingly opted to stay somewhere cooler.

Get a Dose of Sun, Sand and Sea With These 20 Scenes From the Beach

These highlights from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest are sure to remind you of everything you love about the shore

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

New research suggests Neanderthals ate rotten flesh and maggots, explaining why the levels of nitrogen-15 found in their remains are so high.

Neanderthals Might Have Eaten Maggot-Infested, Putrefying Meat, Explaining a Mysterious Chemical Signature in Their Remains

Maggots might have helped our long-extinct relatives avoid protein poisoning by providing a nutritious source of fat, a new study suggests

A fateful meeting between ancestors of tomatoes and potatoes allowed for the growth of tubers, the edible part of potatoes today, according to a new study.

The Potato May Have Evolved From a Tomato Ancestor Nine Million Years Ago, Genetic Study Suggests

A genome analysis indicates wild tomatoes and a potato-like plant called Etuberosum hybridized to create the modern potato

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

Entrepreneurs are remaking these 16th to 18th century farmhouses into intimate retreats and luxury hotels.

The Centuries-Old Abandoned Farmhouses of Puglia Are Having a Renaissance Moment

Supporting sustainability and local economies, these out-of-the-way structures known as masserie are offering a new type of rustic luxury

Comedian, Maurizio Cattelan, 2019

These Bananas Duct-Taped to the Wall Are Worth Millions. Hungry Museumgoers Keep Eating Them

A visitor recently ate the banana from Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian,” which was on view at the Center Pompidou-Metz. The artwork, which sold for $6.2 million last year, has met this fate before

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