History

Excavating the River of Giants

Rare footage shows how paleontologist R.T. Bird diverted a river to excavate a set of Texas dinosaur tracks in 1938

March 12, 2012

Underwood’s Deviled Ham: The Oldest Trademark Still in Use

The 1870 trademark was for “Deviled Entremets”—”Intended for Sandwiches, Luncheons, and Traveler’s Repasts”

March 9, 2012

Black Lobster and the Birth of Canning

The canning innovation left another lasting impression: Foods are safe only when sterilized

March 8, 2012

Why We Have Sliced Bread

“Here is a refinement that will receive a hearty and permanent welcome,” a reporter wrote of the best thing to hit grocery store shelves

March 7, 2012

What Was It Like to Dine with the Persian Kings?

For the 25th anniversary of the Sackler Gallery, elaborately crafted Iranian metalwork from Arthur Sackler’s original gift are now on display

March 6, 2012

Great Walks of the World

The fact that people opt to walk today tells us there is something virtuous and irresistible in the plodding of one foot forward after the other

March 6, 2012

Airships and Oranges: The Commercial Art of the Second Gold Rush

How citrus crate label design fueled a boom that caused the art form’s own demise

March 1, 2012

How a Ship Full of Fish Helped Recreate an Ancient Fish Sauce

A 2,000-year-old shipwreck held ceramic vessels full of fish sauce, as well as a giant tank for transporting live fish

March 1, 2012

Fish Sauce, Ketchup and the Rewilding of Our Food

Fermented fish sauce has been a culinary staple since at least the 7th century B.C. What makes this seemingly disgusting condiment so popular?

February 28, 2012

Nothing Out of the Ordinary: Squirrel Stewed, 1878

A collection of old community cookbooks reflects a changing ecology and a cultural shift: the decline of hunting, chitlins and pig’s feet

February 15, 2012

Everything You Wanted to Know About Food and Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)

What is the term for a “euphoric sensation upon eating amazingly delicious food”

February 14, 2012

Brotherhood Spirit in Flesh Soup, or a Recipe Calling For Love

The counterculture has long been characterized by a single word: “love.” For some hippie communards, love was also a recipe ingredient

February 13, 2012

How Did the Biggest Dinosaurs Get it On?

Of all the dinosaur mysteries, how dinosaurs like the 23-ton Apatosaurus mated is one of the most perplexing

February 9, 2012

Who Was the First to Discover Dinosaur Eggs?

Despite an immense wave of publicity heralding the discovery of dinosaur eggs in 1923, French paleontologists had discovered them decades earlier

February 8, 2012

Charles McIlvaine, Pioneer of American Mycophagy

“I take no man’s word for the qualities of a toadstool,” said the man who took it upon himself to sample more than 600 species

February 8, 2012

Sugar of Lead: A Deadly Sweetener

Did ancient Romans, Pope Clement II or Ludwig van Beethoven overdose on a sweet salt of lead?

February 7, 2012

The Squishy History of Bath’s Buns

Was Sally Lunn a 17th-century Huguenot refugee named Solange Luyon? Or just a great tall tale?

February 3, 2012

The Battle for Food in World War II

A new book examines how food figured into the major powers’ war plans

February 2, 2012

Scrambled Eggs and the Demise of the Dinosaurs

Did egg-eating lizards and snakes contribute to the dinosaurs’ extinction?

February 2, 2012

What to Look for on the Train Ride From New York to Washington

Sure, the view along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor has its share of grime. But there are also sights that’ll make you want to put away your smart phone

February 2, 2012