Creating a Bengali Cuisine
A rising middle class built up the notion of a distinct Bengali way of eating that claimed ancient origins while also incorporating European cooking styles.
The Gendered Labor of Noticing and Anticipating
Through interviews with couples, sociologist Allison Daminger refines our understanding of cognitive labor in the household.
Fashion’s Flaws
Environmental historian Adam Rome considers the destructive history of fashion and style.
Hocktide: A Medieval Fest of Flirtation and Finances
The springtime holiday of Hocktide not only allowed villagers to cross social boundaries in the name of fun, it helped them raise funds for nonsecular needs.
The Popularity and Politics of Pedestrianism
The sport of competitive walking touched on social concerns such as debt and poverty, fitness and fame, but it also found support in the temperance movement.
Reinventing Vacation in Japan
In the late nineteenth century, Japan adopted Western-style vacation, but not everyone was on board with the new leisure practices.
The Science of Sourdough: How Citizens Are Helping Shape the Future of Fermented Foods
Citizen scientists are drawing on personal experience to help researchers create new plant-based fermented foods and maximize their health benefits.
Cheesy Terroir-ism: The ABCs of AOCs
Whether it supports the production of wine or cheese, terroir is a “particularly French conception of cultural territory” says historian Tamara L. Whited.
“Simple, Wholesome Food” for a New American Nation
In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, Americans faced understandable anxiety about what their society would look like—and what they should eat.