An illustration of a thanksgiving table

Thanksgiving Stories

Turkey or Tofurkey? Stuffing or dressing? Whatever the controversy, these Thanksgiving stories will slake your appetite!
Famous Chicken Rice in Singapore

The Singaporean State on a Styrofoam Plate

Hawker centers, a uniquely Singaporean institution, bring a form of street commerce practiced around the world under the authority of state regulators.
"Fresh, red cloves grow on the branch, green leaves. Zanzibar, Tanzania"

Cloves: The Spice that Enriched Empires

Behind one humble spice lies a complex history of empires and profit, commodities and globalization.
Edwin Gonzalez, Iris Alomar, and Ray Gerdes, the three winners in the inaugural hamburger eating contest, at the Police Athletic League youth center on West 79th Street in New York City, New York, circa 1955.

The Curious History of Competitive Eating

The annals of competitive eating contests are full of more than just hot dogs.
A plate with mashed potatoes, tomato, asparagus, and a blue steak

How Do You Like Your Steak? Rare, Medium, or Bright Blue?

In 1973, an experiment with dyed food and colorful lights had participants vomiting up their half-finished meals. But did it really happen?
A bag of freshly picked potatoes in the field.

Potato Power!

How the potato changed the course of world history…twice.
An Elberta peach from Georgia, 1901

The Georgia Peach: A Labor History

The peach industry represented a new, scientifically driven economy for Georgia, but it also depended on the rhythms and racial stereotypes of cotton farming.
Korean style assorted savory pancakes

K-cuisine in Malaysia: Are Locals Biting?

By neglecting local tastes and the culinary presence of Korean migrants, state-sponsored initiatives to globalize Korean food may fall short in Malaysia.
Medicago sativa

Alfalfa: A Crop that Feeds Our Food

In 2023, American farmers grew more than 9 million acres of alfalfa. What makes this legume hay so special?
Tabula Indiae Orientalis et Regnorum adjacentium.

Culinary Fusion in the Ancient World

People from eastern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, South Asia, and Southeast Asia have been sharing food plants across the Indian Ocean for millennia.