Food History

People Ate Pork in the Middle East Until 1,000 B.C.—What Changed?

A new study investigates the historical factors leading up to the emergence of pork prohibition

Bartender making mint julep cocktail.

Are We Re-Entering a Golden Age of American Bartending?

At the turn of the century, America was a hotbed of cocktail innovation—then Prohibition happened. Now, bartenders are trying to reclaim the golden age.

A chocolate pot from Yokohama, Japan, ca. 1904. Porcelain with clear glaze and overglaze enamels

A Brief History of the Chocolate Pot

How humans have consumed chocolate sheds lights on its significance to cultures and eras

In some parts of the country, this is what duck sauce looks like. In others, not so much.

What Exactly Is Duck Sauce?

Trying to get to the bottom of this Chinese food mystery sends our writer on a wild goose chase

Mostly the Old And Ill Ate Breakfast Until the Rise of the Working Man

Romans disdained the meal, few ate it in the Middle Ages, but most eat breakfast now

Harvey W. Wiley and his Poison Squad in 1902

Early Food Safety Workers Tested Poisons by Eating Them

They were hailed as heroes and even had a song

This Hoppin’ John dish is all wrong

Don’t Make Hoppin’ John for New Year's Without Heirloom Beans

The original dish didn’t use black-eyed peas, plus the rice and bacon you have is probably wrong

The French often make a bûche de Noël, a chocolate cake baked to look like a Yule log, at Christmastime.

A Christmas Feast, Experienced With Dishes From Around the World

Experience an international Christmas without any travel by preparing these traditional foods

The Oldest Olive Oil Ever Found Is 8,000 Years Old

Chemical analyses unveil traces of olive oil in ancient Israeli pottery

The world's favorite edible bird.

Chinese Chickens May Have Been Domesticated 10,000 Years Ago

Bones found in ancient farming sites are lending insight into the origins of our favorite fowl

Get Past the Vile Smell: Ginkgo Nuts Are Delicious

People have been feasting on these tasty little morsels since at least the 11th century

Europeans Thought Coffee Was Satanic

Until the Pope tried it out and became a fan

John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, planted orchards across the frontier.

The Real Johnny Appleseed Brought Apples—and Booze—to the American Frontier

The apples John Chapman brought to the frontier were very different than today's apples—and they weren't meant to be eaten

Scotland Is No Longer Home to the World’s Best Whiskys

When it comes to whisky, Japan, the US and even England now reign supreme

Did the Gladiators Drink an Energy Drink Made of Ash?

Gladiators were getting extra calcium in their diet

A zombie enjoys a bite of pan de muertos at a Day of the Dead celebration in Atlanta, Georgia.

Barmbrack, Toffee and Other Treats to Have an Around-the-World Halloween Celebration

This weekend’s celebrations extend beyond snarfing down Hershey and Mars bars

The recipes from pizza maker Tony Gemignani's latest book, The Pizza Bible, will make your mouth water if the scrumptious images haven't already done the trick.

Want to Know How to Make Great Pizza? Consult the Guy Who Wrote the Bible on It

Tony Gemignani knows everything there is to know about making pizza, and now he’s telling you his secrets

The Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, P.A. is celebrating its city in a long-term exhibition, "Pittsburgh a Tradition of Innovation."

Celebrating Pittsburgh, the City Behind Pro Football, Big Macs and the Polio Vaccine

The Pennsylvanian city had more lives than a cat and thrives as a hub of innovation

Kale is delicious, nutritious and unnatural, genetically speaking.

Sorry Hipsters, That Organic Kale Is a Genetically Modified Food

And those juicy red grapefruits are mutants created by radiation exposure

Home-Cooked Meals Are a Burden on Women

Cash- and time-strapped moms often feel pressured to cook meals for unappreciative kids and men

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