Americans have a torturous relationship with fast food. We vilify it but also view it through a nostalgic lens. A new book explores this complicated yet seemingly unshakable bond.
Thirty years ago, if you walked into a deli in Washington, D.C., you might find a dish called "Watergate Salad." And it's not bad. Soft. Tangy. You can taste why this caught on. And why it went away.
Though the potato dumplings are found all over Italy, it's only in Verona that the dish inspired a pre-Lent holiday, complete with a parade, costumes and an elected Santa-esque figure, Papà del Gnoco.
The Oscar-nominated film has reignited interest in the life (and love interests) of a corpulent, gouty, queen who liked chocolate more than tea. So why are Queen Anne and tea-drinking so closely tied?
The living-history museum in Virginia re-creates 18th-century recipes in its restaurants using ingredients grown in the traditional way onsite. But some modern palates aren't too keen on the taste.
The Rooster brand, ubiquitous in the U.S., is now being exported to Thailand, where Sriracha was born. But many Thais who taste the U.S. version are not impressed. "I wanted to gag," says one.
This festive punch, made from hibiscus, is the taste of the holidays throughout the islands. It is also a close cousin to African-American "red drink," described as "liquid soul."
Rosogolla is a classic Indian sweet, so loved that a new film tells its "bittersweet" origin story. But that story comes with its own version of a political birther controversy.
Cooking to soothe sick children is a ritual for moms around the world. In Korea, some foods are widely believed to help treat ailments and boost health. Here's a look at some popular healing dishes.
David Chang's show, Ugly Delicious, delves into how various cultures approach comfort foods that have complicated back stories. "There's no universal truth about any food," says the chef.
Curry may be Britain's unofficial national dish, but it's really more of a cuisine — and an entirely British invention. It's a testament to the innovation of Indian immigrants in the UK.
The concoction, crispy fried chicken tossed with a sweet and sour sauce, is an Americanized version of dishes found in China. But this top seller has developed its own authenticity over the years.
The new film Victoria & Abdul sheds light on this extraordinary friendship, which had a spicy side effect: Curries, once a way to use up leftovers, began to simmer regularly in the royal kitchens.
Enjoying a chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon? In the 1800s, Chinese immigrants helped introduce those iconic varietals to California's wine country. But as vineyards grew, so did anti-Chinese fervor.
In his book, The Potlikker Papers, John T. Edge tells the story of modern Southern history through food — which means "explicitly digging into issues of race, class, gender, ethnicity," he says.
The fanciful dish was meant to impress nearly 400 years ago, so don't roll your eyes at photos of these pretty edibles: They're actually a time-honored tradition tinged with a bit of kitchen science.
At the turn of the 20th century, when access to professional care was spotty, many cookbooks served up recipes for the sick — some (brandy) more appealing than others (toast water).
The rice traveled from Africa to the Southeast, where it was a link to home for enslaved Africans. Then it nearly vanished — and with it, a heritage tying African, Southern and West Indian foodways.
In ancient Rome, food was a bargaining chip for position for slaves and nobles alike. At the center of Feast Of Sorrow is real-life nobleman Apicius, who inspired the oldest surviving cookbook.
One hundred years ago today, the U.S. entered World War I. American GIs marched into battle armed with one important — and then still-novel — item to give them a jolt of energy and raise morale.
Anyone who has read or seen Victor Hugo's masterpiece knows the plot turns on the theft of a simple loaf of bread. There was no sharper barometer of economic status in 19th-century France than bread.
Tom Nealon's new book searches through patchy historical records to trace subjects like how chocolate helped lead to war in the Caribbean, or the role a grain fungus played in the Crusades.
From its origins as a happy accident 10,000 years ago, to its role as the centerpiece of a school "rebellion," the tabletop staple has had quite a life. A new book tells the story.
