FOOD HISTORY

Feast Afrique, A Digital Archive Dedicated to West African Cuisine, Is Now Online

Feast Afrique is an online library that gathers recipes and culinary texts from the past 200 years of African diasporan history.

Your favorite condiments have unusual origins.

A Brief History of Ketchup and Mustard

How did ketchup and mustard—two condiments with thousands of years of history between them—become associated with hot dogs and hamburgers?

A resourceful restaurant employee is one person we have to thank for this delicious dish.

A Brief History of Nachos

From the chips, to the toppings, to the molten yellow cheese that’s become synonymous with the dish, the history of nachos can tell us a lot more than their simple ingredients list might suggest.

What Are Sugar Plums?

Sugar plums didn't originally contain plums, and their name once doubled as a not-so-sweet euphemism.

Love it or hate it, candy corn is here to stay.

A Short, Sweet History of Candy Corn

Depending on which survey you’re looking at, candy corn is either the best or the worst Halloween candy ever created. Either way, here’s how it came to be.

mphillips007/iStock via Getty Images Plus

A Brief History of Mashed Potatoes

The story of mashed potatoes takes 10,000 years and traverses the mountains of Peru and the Irish countryside; it features cameos from Thomas Jefferson and a food scientist who helped invent a ubiquitous snack food.

Apple cider doughnuts have a surprisingly modern history.

The Surprising History of Apple Cider Doughnuts

Apple cider doughnuts are synonymous with fall, particularly in New England. The tasty treats have a modern history that may surprise you.

Goldfish crackers have nothing on this guy.

Amezaiku: The Nearly Lost Japanese Art of Candy Sculpture

For anyone who’s used the phrase “too pretty to eat,” we have a new benchmark for you: amezaiku, the ancient Japanese art of sugar sculpture.

Painting of a Puebla Kitchen, by an anonymous artist.

Food Timeline: You Could Be in Charge of the Web's Most Ambitious Food History Site

Lynne Olver built and maintained the Food Timeline on her own for 16 years before her death. Now, the beloved resource needs someone new at the helm.

kentnk2009, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

How to Make the Ancient Roman Fish Sauce Garum at Home

If you're looking for a new quarantine cooking project, consider making an Ancient Roman recipe for fish sauce in your kitchen.

If you're looking for a caffeine fix, you know that orange pot isn't going to help.

Why Are Decaf Coffee Pots Orange?

Both decaf and regular coffee drinkers know what the orange spout and handle on a carafe means, but they may not know why the color was chosen.

It’s a fish-filled Christmas Eve tradition.

7 Facts About the Feast of the Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, or 'Festa dei Sette Pesci,' is a delectable blend of the sacred and secular, the old world and the new.

For some Jewish families, a Christmas trip to a local Chinese restaurant is an annual tradition.

The Fascinating History Behind Why Jewish Families Eat Chinese Food on Christmas

As Gentiles feast on turkey and roast beef during the Yuletide season, why do many Jews opt for chop suey? While convenience is king, other ingredients play a part in this delicious story.

You don’t have to be in Quebec to tuck into a plate piled with poutine.

A Brief History of Poutine

Poutine—a staple of Canadian comfort cuisine—is comprised of a holy-hoser trinity of ingredients: French fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

The Surprisingly Interesting History of Margarine

A look at the fascinating origins of margarine, the popular butter substitute, and the dairy lobby's attempts to defeat it.