In the history of food, the tomato is a relative newcomer outside its ancestral home in Mesoamerica. And yet, as we devour pizza by the slice, dip French fries in ketchup, delight in a beautiful Bolog
Most of us can’t make it through morning without our cup (or cups) of joe, and we’re not alone. Coffee is a global beverage: it’s grown commercially on four continents and consumed e
Cabbage has as many faces as it does leafy furbelows. How could a vegetable be so beloved, so universal, and at the same time so disdained? One of the oldest crops in the world, cabbage has for millen
From the fiery kimchi of Korea to American dill spears; from the spicy achar of India to the ceviche of Latin America; from Europe’s sauerkraut to brined herrings and chutneys, pickles are unque
With eye-popping colors and shapes, intense flavors, and curious textures, sweets and candy are beloved by people of all ages worldwide. They provide minor treats, lessons in economics for children, a
Cheerfully offering themselves to passersby, berries have been juicy staples of the human diet for millennia. They are good luck charms and amulets to some, portents of doom to others. They inspire ev
The small-but-mighty shrimp has lured diners to the table for centuries. Whether served as the featured protein in a main dish or as a savory flavor in snacks, shrimp are the world’s most popula
Though tiny, the herring has played an enormous role in history. Battles have been waged over it. International economic alliances have formed over it. Major cities owe their prosperity to it. Politic
Originating in Mesoamerica 9,000 years ago, maize—or, as we know it, corn—now grows in 160 countries. In the New World, indigenous peoples referred to corn as “Our Mother,” &ld
Some might be put off by its texture, aroma, or murky origins, but the fact of the matter is seaweed is one of the oldest human foods on earth. And prepared the right way, it can be absolutely delicio
Supple but crunchy, sweet but tart—with its strange construction of seeds filled with delicious garnet juice so vibrant it’s hard not think it is some otherworldly blood—no wonder the pomegranate has
Whether drizzled into our tea or spread atop our terms of endearment, there’s one thing that is always true about honey: it is sweet. As Lucy M. Long shows in this book, while honey is definitely the
You might think moonshine only comes from ramshackle stills hidden away in the Appalachian Mountains, but the fact of the matter is we’ve been improvising spirits all around the world for centuries. N
Light, healthy, and easily tossed together, salads have been an herbaceous staple for as long as we have eaten food. Sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet—ladled over with buttermilk dressings or gently d
There are some of us who can’t even stand to look at them—and others who can’t live without them: chillies have been searing tongues and watering eyes for centuries in innumerable global cuisines. In
Most of us like to look at them, but why on earth would anyone want to eat them? As Constance Kirker and Mary Newman show in this book, however, flowers have a long history as a tasty ingredient in a
Look at any recipe for a savory dish and chances are it will start with this step:fry onions in a pan over medium heat. Onions—and their allium family relatives, shallots, garlic, chives, and leeks—ar
Butter, oil, tallow, lard, schmaltz—nutritionally crucial yet often villainized, at once rich yet cheap, fat is one of the most paradoxical categories of foods we consume. Shaping every cuisine on ear
Sweet, succulent, cooling, and often with a beguiling floral fragrance, a ripe melon can be one of the most delicious things you sink your teeth into. As Sylvia Lovegren shows in this book, the melon’
Sweet but starchy, soft but toothsome—and so easy to peel they just beg to be devoured—bananas are one of our favorite foods, found everywhere from gas station counters to Michelin star restaurants. Y
From gnocchi to pierogi to wonton, the dumpling has become synonymous with comfort food around the world. Whether stuffed or unfilled, steamed or boiled, many countries have their own version of the d
It’s no surprise that humankind’s love affair with sugar stretches back over millennia. The addictive sweetener originated in New Guinea around 8,000 BC and quickly spread throughout India, the Middle
With its unique aroma and heady buzzthe perfect accompaniment to even the spiciest tacostequila has won its way into drinkers’ hearts worldwide. There are few places on earth besides Mexico that have
What is a truffle? Is it the uber-shroom, the highest order of fungal foods? Does it arrive, as some cultures feel, in the moment of a thunderclap? One thing is for sure: despite its unappetizing appe
From almonds and pecans to pistachios, cashews, and macadamias, nuts are as basic as food gets?just pop them out of the shell and into your mouth. The original health food, the vitamin-packed nut is n
A mainstay of the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food, barbecue is an American institution. It is compelling in that it is an ancient, very simple form of cookery and at the same time a high form of culture
Beer: it’s everywhere. In pubs, restaurants, bars, and homes around the world beer is a mainstay, almost universal in its reach. Beer: A Global History explores and celebrates the heritage of one of t
According to Hindu scripture the world began as an egg, laid by a swan floating on the waters of chaos. Lying for a year, the egg split into silver and gold halves: the silver became the earth; the go
Known as the meat of the vegetable world, mushrooms have their ardent supporters as well as their fierce detractors. Hobbits go crazy over them, while Diderot thought they should be “sent back to the
Antelope and porcupines in Africa. Feral cats and wild goats in Australia. Deer, pheasants, and rabbits in the United States and Europe. These are just a few of the world’s game animals, or creatures
