christopher columbus
Why Is a ‘Pepper’ Different From ‘Pepper’? Blame Christopher Columbus
Black pepper and chili peppers have little in common.
Articles by Anne Ewbank
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Stories
Stories shared by this traveler.
cars
Driving a Muffin Car Is Fun (and Slightly Dangerous)
For 14 years, "Muffineers" have built movable treats.
food
Found: Evidence of Italy's Oldest Olive Oil
It was discovered on shards of pottery uncovered 20 years ago.
food
The Fabulous Food Hats of Maor Zabar
Now you can wear hot dogs, pizza, and sushi on your head.
mathematics
Why Beans Were an Ancient Emblem of Death
Fava beans can be lethal.
games
The Designer Making Board Games You Can Eat
Win or lose, all that's left are crumbs.
monks
The Ephemeral Butter Art of Tibetan Buddhism
The artists need cold fingers and plenty of patience.
food
Was the Long Island Iced Tea Invented in ... Tennessee?
"Not since the 'Battle of Long Island' has Long Island's honor been so challenged."
objects of intrigue
Early Hackers Used Whistles From Cap’n Crunch Cereal Boxes
You can draw a line from the tiny toys to Apple Inc.
restaurants
Why a San Francisco Burger King Blasts Classical Music Day and Night
It's not meant to be pleasant.
libraries
Inside the World's Only Sourdough Library
The collection holds 105 starters and counting.
food
During Prohibition, Federal Chemists Used Poison to Stop Bootlegging
They tried to make industrial alcohol too lethal to drink.
food
12 Tons of Liquid Chocolate Have Blocked a Polish Highway
All aspiring Augustus Gloops should report to Poland.
food
Years Before Stonewall, a Chef Published the First Gay Cookbook
It was the first to be marketed to gay men.
food
The Turkish Roots of Swedish Meatballs
Thank the warlike King Charles XII for your IKEA lunch.
food
America's Greatest Horticulturist Left Behind a Plum Mystery
Frida Kahlo painted him. Thomas Edison admired him. Now Rachel Spaeth is trying to decode him.
science
This Scientist Explains Complex Concepts With Sushi
Sashimi meets science.
restaurants
'À La Mode' Is a Lonely Survivor of a French Culinary Code
In America, à la Nesselrode and à la Maryland are à la gone.
food
Looking Like a Flapper Meant a Diet of Celery and Cigarettes
A new standard of beauty led to today’s weight-loss regimens.
science
Can Putting a Frog in Milk Keep It Fresh?
Modern science may have an answer to this Russian folk belief.
food
The Rise and Fall of the Hormel Girls, Who Sold America on SPAM
The Spamettes sang and danced and glamorized canned meat.
churches
Found: Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Coffin in a Wine Cellar
The poet's remains were rediscovered in London earlier this week.
art
The Story Behind New York City's New Egg House
If you visit this pop-up, you’ll enter the dreams of Ellis the egg.
food
Why Do Fantasy Novels Have So Much Food?
Writers since Tolkien have conjured magical feasts for readers.
