Food and Culture Facts

There are a lot of quirky eaters out there. Are you one of them?

By John Donovan

On a cold winter's day, a hot piece of pizza really satisfies. It works just as well on a hot summer's day with an icy soda too. But who invented pizza? And what did Chuck E. Cheese's have to do with Atari?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Whole Foods or Randalls? Cracker Barrel or Au Bon Pain? And what do your answers say about the way you voted, if anything?

By John Donovan

Kids have clamored for toys in their cereal boxes for decades, so how did the two become linked?

By Shaun Chavis

The sound and smell of bacon sizzling on the stove send your taste buds into overdrive. But how bad for you is it really?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Cricket farming is growing in popularity as people learn their nutritional importance, and environmental, economic and social sustainability.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Hunger doesn't always feel like a grumble in the tummy. And a grumble doesn't always mean you're truly hungry, either.

By Kate Kershner

Homer Simpson's favorite snack was once called 'oily cakes.' Find out more about this and other fun facts on doughnuts.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Americans toss nearly 40 percent of the nation's food supply — enough to provide more than two-thirds of the country with a healthy daily diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.

By John Perritano

The United States grows billions of dollars of corn every year. Though little of that goes to feeding its citizens. Is that the best farm policy going forward?

By John Perritano

Why, when hungry, do we crave warm food more than something cold? It may have something to do with your nose. Or your gut. Or your brain.

By Jesslyn Shields

It's not just in your mind – a study showed that pairing cheese with wine made wine taste better. Here's why.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

How does a kudzu salad sound? Or maybe a roasted guinea pig? Both are plentiful, and both don't often appear on U.S. restaurant menus. Should they?

By Sarah Gleim

Bootlegging alcohol? Sure, we've heard of that, but butter substitutes?

By Candace Gibson

The practice has ancient roots — but GMOs as we know them really started taking off after some key discoveries about DNA.

By Alison Cooper

To a food lover, the idea of trading pizza for a pill isn't exactly appetizing. But in a world where many of us struggle with getting daily nourishment, being a foodie is a luxury. Is a cure for world hunger on the horizon?

By Kate Kershner

When you see the increasingly popular label on food products, does that mean you're getting a sugar-free product?

By Christine Venzon

Cheese has a very long history. Learn more about cheese in this funny video from HowStuffWorks.

Most of us eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day without stopping to think about it. So why do we eat three meals a day — is there a biological reason, or is it a societal construct?

By Laurie L. Dove

People have always had a thing for sparkling water, but it wasn't easy to reproduce the effervescence found naturally in some springs. Why was it so hard to create carbonated water and how did the product gave birth to the soda fountain?

By Dave Roos

Stuffed full of vitamins and minerals — not to mention fats, carbs and proteins — Soylent can replace all those meals you're tired of making. But would you want it to?

By Jeff Harder

Figuring out how many people a farmer's work feeds is more complicated than you may think. Agriculture has many variables that affect farm output – what are they?

By Maria Trimarchi

If fears of botulism have scared you away from home canning, you may also be hesitant to whip up your own fermented cabbage. Is it worth the worry?

By Debra Ronca

Healthy food fads come and go. Smoothies, however, stand the test of time. The latest variation for 2014? One you don't sip with a straw.

By Debra Ronca

That microwavable Panang curry and sack of frozen corn dogs didn't become possible overnight. Check out these 10 game-changers from the epic history of the TV dinner.

By Patrick J. Kiger