Food and Culture Facts

The café Alice Waters opened in Berkeley, California, in 1971 launched California cuisine and the farm-to-table movement. Fifty years later Chez Panisse is still one of America's most influential restaurants.

By Paul Freedman

Some of your favorite "international" foods might not have roots outside of America. Instead, they may have been created in the good old U.S.A. Think you know which dishes were first cooked where?

By Alia Hoyt

Ah, food. It's different all over the world, and what's strange to you is totally mundane to someone else. Come along as we discover some interesting breakfast options from around the globe.

By Jeremy Glass

In a country with a radically altered economic landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic, public libraries across the nation are partnering with local food banks help keep hunger at bay.

By Noah Lenstra

The already heated chicken sandwich wars just keeps getting hotter. Will a winner ever emerge in this fast food fight?

By Jeremy Glass

This banana chicken casserole defined Swedish cuisine in the 1970s and is still a beloved classic today.

By Jeremy Glass

These eight foods are banned in at least some, if not all, of the states in America. Have you tried any of them?

By Alia Hoyt

Aspic might not be the most crave-worthy of culinary creations, but it does inspire a sort of cultlike devotion among ardent supporters.

By Katy Spratte Joyce

Tired of cooking every meal at home every day? We get it. And are here with ways to make dinnertime simple again.

By Sharise Cunningham

These steaks are touted as some of the best you can buy. They're expensive — and huge. But are they worth the high price tag?

By Muriel Vega

It's slimy, stringy and even quite pungent, but natto is also chock full of nutrients. So what is this superfood that's been a staple in Japan for thousands of years?

By Stephanie Vermillion

Food writer Calvin Trillin once estimated that 80 percent of boudin bought in Louisiana doesn't make it home — it's eaten right in the parking lot. Why are people so passionate about this sausage?

By Caroline Eubanks

These two Italian cheeses may look similar on the outside. But it's what's revealed on the inside that makes them so deliciously different.

By Stephanie Vermillion

Graham crackers were invented by Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham as part of a radical 19th century diet. His goal? To curb joy and desire.

By Patty Rasmussen

Latkes are potato pancakes that are commonly eaten during Hanukkah. What's behind this delicious Jewish tradition?

By Stephanie Vermillion

The national dish of Scotland (popular at New Year's Eve and Burns Night) is banned in America because it contains a certain outlawed ingredient. But whose idea was it to stuff a sheep's stomach bag and boil it? And what does it taste like?

By Alia Hoyt

Men at Work sang about the stuff in their 1981 hit 'Down Under.' But what is this thick, black spread anyway?

By Stephanie Vermillion

Not selling the cult-favorite sandwich year-round is all part of the "McPlan." And it must be working because the McRib is coming back and it just turned 40.

By Jeremy Glass

We usually equate the Masters golf tournament with azaleas blooming in the South. But this year, the tournament got us thinking about that pimento cheese sandwich, which it's also famous for.

By Stephanie Vermillion

What does it take to be a chief noodle officer? Top Ramen is hiring its first ever in honor of its 50th anniversary.

By Jeremy Glass

Canada isn't a country known for its cuisine. But there is one sandwich from Halifax with a cultlike following that you just have to try to believe.

By Jeremy Glass

This iconic cereal has a long and fun history. For instance, its original name wasn't even Cheerios.

By Jeremy Glass

Size is the most obvious difference between king and snow crab, but the distinctions don't end there. We'll tell you what makes each crab special.

By Stephanie Vermillion

In the 18th century, gin was considered as addictive as crack. Then it became part of a cure-all for tropical ailments. Oh, and let's not forget its starring role in Prohibition. Bathtub gin, anyone?

By Dave Roos

Since its introduction in 15th-century Yemen, Turkish coffee has served as a cultural touchstone in Middle Eastern, Eastern European and north African countries, its brewing infused with magic and myth.

By Katie Carman