history
Iconic food and gustatory moments in history.
Blessed Be Thy Pretzel. Top Story - December 2017.
Ahhh, pretzels. Undeniably the most popular party snack and an absolute staple of modern-day American mall food. Restaurants serve them as appetizers and main dishes, and hell, there are even entire companies based around the production of pretzels, whether they be bagged or handmade at a stand in their one of their many forms. They can be crunchy or doughy, big or small, salted or unsalted, covered in cinnamon or covered in cheese—as a food, they are an absolute marvel.
By Brittany K. King8 years ago in Feast
Is the Sushi You're Eating Really Sushi?
Well this is the start of what hopefully will be a successful food tirade from a young aspiring Canadian chef. I thought however, why not start off my "Vocal" food profile with mine and millions of others' favourite food, sushi.
By Francesco Sacco8 years ago in Feast
Peeling Back the Banana Industry
I’ve got beef with the banana industry. Why? It’s hard to believe that peeling back the familiar yellow facade reveals such a dark and abusive industry. Bananas are the favourite fruit of a number of the world’s developed countries, including — but certainly not limited to — the United States, Britain, and Canada, with 7.1 billion, 2.5 billion, and 3 billion banana consumed annually, respectively, in 2015. With over 107 million tonnes produced per year, bananas comprise a massive industry, one that is highly, highly concentrated in the hands of three major corporations: Dole, Del Monte, and Chiquita.
By Logan Carmichael8 years ago in Feast
The Jewish History of Honey
Israel: a sacred land for Jews, Christians, Islam, Druze and Bahá'í Faith—a land of milk and honey. Honey, a simply delicious golden syrup that is made by bees and devoured by humans. Honey has a very cozy place in my heart. I could eat an entire jar of fresh local honey in a day: on top of toast, in my tea, on yogurt and granola, or on a spoon. It is very often eaten during one specific holiday, Rosh Hashanah. Parents tend to give their kids sweets made with honey: honey cake, honeycomb candy, and Bit-O-Honey, as a treat for the New Year. My family was more traditional and did honey and challah bread dipped in local honey.
By Emma Bukovsky8 years ago in Feast
Plen-tea to Talk About...
Tea. The national drink of Britain. We cannot get enough of the stuff. Whether it’s a warm or cold day, we will still faithfully put the kettle on like the automatons that we are. Forget the pop culture of today surrounding tea, let’s explore the deeper, and arguably murkier, depths that revolve the academic study of it.
By Elisabeth Millard8 years ago in Feast
Gender, Age, and Rationing
The traditional family structure in its idealized form has the father working and earning money to support his wife and children, the wife running the home, and the children going to school and playing, blissfully innocent and carefree. In the best case scenario, the father is able to provide for his family and they benefit from his labor, but the best case scenario very rarely reflects reality. In times of war, the traditional workers and breadwinners are sent off to fight and the civilians at home must step out of their usual roles. Women take on jobs outside the home to help the war effort and to support themselves and their children. A child’s innocence is threatened by the harsh and brutal realities of war. Both have to do without the pleasures they had previously enjoyed and often suffer from outright deprivation. The experiences of civilians during the First and Second World Wars, especially in rationing and the efforts to keep them fed, illustrate how war reverses society’s roles: In peacetime, men work to support women and children while in wartime, women and children must fend for themselves.
By Rachel Lesch9 years ago in Feast
How People Prepared Food in the Dark Ages
Cooking is one of the most human acts that you can perform. The art of cooking is something that has bonded people together, become a part of our cultural identities, and also become part of our history. Though the very basics of cooking never seem to change, the truth is that cooking styles do change over the years.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart9 years ago in Feast
What Is Umami?
The other day, I got my friend to try a Vegemite sandwich. Though I'm American, I absolutely love Vegemite. I love the umami taste it offers, and I tried to explain why it's so tasty to people who aren't from New Zealand and Australia before. It's not easy. The conversation usually goes like this:
By Ossiana Tepfenhart9 years ago in Feast
Here Are Seven Things You Might Not Know About Coffee
For many of us, it's how we begin every day. There are those among us who would sooner give up a pint of blood than suffer a single day's absence of their caffeinated paramour. It has almost limitless regional variations as far as preparation and ways to enjoy it. Its exports account for more than half the foreign exchange of some countries. Coffee is a multifaceted thing, equal parts drinkable satisfaction, constantly-evolving art medium, and big business. Let's take a look at this beverage with which the world's love affair has endured for centuries and shows no sign of cooling anytime soon.
By Anthony Beal9 years ago in Feast
How Nello Ended Up Getting a Reputation as the Worst Ripoff in NYC
Reputation is everything in the restaurant industry. If you don't believe it, take a moment to consider how many restaurants and chains have made it big solely based on the fact that they were spearheaded by celebrity chefs or restaurateurs. For example, would Bobby Flay's Burger Palace really have been as widely known if Bobby Flay himself didn't have his spots on television?
By Ossiana Tepfenhart9 years ago in Feast
