Food History

The history of the jelly doughnut, AKA the sufganiyah, goes back to the 15th century. Since then, it’s been dipped, sandwiched, and injected with savory and sweet fillings.

All hail the queen! Of Italian cheese, that is: Burrata di Andria. A kind of cream-filled mozzarella, it rules a plate like no other cheese. Gary Allen explains.

Chicken fingers—that favorite meal of kids—have an interesting history, filled with thrift and greed. Who knew a kids’ snack could be so profitable?

Victory cakes, also known as celebration cakes, were popular after World War II and were centerpieces of U.S. and U.K. parties. Gary Allen reports.

Absinthe, also known as the green fairy due to its hallucinogenic properties, is basking in the glow of a revival of interest among discerning drinkers.

Writer and cookbook author Mai Pham reminiscences about her childhood in Vietnam and one of its beloved comfort foods, pho, or beef noodle soup.

Food history editor Gary Allen delves into the culinary world of Virginia Woolf, the Bloomsbury set, and foods of the Edwardian era.

Gary Allen dissects the classic dishes Salisbury Steak and Beeksteak Stanley and finds what may have been the 20th century’s original low-carb diet.

For Valentine’s Day, food history editor Gary Allen takes a look at comestible aphrodisiacs and unravels their magic, myth, and mayhem.

Food history editor, Gay Allen, discovers the root of manchup, Cape Verde’s beloved dish. Manchup is a rustic dish filled with meats, beans, and grains.

Chad Ward, an expert in all things cutlery, turns his attention to the history of the world’s most taken-for-granted eating implement.

Food history editor Gary Allen, who has a bent for all things food science, delves into the mystery of a batch of ghastly blue-grey blackberry ice cream.

Our food history editor, and sometime science guy, Gary Allen, helps a reader understand how to keep and care for salt cod.

A frustrating search for the origins of Red Velvet Cake leads a stymied reader to our food history editor, Gary Allen.

Food history editor Gary Allen tracks down the classic icebox cake. The recipe for the original icebox cake is on the Nabisco chocolate wafer box.