Bao—soft, pillowy buns filled with savoury or sweet fillings—are part of the culinary heart of China. Legend credits the military strategist Zhuge Liang with inventing steamed buns during the Three Kingdoms era, using dough in place of human heads as a ritual offering. Historically, baozi evolved from mantou, plain steamed buns eaten as staples in […]
In late summer, peaches perfume markets with their floral sweetness. The fruit, which likely originated in China more than 4,000 years ago, was so beloved there that poets compared it to immortality. From the foothills of the Himalayas peaches travelled west along the Silk Road through Persia—giving rise to their species name, Prunus persica—and on […]
Plant‑based milks might seem like a recent trend, but humans have been blending nuts, grains and seeds with water for centuries. Medieval European cooks made almond milk to use during Lent when animal products were forbidden; in China, soybeans were ground and boiled to create the drink we know as soy milk. In modern times, […]
Unlike a sponge cake, a torte relies on nuts for body instead of flour. In central Europe tortes are dense confections layered with buttercream and fruit, but in the American South the pecan torte stands apart: it’s a single layer of ground pecans folded gently into whipped egg whites and yolks. No leavening is needed; […]
A true sponge cake is more air than anything else. Unlike butter cakes, sponges rely on whipped eggs for their rise, creating a structure of tiny bubbles that results in an airy crumb. The cake’s origins are entwined with the discovery in 17th‑century Europe that beaten eggs could act as a leavening agent. Genoese bakers […]
The coconut is a study in versatility—simultaneously fruit, nut and seed, offering food, drink, fiber and fuel. National Coconut Week, observed during the last week of August, honors the tropical palm tree that has sustained island cultures for millennia. Coconut palms likely originated in the South Pacific and drifted on ocean currents to tropical shores […]
The Cuban sandwich—pressed bread stuffed with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard—is a story of migration and cultural mingling. Its roots lie with the Taino people of the Caribbean, who made flatbread from cassava called casabe. When Spanish colonists arrived, they introduced pork, cured ham and cheese, and the sandwich began to take […]
Pie is one of America’s most enduring desserts, and peach pie is arguably its summer queen. Peaches, with their fragrant flesh and rosy skins, reached North America via Spanish settlers and quickly took to southern orchards. Early American cooks prized pies for their ability to preserve fruit and provide portable meals. By the 19th century […]
The waffle has travelled an impressive journey from medieval pious fare to brunch favourite. Medieval Europeans cooked unleavened communion wafers in patterned irons, and by the 13th century artisans began to sell thicker street waffles seasoned with honey and wine. Waffle irons with elaborate designs—coats of arms, biblical scenes and lattice patterns—were prized household possessions. […]
A well‑made whiskey sour is a lesson in balance. The drink likely evolved from sailors’ grog—spirits mixed with citrus juice and sugar to ward off scurvy. By the mid‑19th century, bartenders in the United States were combining whiskey, lemon and sugar with ice and shaking them to a frothy chill. One popular origin story credits […]
Green Goddess dressing is a testament to how the theatre can influence cuisine. In the 1920s San Francisco’s Palace Hotel hosted the actor George Arliss, who was starring in the play The Green Goddess. To honour him, the hotel’s chef, Philip Roemer, created a dressing as vibrant as the title. He blended mayonnaise with fresh […]
On a summer afternoon in 1904, David Evans Strickler, a 23‑year‑old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, decided to liven up the soda fountain menu. He split a banana lengthwise, nestled three scoops of ice cream between the halves, drizzled them with chocolate and strawberry sauces, sprinkled crushed nuts on top and finished […]