food

A new disclosure statement on a package of peanut M&Ms candy notes they are

Senators Reach Deal On National GMO Labeling Bill

6:45pm June 23, 2016

by Peggy Lowe

The new bill would require companies to disclose genetically modified ingredients in food products. But critics dislike that this information does not have to appear directly on the food label.

The seed library maintained by the Jijak Foundation contains dozens of native varieties of corn, beans, tobacco, watermelon and ancient squash.

Science
Arts

How Native American Tribes Saved A Giant, Ancient Squash From Oblivion

5:34pm June 23, 2016

by Rebecca Williams

Native Americans in the Great Lakes region have cultivated the giant squash for centuries. Now tribes are sharing the seeds with each other and with small farmers to bring the plant back.

A dish full of ground asafoetida, or hing, as it is known in India.

Meet Hing: The Secret Weapon Spice Of Indian Cuisine

3:14pm June 22, 2016

by Carolyn Beans

Uncooked, the Indian spice hing may smell of sulfur and onions to some. But add a dash to your food and magical things happen.

The onion, says allium expert Eric Block, "really is quite beautiful from a scientific perspective."

Science

The Science Of Why Onions Make Us Cry

10:50am June 22, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

Sure, their beautiful, multilayered complexity has moved poets to weep. But the real answer is more practical: A bulb's gotta keep the baddies away. We get the lowdown from a chemist.

Anti-Brexit supporters dressed as bananas protest outside a racecourse in York, England. "It is absolutely crazy that the EU is telling us what shape our bananas have got to be," says Brexit's foremost cheerleader, Boris Johnson, the former mayor of Londo

Bendy Bananas And Barmaid Bosoms: The U.K.'s Crazy Anti-EU Food Myths

2:46pm June 21, 2016

by Nina Martyris

British tabloids have long exploited the U.K.'s ambivalent ties to the European Union with exaggerated, funny and often unfounded stories about regulations aiming to undo English food culture.

World News

Darjeeling 2.0: Last Auction Of India's 'Champagne Of Teas' Goes Digital

11:10am June 21, 2016

by Sandip Roy

Darjeeling is one of India's most prized and priciest teas. For over a century, it was sold at live auctions steeped in tradition, with all due pomp. But the last of those auctions ended this month.

Queue Listen Now

Silicon Valley-based Impossible Foods has taken a high-tech approach to creating a plant-based burger that smells and tastes like real meat. At the company's headquarters in Redwood City, Calif., chef Traci Des Jardins served the Impossible Burger (pictur

Silicon Valley's Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes And Sizzles Like Meat

10:30am June 21, 2016

by Lindsey Hoshaw

Impossible Foods took a high-tech approach to creating a meat-free burger that replicates the real thing. It's all designed to tempt carnivores to eat less meat. And it's set to hit restaurants soon.

Chocolate bars from San Francisco-based Dandelion Chocolate. The company makes reports about its sourcing practices available to the public online.

Are Millennials Chocolate Chip-o-crites?

7:56pm June 20, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Millennials profess to care about ethical sourcing when grocery shopping. But a study of chocoholics ages 18-35 shows just how different values and behavior can sometimes be.

Cover detail of What a Fish Knows, by Jonathan Balcombe

Fish Have Feelings, Too: The Inner Lives Of Our 'Underwater Cousins'

5:57pm June 20, 2016

Jonathan Balcombe, author of What A Fish Knows, says that fish have a conscious awareness — or "sentience" — that allows them to experience pain, recognize individual humans and have memory.

Queue Listen Now

"Supposedly, tea cakes were made about 200 years ago. Slaves used the ingredients they had: molasses instead of sugar, lard instead of butter," says Etha Robinson.

National

Food To Celebrate Freedom: Tea Cakes For Juneteenth!

9:45am June 19, 2016

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Juneteenth, the day when many African-Americans mark the end of slavery, is also associated with traditional foods from the black community. One woman wants to revive a traditional treat: tea cakes.