food

Science

Chew On This: The Science Of Great NYC Bagels (It's Not The Water)

10:55am May 26, 2015

by Maria Godoy

Popular myth has long credited New York's soft water for the city's irresistibly crusty, chewy bagels. But the chemistry behind a superior bagel is more complicated.

In a village outside of Jenin, in the West Bank, Palestinian farmers harvest wheat early and burn the husks to yield the smoky, nutty grain known as freekeh.

Game For Ancient Grain: Palestinians Find Freekeh Again

7:03am May 26, 2015

by Daniella Cheslow

The young, roasted form of wheat has been eaten in the Middle East for millennia. But over time many Palestinians replaced it with rice. Now it's becoming a nutritious, native food worthy of pride.

Health & Safety

How Dangerous Is Powdered Alcohol?

6:54pm May 24, 2015

Last month, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved a powdered alcohol product, making both parents and lawmakers nervous. Some states have already banned powdered alcohol. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Brent Roth of Wired, who made his own powdered concoction and put it to the test.

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What is pork roll? As one fan puts it, "It's like Spam meets bacon." This sandwich is one of many ways to eat the processed meat, a largely unsung specialty of New Jersey.

National

In New Jersey, A Beef Over Pork Roll Sparks Rival Festivals

11:49am May 23, 2015

by Joel Rose

What is pork roll? As one fan puts it, "It's like Spam meets bacon." And this Saturday, Trenton, N.J., will host not one but two competing festivals devoted to this Garden State meat delicacy.

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Planning to grill this Memorial Day? Below, Food Network chef Alton Brown has some tips to keep your flavor from going up in smoke.

Science
Arts

Clean Your Grill, And Other Hot Holiday Tips From Alton Brown

7:03am May 23, 2015

by Hansi Lo Wang

Whether you're barbecuing OR grilling, a meat-eater or a vegetarian, here's how to keep your flavor from going up in smoke this Memorial Day weekend.

Plankton collected in the Pacific Ocean with a 0.1mm mesh net. Seen here is a mix of multicellular organisms — small zooplanktonic animals, larvae and single protists (diatoms, dinoflagellates, radiolarians) — the nearly invisible universe at the bott

Revealed: The Ocean's Tiniest Life At The Bottom Of The Food Chain

5:54pm May 22, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

The ocean's tiniest inhabitants — including bacteria, plankton, krill — are food for most everything that swims or floats. Now, scientists have completed a count of this vast and diverse hidden world.

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Various food items that contained trans fats in November 2013. That month, the Food and Drug Administration first announced plans to ban partially hydrogenated vegetable oils from all food products. A final rule is expected any day now.

Adios, Trans Fats: FDA Poised To Phase Out Artery-Clogging Fat

5:39pm May 22, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

Any day now, the FDA could announce a final rule aimed at removing much of the remaining trans fats out of the food supply. It could amount to a near ban on the fats, which wreak cardiovascular havoc.

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"No trespassing" signs are posted on the edge of a field at a farm operated by Daybreak Foods near Eagle Grove, Iowa, which has been designated "bio security area," on May 17.

Avian Flu Outbreak Takes Poultry Producers Into Uncharted Territory

4:25pm May 21, 2015

by Peggy Lowe and Sarah Boden

Avian influenza is ravaging poultry flocks across the Upper Midwest. The virus is "doing things we've never seen it do before," and understanding about transmission is very limited, a scientist says.

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Cattle that are grass-fed and free of antibiotics and growth hormones are seen at Kookoolan Farm in Yamhill, Ore.

FDA Wants To Pull Back The Curtain, Slightly, On Farm Antibiotics

9:16pm May 20, 2015

by Dan Charles

The Food and Drug Administration wants to know which farm animals are getting treated most heavily. But the FDA's proposal still falls short of the best European data practices.

When it comes to almonds, raw may not mean what you think.

What Does 'Raw' Mean? When It Comes To Almonds, You Might Be Surprised

6:15pm May 20, 2015

by Lesley McClurg

By law, all California almonds must be pasteurized or treated with a fumigant — processes aimed at preventing foodborne illness. But critics say the treatments taint flavor and mislead consumers.