Food Science

Why are salt and pepper the two most common spices we use in cooking? Why not salt and cumin or salt and cinnamon? Learn why!

As early as 8000 BCE, Neolithic farmers began a legacy of cheesemaking almost as old as civilization. Today, the world produces roughly 22 billion kilograms of cheese a year, shipped and consumed around the globe.

An animated Ted Ed video about the origins and evolution of chocolate

Historians trace the origin of the dessert to 6000 B.C.E. Pies may be a staple at many holiday celebrations, but their original purpose was much different. The purpose of a pastry shell was mainly to serve as a baking dish, storage container, and serving vessel. Learn more at this site!

A description of the invention of the sandwich in 1762

Trace the diverse and delicious history of dumplings, from their first recorded origins to their spread across the Asian continent and beyond.

This video explores how potatoes played a key role in the development of our modern civilization. From their origins in South America to their importance in feeding Europe and the disastrous Irish famine, learn about the history of the potato.

Explore the history of the notorious United Fruit Company and how its influence over the banana industry impacted politics in Central America.

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water –– and from sugary Turkish Rize tea to salty Tibetan butter tea, there are almost as many ways of preparing the beverage as there are cultures on the globe. Where did this beverage originate, and how did it become so popular?

Yes, we might eventually have no bananas. Is it really true? Why are bananas, as we know them, now under the threat of extinction?

Trace the history of popcorn, from its origins in the Americas to its explosion of popularity in the 20th century.