EATING AND DRINKING
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MSG Is Back. Is the Idea It’s Bad for Us Just a Myth or Food Science?
Do you have a vague sense MSG is unhealthy but you’re not sure why? Here is the science behind monosodium glutamate, how it got a bad rap, and whether you should add it to your cooking. Read more
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Sweet as Sugar: Honey in Catalunya
Honey is an ancient sweetener and has always been treated with respect here Read more
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Fishing for Flavor: The Famous Mediterranean Anchovy
The strong, salty taste of anchovies is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the little fish from L’Escala has an illustrious past. Read more
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Why You Should Always Wash Fruit and Veg Before Eating Them
Many people assume fresh produce is “safe”—but each year, one in ten people gets ill by eating unsafe food—and approximately 46% of these cases of food-borne illness come from eating vegetables and fruit. Read more
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Dining Out Gluten-Free in Barcelona
Barcelona has a lot to offer when it comes to dining gluten-free. There are ample gluten-free restaurants tucked away down narrow streets as well as larger venues for a more refined experience. Read more
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How Was Popcorn Discovered?
What you may consider a tasty snack today probably started as a useful way of preserving and storing food. Read more
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No Croutons, No Anchovies, No Bacon: The 100-Year-Old Mexican Origins of the Caesar Salad
The most seductive culinary myths have murky origins—for the Caesar salad, classic ingredients are spiced up with a family food feud and a spontaneous recipe invention on the 4th of July, across the border in Mexico, during Prohibition. Read more
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Fermented Foods Sustain Both Microbiomes and Cultural Heritage
On the microbial scale, we are what we eat in very real ways. Your body is teeming with trillions of microbes. These complex ecosystems are particularly influenced by your surrounding environment, especially the food you eat. Read more
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Good for Your Health and the Environment: Why We Should Be Eating Oily Fish
A range of economic, nutritional, religious and ideological factors influence our diets. The key, however, lies in finding a balance that cares for both our health and that of the planet. Read more
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Bacchus (c. 1596) by Caravaggio. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
What Did Roman Wine Taste Like?
A recent study of earthenware vessels used in wine fermentation—both ancient and contemporary—has challenged traditional views on the taste and quality of Roman wine, some of which may even have rivaled the fine wines of today. Read more
