food

Rob Gimpel tends to the war garden at the Library of Congress.

Historical Veggies Take Root In D.C. War Garden

10:33am October 12, 2017

by Kristen Hartke

To commemorate 100 years since the U.S. entered WWI, the gardens outside the Library of Congress have been transformed into a traditional war garden — producing heirloom vegetables of the past.

Afghan aushak (dumplings) from Lapis, a restaurant in Washington, D.C., run by the Popal family

Smithsonian Night Market Celebrates The Art Of Asian Cuisine

9:06pm October 11, 2017

by Kristen Hartke

Food is central to culture, but museums often overlook it. So for their grand reopening, the Smithsonian's Asian art museums are giving center stage to cuisine from across Earth's largest continent.

National

Chicago-Area Residents No Longer Have To Pay More For Pop

4:44pm October 11, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

Lawmakers in Cook County, Ill., have repealed a tax on sweetened drinks. The controversial move is considered a win for soda companies, and a loss for public health advocates.

Rebecca Atienza and her father, Roberto, stand in a grove of decimated coffee trees. Hurricane winds stripped these trees nearly bare of leaves and beans.

National

'This Was A Beautiful Place': Puerto Rico's Coffee Farms Devastated By Maria

8:27pm October 10, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Hacienda San Pedro had harvested just 2 percent of its beans before Hurricane Maria blasted through. The ripple effects will continue — it is expecting to run out of beans in December.

Queue Listen Now

A barista at El Injerto coffee shop in Guatemala City pours water into a chemex. Guatemala has long been known for its coffee, but a culture of artisanal coffee has only recently taken root here.

World News

Their Coffee Is World-Renowned. Now More Guatemalans Are Actually Drinking It

2:34pm October 10, 2017

by Anna-Cat Brigida

The rise of independent cafes and popular artisanal brewing methods have sparked a growth in national consumption. Now, about 10 percent of coffee produced in the Central American country stays there.

National

The Future Of Farming In Puerto Rico

7:52am October 08, 2017

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico's farms. Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Ricardo Fernández of Puerto Rico Farm Credit about what happened and how farmers are recovering from the storm.

Archana Pidathala sorts through old recipes that belonged to her grandmother. "She never once complained or felt overwhelmed by the incredible amount of cooking she did for us," she says.

A Granddaughter's Powerful Love Story, Told Through An Indian Cookbook

7:00am October 08, 2017

by Kamala Thiagarajan

The author of Five Morsels of Love fondly remembers summers at her grandmother's house, where home-cooked meals nourished both body and soul. Now, she wants to share that culinary passion with others.

Damage to soybean plants and other crops has led to arguments and strain between neighbors.

A Wayward Weedkiller Divides Farm Communities, Harms Wildlife

2:44pm October 07, 2017

by Dan Charles

When a drifting weedkiller hit America's farming heartland this summer, it damaged crops and friendships. The chemical could also be bad news for other vegetation, as well as bees and butterflies.

Queue Listen Now

There is a growing demand for nonalcoholic, high-end beverages in the U.S., coming on the heels of a trend across the pond.

Health & Safety

Teetotaling Made Trendy

5:34pm October 06, 2017

by Maanvi Singh

High-end, nonalcoholic beverages are on the rise — with growing demand from bars and restaurants to carry drinks that go beyond water and sweet sodas for those who don't drink alcohol.

Manufacturers are not required to disclose if BPA, or other similar compounds, are used in their packaging.

Health & Safety

Which Items In Our Kitchens Contain BPA?

7:00am October 06, 2017

by Natalie Jacewicz

Manufacturers are not required to disclose whether products contain BPA, which makes it hard to know which kitchen plastics include the additive — or other functionally identical compounds.