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Fernando Padilla has designed all of Boudin's breads for the last 40 years.

The Master Baker Giving San Francisco Sourdough a New Shape

For 40 years, Fernando Padilla has sculpted with dough.

BY Anne Ewbank
Steven Raichlen has been around the world four times documenting the different ways people cook food over fire.

How to Make Smoked Foods From Around the World on Your Stovetop

With advice and recipes from a renowned expert.

BY Luke Fater

Around Italy in Vintage Citrus-Growing Technology

This Restaurant Pivoted From Molecular Gastronomy to a 5-Course Drive-Through

The Gastro Obscura Newsletter

Updates from Gastro Obscura, delivered twice a week.

Food & More

Place

Richard McDonald's Niche

The humble resting place belongs to one of history's most celebrated restaurateurs.
Place

Charles Feltman's Tomb

The inventor of the Coney Island hot dog rests in a grand mausoleum in Brooklyn.
Sweets

Bean Pie

The Nation of Islam's dietary guidelines gave birth to this slightly sweet dessert.
Sweets

Picarones

The sweet potato donuts are an integral part of the Afro-Peruvian community.
See All Food & Drink

Stories

At the Xochimilco natural reserve in Mexico City, the site of artificial islands created by the Aztecs for agricultural purposes, people use flat-bottomed river boats to get around.

In Mexico City, the Coronavirus Is Bringing Back Aztec-Era ‘Floating Gardens’

Business is booming for farmers who plant on man-made islands.
BY Amanda Gokee
Some of the boats are well over a century old.

Europe's Last Sail-Powered Fishing Fleet Faces a Stormy Future

Can this age-old industry weather both COVID-19 and climate change?
BY Katherine Waters
Today, Barkerville hosts cultural and educational events celebrating the history of British Columbia's Chinese community.

In Canada, Gold Rush-Era Garbage Reveals a History of Chinese Immigrant Cuisine

Archaeologists unearthed evidence of pig roasts and boozy gatherings at an 1870s British Columbia eatery.
BY Reina Gattuso
An artist rendering of the Open Orchard on Governor's Island.

A Franken-Forest of Fruit Trees Is Growing on Governors Island

The project will rescue forgotten peaches, plums, and apricots.
BY Marina Wang
Lucille Bishop Smith, shown here in her kitchen, was especially renowned for her hot rolls.

Sold: A Black Texan Trailblazer's 'Treasure Chest' of Recipes

Lucille Bishop Smith's famous recipe boxes are still sought after.
BY Rebecca Rego Barry
The cookies' two signature ingredients, rum and molasses, demonstrate the deep relationship between New England economy and cuisine, and slavery.

How a Black-Owned 19th-Century Tavern Became the Birthplace of a Beloved Cookie

Joe Froggers tell a story of Black business ownership, slavery, and seafaring in Massachusetts.
BY Reina Gattuso
Turn a walk in the woods into a multi-purpose kitchen ingredient.
How to Turn a Walk in the Woods Into an Ancient Indigenous Kitchen Staple

Easy foraging can add a touch of the forest to your tea, stews, and even bath.

BY Luke Fater