Food & Drink

The Rules of Drinking

The long history of drinking games – and how to win them.

Public and Private Pleasures

Coffeehouses and coffee were not as closely related as one might think.

Policing the Ploughs

As Britain faced the prospect of food shortages in 1917, panic mounted. One solution was to redeploy policemen to plough the land.

A History of Haggis

The origins of haggis are as mysterious as the Loch Ness Monster.

The History of the Picnic

The first picnics were a favourite pastime of the aristocracy, and purely indoor affairs. In the 19th century, the emergent middle classes moved lunch outdoors.

young Mexican agricultural worker eats a tortilla in a field near Santa Monica, Texas, 1939. New York Public Library. Public Domain.

Enchiladas: A Culinary Monument to Colonialism

While finding its origins in royal Aztec feasts, the history of the enchilada is more a product of colonialism and prejudice than authentic heritage.

Sushi and New Year’s sake, woodblock print by Ryūryūkyo Shinsai, c. 1810. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

A Short History of Sushi

The ancient origin of sushi, the Japanese dish of humble beginnings that conquered the world.

Goulash

Though long established as the national dish of Hungary, its origins lie with the rootless, itinerant stockmen who roamed the plains of medieval Mitteleuropa.

You Are Where You Eat

Restaurants went mainstream in the 19th century, but the boom in places to dine out brought unexpected perils – menu anxiety, excessive table talk and ‘strange ladies’ among them.