Giulia Alvarez-Katz 1/20/23 Giulia Alvarez-Katz 1/20/23

What We Do and Don’t Learn from Bog Bodies

People mummified in alkaline conditions offer valuable clues about what people used to eat, but there are limits to what that tells us about culture and ritual.

Alexandra Foster 1/6/23 Alexandra Foster 1/6/23

Taking Stock: Caribbean Food In New York City

Inexpensive neighborhood restaurants have been key in connecting Jamaican expats with the flavors of home, but some chefs and diners are looking to bring the cuisine to new audiences and spaces.

826 Valencia 12/30/22 826 Valencia 12/30/22

Sweet Sounds

Students from 826 Valencia read their poems about cookies, cakes and other sweets.

826 Valencia 12/2/22 826 Valencia 12/2/22

‘Blackness for me, is the food my mom makes’

826 Valencia’s Black Students Initiative shares excerpts from its recent book, The Future Is Black.

826 Valencia 10/28/22 826 Valencia 10/28/22

Baleadas and Many Things

826 Valencia students read poetry they wrote about their lives and their food.

826 Valencia 10/4/22 826 Valencia 10/4/22

Cake, the Captain and a Kingdom of Donuts

This year marks the 20th anniversary of literacy organization 826 Valencia. To celebrate, students dream up their dream confections.

Cyrena Lee 9/9/22 Cyrena Lee 9/9/22

Nostalgia, Authenticity and Hope in Immigrant Foods

A 13-course lunch at London’s Ikoyi followed by a screening of Everything Everywhere All at Once provides new insight into the pitfalls of categorizing cuisines and the universe-hopping inherent in immigrant cooking.

John McMahon 9/2/22 John McMahon 9/2/22

A New Old Ingredient in Thailand

With cannabis now legal, people return to the plant traditionally used to add a savory characteristic to their dishes.

826 Valencia 8/26/22 826 Valencia 8/26/22

‘To Make! Mix It All Together!’

Students working with 826 Valencia share their Kitchen Magic.

Michael La Corte 8/5/22 Michael La Corte 8/5/22

Cream Cheese: An American Tale

A trip to the Tenement Museum inspires a writer to investigate the connections between the spread, Jewish immigrants and the formation of U.S. cuisine.

826 Valencia 7/29/22 826 Valencia 7/29/22

Odes of Joy

Students with literacy organization 826 Valencia share poems and a recipe in celebration of their favorite foods.

Harriet Akinyi 7/22/22 Harriet Akinyi 7/22/22

Kenyan Coffee’s Next Wave Focuses on Home

Long a producer of fine coffee for export, the country is developing a café culture all its own

Ellen Kanner 7/15/22 Ellen Kanner 7/15/22

Around the World in Cornmeal Mush

Whether it’s polenta, grits, mamaliga or ugali, this comfort classic traces its origins to the same place.

826 Valencia 6/24/22 826 Valencia 6/24/22

The Route to Roux

Students with literacy organization 826 Valencia explore how their food gets to—and connects—them.

Dina Macki 6/16/22 Dina Macki 6/16/22

Trading Plates in Colonial Oman

The Swahili diaspora influences Omani cuisine past and present.

Jarinatu Aramide Odeyemi 6/1/22 Jarinatu Aramide Odeyemi 6/1/22

Care and Tending

One writer explores the connections food engenders with elderly people in her community.

826 Valencia 5/30/22 826 Valencia 5/30/22

Fresh As a Flower and So Hot Like Lava

Tenderloin Community School students use poetry to express their love for favorite meals. Working in collaboration with literacy organization 826 Valencia.