Death of a Turkey Legend
William Strickland died on 8 December 1598. He was said to have introduced the turkey to England, but the truth followed him to his grave.
Food & Drink
Pulp Fiction
Marketed as the taste of French summer, Orangina’s origins are complicated.
Birth of a Pastry Chef
Born into poverty on 8 June 1783, Antonin Carême’s spectacular confectionary constructions made him patissier to royalty.
Chadō
The ‘way of tea’ is a ritual experience that embodies the natural world with all its imperfections.
Filthy Food
Efforts by the German scientist Friedrich Accum brought about widespread awareness of the dangers of food adulteration, paving the way for legislation that protects what we eat today.
Under the Influence
Alcohol was part of daily life in the colonial Maghreb. In 1913 the French banned alcohol in Tunisia, revealing a deep distrust of local drinks and their Jewish and Muslim makers.
Crossing Oceans
Cloves, grown in Indonesia, crossed the globe in the Middle Ages, showing how interconnected the medieval world was.
In Good Spirits
Alcohol was an integral part of diplomacy in early modern Russia.
Through a Glass Darkly
The real history of wine can be a dry – even bitter – beverage.
The Politics of Pancakes
In England, Shrove Tuesday has not just symbolised feasting, fasting and family, but riot and rebellion, too.