Imagine your house, your family, and all of your possessions. Then, in one instant, imagine watching it all tumble down, dominoes one after another, until there’s nothing left but a broken unrecognizable space. Everything you have ever known wiped away by an inexplicable, unforeseeable disaster. Now, imagine navigating the streets of busy New York City trying to get to your … [Read more...] about The Homeless: Drug Addled Indolence or Unfortunate Disadvantages?
Gin and Tonic: Weapon of Colonialism
Gin and tonic, as well as the secret ingredient within, have a rich and layered history that follows the history of European colonialism. This story begins with quinine, a bitter tree bark used by natives of modern-day Peru for centuries in traditional healing. It follows the Spanish conquistadors that observed this and the English who used quinine to protect their colonial … [Read more...] about Gin and Tonic: Weapon of Colonialism
Al Pastor: the Tastiest Culmination of Two Culinary Cultures
FACT: Mexican tacos are amazing. FACT: Mediterranean spit-roasted shawarma meats are amazing. A taco and a shawarma walk into a bar, and you get AL PASTOR. It really is mindblowing. Joking aside, al pastor is a beautiful representation of different cultures, histories, and traditions, served to modern consumers as food. Immigrants of Lebanese ethnicity first began arriving … [Read more...] about Al Pastor: the Tastiest Culmination of Two Culinary Cultures
Flipping Garlic
Garlic has greatly affected the Chinese economy for centuries, and we can expect it to for many years to come. Although garlic most likely did not originate from China, its first recorded cultivation and use dates back to 2000 BC, when the Chinese first began using it to preserve foods and treat indigestion. China became the largest global exporter of garlic in the late … [Read more...] about Flipping Garlic
Vietnamese History Through Pho
As popular as pho is today, restaurant-goers have little idea about its complex history, which almost directly reflects Vietnamese history during the last century. However, pho tells a story of fierce Vietnamese survival with three distinct chapters, specifically French colonization, civil war, and globalization. Before French colonization, Vietnamese people ate … [Read more...] about Vietnamese History Through Pho