A cuisine is a structured culinary system with implicit and, occasionally, explicit rules that are understood by those in the group to delineate "us" from "them." In this time-zone…

  These (partially) observational studies explore dining rules and rituals as expressions of life skills, whether metaphoric or literal. The Holocaust survivors (over)feed grandchildren to ward away acute hardships, the…

  Holiday foods are often thought the most conservative: certain foods (or their close analogues) must be eaten to commemorate tradition. But when populations move or new powers become a…

  Discourses around what we "should" eat can be metonyms for larger cultural issues. In the case of meat traditions versus vegetarianism/veganism, racial, religious, and social justice tensions lie just…

  Bread is central to Western cultures, whether through its profound and distinct religious meanings, its role as a staple food, or its diversity and use as an ethnic marker.…

  Some food rules are designed to keep us healthy: hygienic codes to avoid cross-contamination or the proliferation of harmful microbes come to mind. But what about food "rules" that…

  The adage, 'cleanliness is next to godliness' frames ways in which sacred and carnal spaces can share common ground. The secular but conspicuously cathedral-like architecture of the Smithfield Market…

 Image credit: The Churning of the Ocean of Milk, ca. 1825, opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 7 5/32 x 14 3/4 in. (18.2 x 37.5 cm); The San Diego…