Food, TOU-WRI
The necessity of food for survival is something that all humans have in common, but the trends of diet and food consumption can vary considerably from region to region. Find out more about the ingredients, dishes, and drinks that fuel people around the world.
Food Encyclopedia Articles By Title
tourtiĂšre
tourtiĂšre, a double-crusted meat pie that is likely named for a shallow pie dish still used for cooking and serving......
Trans fat
Trans fat, fat produced from the industrial process of hydrogenation, in which molecular hydrogen (H2) is added......
trencher
trencher, originally, a thick slice of bread used as a primitive form of plate for eating and for slicing meat......
trifle
trifle, a common English dessert traditionally consisting of sponge cake soaked in brandy, sherry, or white wine......
tripe
tripe, stomach of a ruminant consumed as food. Tripe usually comes from an ox or calf, although also from sheep......
trivet
trivet, stand or support for utensils before or on the fire. Usually made of wrought iron, the most common variety,......
Trivia with a Capital âTeaâ: 5 Things You Didnât Know About Tea
Tea is a beloved drink all over the world. It is one of the most consumed beverages, second only to water. You......
truffle
truffle, (genus Tuber), edible subterranean fungus, prized as a food delicacy. True truffles are in the genus Tuber......
tureen
tureen, covered container, sometimes made to rest on a stand or dish, from which liquids, generally soup or sauce,......
Turkish delight
Turkish delight, jellied confection with origins in the late 18th century. This soft jewel-like sugar treat became......
turmeric
turmeric, (Curcuma longa), perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family, the tuberous rhizomes (underground......
Turnip
Turnip, (Brassica rapa, variety rapa), hardy biennial plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), cultivated for......
turnover
turnover, individual pie formed by folding a piece of pastry in half over a filling. The open edges are pressed......
turtle soup
turtle soup, a stewlike soup made with turtle meat, common in Asia and in Creole cuisine in the United States.......
Ukemochi no Kami
Ukemochi no Kami, (Japanese: âGoddess Who Possesses Foodâ), in ShintĆ mythology, the goddess of food. She is also......
ultra-processed food
ultra-processed food (UPF), any of a variety of industrially produced foods that contain or are made primarily......
vaca frita
vaca frita, a Cuban dish of pan-fried shredded flank or skirt steak that is served with sautéed white onions, rice,......
vanilla
vanilla, (genus Vanilla), any member of a group of tropical climbing orchids (family Orchidaceae) and the flavoring......
veal
veal, meat of calves slaughtered between 3 and 14 weeks, delicate in flavour, pale grayish white in colour, firm......
Vegemite
Vegemite, dark-brown, nutrient-rich paste made of extract of yeast and vegetables and widely enjoyed in Australia......
Vegetable
Vegetable, in the broadest sense, any kind of plant life or plant product, namely âvegetable matterâ; in common,......
vegetable oil
vegetable oil, any of various fatty oils derived from vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, and cereal grains. Examples......
vegetable processing
vegetable processing, preparation of vegetables for use by humans as food. Vegetables consist of a large group......
venison
venison, (from Latin venatus, âto huntâ), the meat from any kind of deer; originally, the term referred to any......
vermouth
vermouth, wine-based fortified drink flavoured with aromatic herbs. The name derives from the German Vermut, or......
vinegar
vinegar, sour liquid that is made by the fermentation of any of numerous dilute alcoholic liquids into a liquid......
vodka
vodka, distilled liquor, clear and colourless and without definite aroma or taste, ranging in alcoholic content......
waffle
waffle, crisp raised cake baked in a waffle iron, a hinged metal griddle with a honeycombed or fancifully engraved......
Walnut
Walnut, (genus Juglans), genus of about 20 species of deciduous trees of the family Juglandaceae, native to North......
War Communism
War Communism, in the history of the Soviet Union, economic policy applied by the Bolsheviks during the period......
wasabi
wasabi, (Eutrema japonicum), plant of the mustard family and a pungent paste made of its ground rhizomes. The plant......
wassail bowl
wassail bowl, vessel generally made of wood and often mounted in silver, used on ceremonial occasions for drinking......
Water chestnut
Water chestnut, any of several species of water plants that are cultivated for their edible parts. Water chestnuts......
watercress
watercress, (Nasturtium officinale), perennial aquatic plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to Eurasia......
Watermelon
Watermelon, (Citrullus lanatus), succulent fruit and vinelike plant of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), native......
Waters, Alice
Alice Waters is an American restaurateur, chef, and food activist who was a leading proponent of the âslow foodâ......
Wax gourd
Wax gourd, (Benincasa hispida), fleshy vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), grown for its edible fruits. The......
Welsh rarebit
Welsh rarebit, a traditional British dish consisting of toasted bread topped with a savory cheddar cheese sauce......
Whale catcher
Whale catcher, large, fast steamship or motor vessel from which whales are harpooned and killed and marked for......
whale oil
whale oil, any oil derived from any species of whale, including sperm oil from sperm whales, train oil from baleen......
whaleboat
whaleboat, light, swift, rowing and sailing boat fitted with a centreboard (retractable keel), initially developed......
whaling
whaling, the hunting of whales for food and oil. Whaling was once conducted around the world by seafaring nations......
What Do Eggs Have to Do with Easter?
Easter is the principal festival of the Christian church, a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on......
What does it mean to proof bread?
Proofing bread means allowing the yeast within the dough to ferment. During fermentation, the yeast absorbs sugar......
What Happens When You Swallow Gum?
Your parents may have warned you not to swallow your chewing gum because it would remain in your stomach for seven......
What is gum made of?
Chewing gum is made of a blend ingredients that together impart a desired chewiness and texture, complimented by......
What Is the Difference Between a Grain and a Seed?
The word grain is usually used for the edible seeds of a cereal grass, such as rice, barley, or corn (maize). A......
Whatâs the Difference Between an Herb and a Spice?
The use of herbs and spices can be found as far back as prehistoric times, often as valuable forms of currency......
Whatâs the Difference Between Cane Sugar and Beet Sugar?
White table sugar comes from either sugarcane or sugar beets and is usually sold without its plant source clearly......
Whatâs the difference between coffee and tea?
Coffee and tea, two of the worldâs most beloved beverages, differ significantly in their origins and cultivation.......
Whatâs the Difference Between Jam, Jelly, and Preserves?
Before the invention of the at-home refrigerator in 1913, it was rare to find a strawberry in the winter or a gala......
Whatâs the Difference Between Sugar in Fruit and Sugar in Sweets and Candy?
Sugar in fruit and sugar in processed foods are not the same. Fruits contain sugars known as fructose and glucose.......
Whatâs the Difference Between Whiskey and Whisky? What About Scotch, Bourbon, and Rye?
Have you ever heard the traditional folk song âWhiskey in the Jarâ? Or is that âWhisky in the Jarâ? Just what is......
Wheat
Wheat, any of several species of cereal grasses of the genus Triticum (family Poaceae) and their edible grains.......
whey
whey, watery fraction that forms along with curd when milk coagulates. It contains the water-soluble constituents......
Whipple, George H.
George H. Whipple was an American pathologist whose discovery that raw liver fed to chronically bled dogs will......
whiskey
whiskey, any of several distilled liquors made from a fermented mash of cereal grains and including Scotch, Irish,......
Who Invented the Pumpkin Spice Latte?
Thereâs something about the spice profile in a classic pumpkin spice latteâa concoction of espresso, steamed milk,......
Why are alcoholic drinks called spirits?
The term spirits for distilled alcoholic drinks originates in the process of distillation. When a fermented liquid,......
Why Are Bagels Boiled?
Bagels are boiled to achieve their characteristic chewy interior and a firm crust. This boiling stage serves two......
Why are scallops so expensive?
Scallops owe their high market price to a combination of biological traits and economic factors. They are commercially......
Why are some eggs brown and some white?
The color of an eggshell is determined primarily by the breed of the hen that laid it. This trait is genetic: hens......
Why canât Muslims eat pork?
The QurÊŸÄn states that the consumption of pork is not allowed, as it is considered impure, and pork is therefore......
Why Did Adult Humans Start Drinking Milk?
Most adult humans around the world are lactose-intolerant, meaning that, once they were weaned from breast milk,......
Why Do Bananas Turn Brown?
The life cycle of a banana is a colorful oneâit starts with a deep green, changes to a delicious yellow, and ends......
Why do baseball players chew gum?
Baseball players chew gum to help them maintain focus and stay relaxed during games. Players have described the......
Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Fridays?
A common Lenten tradition in many Roman Catholic communities is the Friday fish fry: deep-fried fish dinners usually......
Why Do Coke and Mentos React?
They donât, at least not chemically. What we see when a Mentos candy is dropped into Cokeâa fountain of soda erupting......
Why Do Movie Theaters Serve Popcorn?
The savory smell. The crunchy bite. The salty kick. The buttery finish. Americans will recognize the smell and......
Why Do People Eat Cereal with Milk?
According to what seems to have become a somewhat standardized history, the collision of milk and cereal dates......
Why Do People Eat Corned Beef on St. Patrickâs Day?
Every year on St. Patrickâs Day, Americans of all backgrounds celebrate Irelandâs patron saint by eating corned......
Why do radishes taste spicy?
Crisp and refreshing, a radish can pack a little kick. If your palate is sensitive, you may perceive its similarities......
Why Do Some Foods Explode in the Microwave?
You grumble as you grudgingly wipe the splattered spaghetti sauce or baked potato shrapnel from the inside of your......
Why do you salt pasta water?
Salt is added to pasta water primarily to season the pasta directly as it cooks. Aside from flavor considerations,......
Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?
Whether cilantro tastes fresh and citrusy or horribly soapy largely comes down to genetics. For most people, cilantro......
Why Is a Bakerâs Dozen 13?
Request a dozen eggs from a farmer, a dozen steaks from a butcher, or a dozen pencils from a traveling office supplies......
Why is a deviled egg called a deviled egg?
The deviled egg gets its name from the culinary use of the term deviled in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe......
Why Is Alcohol Measured by Proof?
If you get a bottle of vodka from your local liquor store, youâll probably see two different numbers telling you......
Why is blue cheese safe to eat?
Stilton. Roquefort. Gorgonzola. These are just some of the varieties of blue cheese known for their sharp, piquant......
Why is Chilean sea bass so expensive?
Chilean sea bass commands a high price because of a combination of factors: its scarcity, arising from its deep,......
Why Is Coffee Called a Cup of Joe?
It is difficult to pin down when the word joe came to mean coffee or when the phrase cup of joe came into use.......
Why is flour bleached?
Flour is bleached to speed up the aging process, which improves its baking qualities. Unbleached flour also is......
Why is making moonshine illegal?
Making moonshineâa term that can refer to any illicitly distilled liquorâis illegal primarily because of the significant......
Why is milk pasteurized?
Pasteurization is a heating process used to make foods and beverages, including milk, safe for consumption. First......
Why Is Pizza So Popular in the U.S.?
An easy group dinner or a tasty midnight snack, pizza is a staple in the U.S. Americans love pizza so much that......
Why is root beer called root beer?
Root beer is a popular sweet, carbonated beverage that contains no alcohol. It is called âroot beer,â however,......
Why Is Saffron So Expensive?
The ancient Greeks and Romans used saffron as perfume, and saffron is mentioned in the Chinese materia medica from......
Why is the U.S. drinking age 21?
The drinking age is 21 in the United States because of federal legislation enacted in 1984, known as the National......
Why Shouldnât Babies Eat Honey?
Children love sweets (a fair portion of children, at least). Thereâs just one sweet that the smaller and younger......
wild rice
wild rice, (genus Zizania), genus of four species of coarse grasses of the family Poaceae, the grain of which is......
wine
wine, the fermented juice of the grape. Of the grape genus Vitis, one species, V. vinifera (often erroneously called......
wine tasting
wine tasting, the sampling and evaluation of wines as a means of enhancing the appreciation of them. Once strictly......
wintergreen
wintergreen, any of several evergreen, aromatic plants of the heath family (Ericaceae). Oil of wintergreen, derived......
wok
wok, thin-walled cooking pan, shaped like a shallow bowl with handles, widely used in Chinese-style cooking. The......
woodruff
woodruff, any of various species of plants of a genus (Asperula) belonging to the madder family, Rubiaceae. The......
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce, fermented condiment that in its original form included tamarind, soy, garlic, red onions,......
World Food Council
World Food Council (WFC), United Nations (UN) organization established by the General Assembly in December 1974......
World Food Programme
World Food Programme (WFP), organization established in 1961 by the United Nations (UN) to help alleviate world......
wormwood
wormwood, any of several species of bitter or aromatic herbs or shrubs of the genus Artemisia of the aster family......
Wrigley, William, Jr.
William Wrigley, Jr. (born September 30, 1861, in Philadelphia; died January 26, 1932, in Phoenix) was an American......