Americas

Excerpt from an interview with Elizabeth Semmelhack by Alicia McDermott

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, March 20 this year marks the vernal, or spring equinox, while for those in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the time of the autumnal equinox. It marks the day when the sun passes over the celestial equator and the length of day and night is roughly equal, thus the word ‘equinox’, which means ‘equal night’ in Latin.

We’ve all created associations between certain foods and ingredients with particular places and cultures. But the history of the origin of foods is complicated and ascertained only thanks to serious academic and scientific study. Read on to discover the lesser-known origins of popular foods.

Clark Stanley, the self-styled “Rattlesnake King”, was born in 1854 in Abilene, Texas.

In today’s society, chocolate is commonly available and comes in many forms, including in recipes, bars, blocks, paste, and powder. Many households have chocolate as a dessert staple, and young and old, rich and poor can and do indulge. But several centuries ago, chocolate was for certain people ONLY and was a luxury that came in just one form – as a drink.