39 Items Tagged

Symbolic Foods

The Quest to Reacquaint Japan With Its Forgotten Native Citrus

Once revered by royals and celebrated by poets, the tachibana is now endangered.

Florentyna Leow February 16, 2022

Twelve Grapes

A New Year's Eve tradition of scarfing down 12 grapes for good luck.

Cougnou

This Christmas bread is formed in the shape of the baby Jesus.

Morelia, Mexico

LU Cocina Michoacana

This upscale restaurant specializing in Michoacán cuisine serves sauces tied to important life events.

The Soup That Stopped a War

This two-ingredient dish allegedly halted religious conflict, and is still cherished today.

Luke Fater August 15, 2019

Kapeshuna Beans

In the desert of La Guajira, Colombia, locally grown cowpeas hold spiritual meaning for the Wayúu tribe.

Incheon, South Korea

Jjajang Myeon Museum

This tiny museum immortalizes the birthplace of an iconic Chinese-Korean noodle dish.

Lovespoons

This ancient token of betrothal lives on as a Valentine's Day gift in Wales.

Yusheng

The higher you toss this fish salad, the luckier your year will be.

Jjajang Myeon

On April 14, lonely South Korean singles are encouraged to drown their sorrows in black noodles.

Khapse

On Tibetan New Year, deep-fried cookies take the form of auspicious symbols and festive snacks.

Christmas Eve Carp

Some families keep their holiday meal fresh by letting it live in their bathtub.

Pepernoten

Every December, Sinterklaas and his helper throw these little spiced cookies to Dutch children.

Trump Sandwich

In the wake of the 2016 American presidential election, political satire entered the local deli.

Święconka

This Polish Easter tradition artfully assembles symbolic foods, from bread to lamb-shaped butter.

Antwerp Chocolate Hands

These sweet hands come with stories of triumph and brutality.

Mocadorá

Every autumn, Valencians celebrate their love by giving handkerchiefs filled with decorated marzipan treats.

Marzipan Easter Lamb

This sweet symbolic figurine is a Sicilian holiday tradition.