Easy Meals

The Heartbeat of a Mega-Kitchen The Heartbeat of a Mega-Kitchen (image credits: unsplash) Inside the world’s largest kitchen, the air is thick with sizzling spices and the hum of hundreds of cooks working in perfect rhythm. This kitchen, located at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, daily serves up to 100,000 free meals, but on major religious festivals, the number soars beyond 200,000. What’s truly astonishing is the kitchen’s reliance on traditional methods—massive iron cauldrons and wood-fired stoves are still the norm. In 2024, kitchen volunteers reported handling over 12 tons of lentils, 10 tons of flour, and 1,500 kilograms … Read more

Garlic’s Ancient Reputation for Immortality Garlic’s Ancient Reputation for Immortality (image credits: unsplash) Garlic has been wrapped in mystery for centuries, with ancient civilizations believing it held magical powers. In Egypt, pharaohs were buried with garlic, and Roman soldiers ate it for strength and resilience. The legend that garlic could ward off death, vampires, and evil spirits made it a staple in folklore. While these stories might sound enchanting, they sparked real curiosity about garlic’s power to prolong life. Even today, garlic is known as a “superfood” in many cultures. Its reputation for immortality has stood the test of time, … Read more

The Ancient Egyptian Salt Monopoly The Ancient Egyptian Salt Monopoly (image credits: unsplash) Salt was so valuable in ancient Egypt that it was used as currency, and controlling its trade meant wielding immense power. Historical records show that pharaohs tightly regulated salt mining and distribution, with workers sometimes paid in salt—hence the word “salary.” The value of salt was so high that disputes over its control sparked skirmishes along the Nile, particularly in the region around the Siwa Oasis. Archaeologists have uncovered written tablets documenting state-run salt storage and rationing as early as 2500 BCE, highlighting the lengths to which … Read more

The Surprising City That Took the Lead The Surprising City That Took the Lead (image credits: unsplash) It might come as a shock, but Seoul, South Korea, is the city that has nearly eliminated food waste. While most major cities still struggle with mountains of tossed-out food, Seoul implemented an aggressive plan that changed everything. In 2023, the city reported a staggering 95% reduction in food waste sent to landfills, according to government environmental data. This achievement did not happen overnight—it was the result of a decade-long effort, fueled by strict policies and community buy-in. Seoul’s journey is filled with … Read more

Garlic: Nature’s Ancient Antiviral Garlic: Nature’s Ancient Antiviral (image credits: unsplash) Garlic has been hailed as a healing powerhouse for centuries, and modern science keeps backing up what ancient healers already knew. Recent clinical studies, including a 2024 review in the Journal of Nutrition, found that garlic compounds such as allicin have measurable antiviral and antibacterial effects. For example, research shows that people who regularly eat garlic are 30% less likely to catch common colds compared to those who don’t. Ancient Egyptians used garlic to boost strength and fight infections, and today, it’s still being studied for its potential to … Read more

Japan’s Washoku Breakfast: A Symphony of Simplicity and Balance Japan’s Washoku Breakfast: A Symphony of Simplicity and Balance (image credits: flickr) Picture this: you wake up in a traditional Japanese inn, and spread before you is a table that looks more like artwork than breakfast. In Japanese cooking, washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) follows a pattern called ichiju sansai: one soup and three dishes. This isn’t just food – it’s a philosophy on a plate. At the table, you’ll find a spread of steamed rice, miso soup, a protein, pickles, and several side dishes. What makes this breakfast absolutely mesmerizing is … Read more

The Mashed Potato Ice Cream Trick That Keeps Sets Running The Mashed Potato Ice Cream Trick That Keeps Sets Running (image credits: unsplash) What if I told you that Hollywood food stylists are little short of magicians—only instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, they’re turning piles of mashed potatoes into ice cream sundaes? This isn’t some random internet myth – it’s one of the most famous tricks in the movie business. Did you know that scoops of mashed potatoes are dyed in different colors and used in ice cream ads because they don’t melt during long shoots under hot … Read more

The Medieval Art of Controlled Spitting The Medieval Art of Controlled Spitting (image credits: flickr) Picture this: you’re at a grand medieval banquet, and suddenly you need to spit. But wait—there’s actually a proper way to do it. Medieval table manners dictated that spitting at or across the dining table was rude, but spitting on the floor wasn’t. Daniel of Beccles said that burping was alright, but you had to look up at the ceiling as you did it. The idea of spitting being so normalized that it required specific etiquette rules might shock us today, but in medieval times, … Read more

West Africa: The Heart of Cocoa Production West Africa: The Heart of Cocoa Production (image credits: unsplash) Most of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa, with Ivory Coast and Ghana producing about 60% of all cocoa beans globally. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over two million children are estimated to be working in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms in these countries as of 2023. Large chocolate companies rely heavily on this region for raw materials, making it a central point of concern when discussing child labor in the industry. Cocoa farming is tough, manual work that often … Read more

The Shocking Statistics Behind Kitchen Catastrophes The Shocking Statistics Behind Kitchen Catastrophes (image credits: flickr) Think the kitchen is a safe haven for culinary creativity? Think again. One study found that 18% of chefs incurred cuts and lacerations. This type of injury was most common in fast food kitchens, with 27% of cooks in that setting reporting cuts and lacerations, compared to 22% of cooks in full-service restaurants and 8% of cooks in catering centers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Ranges account for 40,000 injuries involving ovens and cooktops, cookware causes 37,000 injuries including cuts from shattered … Read more