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How can we get ahold of some space miso now?Key Points -Scientists studied miso fermentation on the ISS versus Earth to understand how space conditions affect flavor, texture, and microbial composition. -Space-fermented miso developed a darker color and a “nutty” and “roasted” flavor, likely due to higher temperatures and increased pyrazine levels. -The research highlights how microbes adapt in space and raises ethical questions about relocating Earth-based life, while also suggesting new culinary possibilities for long-term space missions. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) do a lot of important work to help advance science, including experiments and research to...

NATIONAL CHEESEBALL DAY April 17th kicks off National Cheeseball Day and recognizes a party food that can sometimes be the centerpiece of a spread. You can choose from two ways to celebrate, too! Or plan your party and serve both! #NationalCheeseballDay A cheese spread comes in the shape of a ball served with crackers, most often around Christmas in the U.S. This cheeseball is commonly made with softened cream cheese and other ingredients. Cheese puffs are a puffed corn snack coated with a mixture of cheese or cheese-flavored powders. Cheese puffs are manufactured by extruding heated corn dough through a...

Achieving Net Zero in 25 years would need a “complete transformation” of the UK’s agricultural and food system that would in effect mean a diet devoid of beef, lamb and all dairy products, according to the latest work from the Government-funded UK FIRES. Look at the research that governing elites commission and read, not what they say. UK FIRES takes an absolute view of Net Zero and bases its work on existing technologies, not the pie in the sky inventions still to come and the whacky schemes that cannot reach economic scale. UK FIRES is an influential body since it...

A new UC Davis study shows that having fermented food like sauerkraut could be good for gut health. Credit: Hector Amezcua / UC Davis **************************************************************** Sauerkraut might be doing more than just adding zing to your hot dog — it could be actively defending your gut. New research from UC Davis reveals that fermented cabbage helps protect intestinal cells from inflammation-related damage, unlike raw cabbage or brine alone. The researchers found no difference between homemade and store-bought sauerkraut, suggesting it’s an accessible option for better gut health. By identifying hundreds of fermentation-related metabolites, they’ve opened the door to understanding how...

NATIONAL BANANA DAY On the third Wednesday in April, take a bite of the fruit that also makes an excellent prop for jokes on National Banana Day! #NationalBananaDay The day focuses on the nutrition of the fruit as well as the way comedy has used the banana in its acts. This low-fat, low-calorie snack offers a boost of fiber, potassium, and vitamins, with B6 and C leading the way. It also provides a healthy gram of protein, too. Add a banana to your morning cereal or grab one to go with your granola. They also add so much delicious flavor...

When President Trump recently griped about Europe's distaste for buying American chicken, his comments touched on a long-running and divisive trade spat that's flared up from time to time. Europeans disparage U.S. poultry as "chlorinated chicken," or "Chlorhünchen" in the German press, and see it as possibly unsafe. The phrase refers to the use of chlorine in poultry processing plants after the birds have been slaughtered in order to cut down on harmful bacteria that are frequent sources of food-borne illness like Salmonella and Campylobacter. Rinsing poultry in chlorine was common practice in the U.S. when the European Union first...

Love them or hate them, those marshmallow Peeps that come in blindingly bright colors and an array of flavors are inescapable around the Easter holiday. Millions are made daily in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Just Born Quality Confections, a family-owned candy manufacturer that also churns out Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike fruit chews and Goldenberg's Peanut Chews. Peeps is Just Born's most recognizable brand and one of a handful of candies that evoke strong reactions — good and bad. Some say an Easter basket isn't complete without Peeps while others deride them as being indestructible. Some use them in recipes or...

In a nutshell Potassium can lower blood pressure, even on a salty diet. Simulations showed that increasing potassium intake significantly reduced blood pressure, even when sodium levels stayed high, with drops of up to 14 mmHg in men and 10 mmHg in women. Men and women respond differently to potassium. The models revealed that female kidneys handle sodium differently, offering natural protection against high blood pressure, while men showed a stronger blood pressure response to dietary potassium. Balancing potassium and sodium may matter more than cutting salt alone. The study suggests that boosting potassium-rich foods like leafy greens, beans, and...

NATIONAL GLAZED SPIRAL HAM DAY National Glazed Spiral Ham Day on April 15th each year celebrates an innovative and delicious food. This gourmet-looking dish often found at a holiday feast, originated in the basement of Harry J. Hoenselaar. #GlazedSpiralHamDay In 1952, the Detroit, Michigan entrepreneur patented not only his spiral slicer but the ham glaze as well. His innovative device made it possible for the entire bone-in ham to be sliced in one continuous and even spiral. The result was not only perfect for baking but for serving, too. The resulting slices presented a beautiful main course meal. Then in...

Key Points Pfizer said it would end development of its experimental daily weight loss pill after a patient experienced a liver injury that was potentially caused by the drug in a trial. The patient’s liver enzymes “recovered rapidly” after they stopped taking the pill, which is an oral GLP-1 drug called danuglipron. The patient had elevated liver enzymes, which often indicate damage to cells in the liver, but did not experience any liver-related symptoms or side effects, a Pfizer spokesperson told CNBC. The announcement adds to a string of setbacks in the company’s bid to win a slice of the...

NATIONAL GARDENING DAY National Gardening Day on April 14th encourages gardeners and would-be gardeners to pick up a shovel, plant some seeds, and kick off a beautiful year of homegrown bounty. #NationalGardeningDay Whether you want to grow vegetables, fruit, flowers, houseplants, or anything in between, National Gardening Day celebrates a satisfying pastime that you will enjoy for decades. Growing your own food also provides fresh and natural nourishment for your family and saves you time and money at the grocery store. As many gardeners know, the benefits of gardening come from more than the produce. Spending time in the garden...

A U.S. senator said a GLP-1 drug changed his life — and now he’s calling for widespread access to anti-obesity medications. In a New York Times op-ed on April 8, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., wrote about his experience with Mounjaro (tirzepatide). The injectable prescription medicine is primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes. Fetterman was prescribed the medication in July 2024. “As a stroke survivor, I was interested in studies showing [Mounjaro] could significantly reduce the risk of major cardiac events,” the senator wrote. “Even though I started taking it for my heart health, I’ve been struck by how much...

Small, everyday purchases like a meal from DoorDash are now able to be financed through eat now, pay later options — a practice that some experts deem "predatory." "You've got to have enough sense to not follow the urge to finance a taco, okay? You have got to be an adult," career coach Ken Coleman told "The Big Money Show," Wednesday. "This is predatory, and it's going to get a lot of people in deep trouble." Financial wellness experts are continuously sounding the alarm to cash-strapped consumers, warning them of the devastating impact this financial strategy could have on their...

Shrimpers along the Gulf Coast say they need more help from the federal government with cheap shrimp imports from countries like Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam driving down local demand. With reciprocal tariffs on imports from those countries on hold for 90 days, shrimpers are left wondering if they will get a lifeline they say they desperately need. Some shrimp farmers are ready to push for measures like capping imports at 25%. Rodney Olander with the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force has been coasting the gulf coast waters for shrimp for more than 40 years. Shrimp season is just a month...

A Chinese restaurant in Madrid has been shut down for serving street pigeons as “roast duck”. Police raided the Jin Gu restaurant, in the city’s Usera district, late last month, finding a pair of plucked pigeons in a cockroach-infested secret storage room alongside bags of dubious-looking meat and sea creatures protected under Spanish law. Officers said they believed the birds had been grabbed from the streets and killed in the restaurant kitchen, with the owner, who was arrested, intending to pass them off as the traditional Chinese delicacy. “It is not illegal to breed pigeons in Spain, but there was...

After finding $382 million in fraudulent unemployment payments since 2020, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) identified California, New York and Massachusetts as the primary culprits. The three Democrat-led states accounted for $305 million in improper claim payments, DOGE said Thursday. The group added that California also accounted for 68% of the benefits that were dispensed under former President Joe Biden to parolees identified by federal authorities as being on the government's terrorist watchlist, or who had criminal records. California, New York and Massachusetts all have a Democratic trifecta — meaning Democrats control the state House, Senate and the governor's...

Eating lower on the food chain may mean massive nutritional gains for humans.Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner has spent over a decade working as a writer in New York City. She currently covers all aspects of food, dining, travel and lifestyle trends and the intersection of culture, business and politics in these areas. Her work appears in The New York Times, Real Simple, Vogue, Bon Appetit, Glamour, Time Out, Conde Nast Traveler and several more publications. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 31, 2024 Thanks to the fatty fish's dense nutritional profile, consuming salmon has generally been considered essential to...

After-hours meals have been linked to increased stress and clotting risks — even with the same amount of sleep.Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of newsroom experience. She is also the co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Key Points -A new study from Mass General Brigham found that eating only during daytime hours significantly reduces cardiovascular risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure and clotting protein levels. The researchers used a tightly controlled lab setting to eliminate outside influences, making meal timing the only variable and...

NATIONAL CHEESE FONDUE DAY Observed annually on April 11th, National Cheese Fondue Day recognizes a food holiday many enjoy. Fondue is a dish of melted cheese or other ingredients, served in a communal pot (caquelon) over a small portable stove (réchaud). Participants then dip the bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. Cheese fondue consists of a blend of cheeses, wine, and seasoning. #NationalCheeseFondueDay A 1966 book published in Zurich, under the name "Kass mit Wein zu kochen" is known for having the earliest known cheese fondue recipe. It calls for grated or cut up cheese melted with wine and...

President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs, and possibly sanctions against Mexico, if it continues to rob South Texas farmers of Rio Grande water promised under a decades-old treaty. In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump proclaimed that Mexico owes Texas 1.3 million acre-feet of water under the 1944 Water Treaty, though Mexico was violating their obligation. “This is very unfair, and it is hurting South Texas Farmers very badly,” the president wrote. “Last year, the only Sugar Mill in Texas CLOSED, because Mexico has been stealing the water from Texas Farmers. Ted Cruz has been leading the...