A Brief History of Castoreum, the Beaver Butt Secretion Used As Flavoring
Mental Floss
June 13, 2017
Is your vanilla ice cream flavored with beaver butt? (Short answer: Probably not.) Read more here!
Why Early America Was Obsessed With Wooden Nutmegs
Mental Floss
April 24th, 2017
The true history behind false wooden nutmegs. Read more here!
Pie Fight: A Brief History of Competitive Eating
Lapham’s Quarterly
Nov. 22nd, 2016
The shocking history of pie-eating contests. Read more here!
Living 
My Best 1848 Life
Lapham’s Quarterly
Dec. 28th, 2014
“Every summer I spent more waking hours of my life in the nineteenth century than I did in the modern day.” Read more here!
Ever Wonder What it’s Like to Drink Like a Pilgrim?
Liquor.com
Nov. 12, 2014
“When we think of the Puritans landing at Plymouth Rock, we think of them being, well, puritanical—dour, temperate party poopers. Wrong. Drinking alcohol was a substantive part of life in early New England.” Read more here!
Etsy Kitchen Histories
How to Make Gin (and One Tasty Summer Cocktail)
Indulge your fondness for speakeasy-style cocktails with a DIY gin kit (it takes less than a day!) and this refreshing punch recipe.
Adventures in At-Home Cheesemaking
Food historian Sarah Lohman tries large-scale and at-home cheese production on for size.
Smells Good Enough to Eat: the Perfume Cake
Scent, taste, and memory are inextricably linked, which is one reason this historic cake recipe (the secret ingredient: perfume!) is so intriguing.
Kitchen Histories: Love Spoons
This year, consider a Valentine’s gift that’s nearly as old as Romeo and Juliet (and even more romantic): a hand-carved wooden love spoon.
Kitchen Histories: The Gingerbread House
Learn the history of this holiday icon — and get tips for constructing your own extra-special version.
Kitchen Histories: Home Brewing
A brief history of homemade beer in America — and where to shop for suds-making supplies on Etsy.
Kitchen Histories: Hot Chocolate
Sarah Lohmann concocts an historically accurate cup of cocoa and looks at the story behind this wintertime favorite.
Kitchen Histories: The Great Cookie Swap
Holiday cookies are more than sugar and sprinkles – they hold cherished memories. Etsians are exploring creative ways to capture and share the magic.
Kitchen Histories: Easy-as-Pie Apple Peeler
Take a turn learning about a historic timesaver, and discover a recipe for a unique, Thanksgiving-worthy treat.
Kitchen Histories: Trick-or-Treat
Halloween is a night for costumes, jack-o-lanterns, tricks and treats — but when did we start running through the streets demanding candy, anyway?
Kitchen Histories: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Sarah Lohman digs into the sticky history of a classic combo and shares the source for the original PB&J.
Kitchen Histories: Tiki Time
A campy post-war cultural moment is experiencing a popular resurgence as a new generation discovers cocktails like the Mai Tai.
Kitchen Histories: Fancy Ice Creams
Parmesan-flavored, chicken-shaped ice cream? No, really – it was a thing. Read on for a savory history of frozen treats.
Kitchen Histories: The Ice Pick
An attempt to use this simple tool reveals getting the perfect chip off the old block involves quite a bit of skill.
Kitchen Histories: The Indestructible Cast Iron Pan
Hardworking and unpretentious, this is one kitchen tool that gets better with age.
Kitchen Histories: The Velveeta Grilled Cheese
This fascinating slice of history may have you giving processed cheese a second chance at the dinner table.
Kitchen Histories: The Bimuelo Pan
Often called an egg pan, an escargot pan, or a poffertjes pan, this useful kitchen tool is used by multiple cultures for making fried dough treats.
Kitchen Histories: Maple Sugaring
Historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman traces the charming history of America’s obsession with maple syrup.
Kitchen Histories: The Mortar and Pestle
This utilitarian kitchen tool holds the key to unlocking spices’ most wonderful flavors, as Sarah Lohman discovers while making a historical curry.
The Microwave Cookbook
Our historic gastronomist puts this amazing technology to the test — and roasts a whole chicken in the microwave.
Kitchen Histories: The Measuring Spoon
Fannie Farmer was celebrated and criticized for standardizing American recipes, and her legacy remains powerful today.
Kitchen Histories: The Virginia Housewife
Mary Randolph’s cookbook helped shape American culinary identity and captured the domestic realities of its time.
Kitchen Histories: The Tom and Jerry
Rich and warming, this historic winter cocktail is a welcome way to cheer winter’s darkest days.
Kitchen Histories: Bûche de Noël
A charming log-shaped mold triggers an exploration into holiday history and how the traditional Yule log morphed into a frosted treat.
Kitchen Histories: The Iconic Thanksgiving Turkey
As you feast with family, Sarah Lohman talks turkey, taking a look at the evolution of an American classic.
Kitchen Histories: Cranberry Sauce Serving Set
This faddish object combined old school elegance and modern day convenience to showcase the side dish everyone overlooks: cranberry sauce.
Kitchen Histories: Typewritten Recipe Cards
A collection of found recipe cards captures a personal food legacy and challenges preconceived notions of mid century cookery.
The Historic Spice Cupboard
Old spice tins hold more than fragrant dust — they tell a tale of changing tastebuds and vanished cooking fads.
The Magic Whisk
Over time, this humble kitchen tool has evolved in both design and ease-of-use. Sarah Lohman puts vintage models to the test, with surprising results.
