Taste of the Holidays is an Inverse series about the science of classic holiday foods. Get the inside scoop on your favorite (or hated) nostalgic holiday dishes with new stories through December 2023.
On The Menu
Cookie Swap Rules For Safety: How to Stay Healthy During the Holiday Tradition
Innocent holiday tradition or festive petri dish?
The Delicate Chemistry Behind Your Favorite Holiday Candy
How to make picture-perfect chocolate at home.
How To Fry The Perfect Latke (According To Science)
“Latkes have to be fried, and if they’re not, you’re doing it wrong.”
900 Years Later, Technology Has Drastically Altered This Divisive British Food
The ancient dish is as steeped in science as it is in history.
The Most Popular Holiday Treat Reveals a Weird Evolutionary Mix-Up
Peppermint is a beloved ingredient in November and December. But should it be?
The Perfect Storm of Chemistry Makes Cranberries a Holiday Staple
Cranberries don’t claim a spot on your holiday table for no one reason.
Is Velveeta Real Cheese? The Secret Science That Makes “Cheese Products” So Gooey
“The flavor profile has just kind of become part of America.”
The Most Delicious Holiday Meat Is a Miracle of Modern Science
“There's a lot of chemistry that's going on.”