When is a mango not a mango? Why, when it’s a bell pepper, of course! An Indiana listener says she and her Kentucky in-laws have entirely different names for this vegetable. She wants to know why, so we help her sort it out.
scoop shop n.— «Nobody keeps track of specific flavor sales at ice-cream parlors (“scoop shops” in dairy-industry parlance), but the International Dairy Foods Association tracks supermarket sales, which, according to its...
co-munching n.— «I realized that this combination of flavor and not-flavor is a Thai form of what I call “co-munching,” the act of deliberately chewing different foods together. A bite of pickle with your sandwich? You’re co-munching. A...
pearl v.— «Pearled barley is the most widely sold form of the grain at supermarkets. The milling process known as “pearling” results in a longer shelf life and shortened cooking time, but also removes the bran and part of the germ...
joropo n.— «If you ask accomplished pianist and composer Claudia Calderon to best describe “joropo”—a style of music indigenous to both Venezuela and her native Colombia—she would say it’s an off-shoot of American jazz...
nixtimalization n.— «The filling of a tamale is encased in a corn dough called “masa.” Masa flour called “masa harina” or “masa seca” is made from large kernel corn which is dried and then treated with...