At Asian Talks: Hold the Onions, Please

Reuters India is reporting that the chefs charged with preparing the menus for U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders at the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Singapore this week have been told to minimize the use of garlic and onion "to ensure the talks are not an olfactory challenge." Breath mints will also be "readily available."

Yangshan is Peachy

Are the water honey peaches of Yangshan, China, "the juiciest, most delicious peaches on earth"?

In Defense of Green Peppers

Singing the praises of an oft-despised ingredient: the green bell pepper.

Florida Establishes Honey Purity Standard

According to a new regulation by its Agriculture and Consumer Services Commission, the State of Florida has established a "Standard of Identity" for all honey made or sold in the state.

A press release from the Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commission called the measure "the first regulation in the nation – and perhaps the world – prohibiting any additives, chemicals or adulterants in honey produced, processed or sold in Florida."

Josh Ozersky on Bacon

"It's all things meat, concentrated down to one strip of cured pork, and that strip functions as a middle finger to extend towards all the health cranks, stroller moms, and progressive puritans who try to prevent men from doing what they want most. Bacon is a Thai brothel on an egg plate."

Why is Lobster So Inexpensive Right Now?

Trevor Corson tells us why in The Atlantic online.

In Praise of Nam Pla

Nigel Slater writes approvingly about nam pla (fish sauce): "Robust enough to clean copper when undiluted, this ancient seasoning almost disappears into the background when added to any recipe."

Have a Ball at the World Testicle Cooking Championship

Mark your calendars. The next "World Testicle & Aphrodisiac Cooking Championship" (ballcup.com) will be held on August 29-30, 2009, in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia.

Officially titled "Mud®ijada," the goal of the competition is "promoting testicle specialities [sic] as well as Serbian traditional cuisine."

The website offers this mission statement of sorts: "The Scots have Scotch, the Swiss have cheese, and we Serbs have balls! Why shouldn’t we sell them to the world as a real Serbian trademark speciality from Shumadija?"

The event is the brainchild of Serbian chef Ljubomir R. Erovic, who, you may remember, is the author of The Testical Cookbook: Cooking With Balls.

Watercress Gone Wild

Wild watercress is the next big thing for the foraging crowd, but beware of Fasciola Hepatica, a parasite that also goes by the foreboding name of “common liver fluke.”

The Story of Sriracha

John T. Edge explores how this "polyglot purée with roots in different places and peoples" has become an iconic "American sauce."