6 Items Tagged

Dictator Food Projects

The mural was not part of the original brewery.

Pyongyang, North Korea

Taedonggang Brewing Company

An English brewery transported to North Korea.

Castro never said no to ice cream.

To Defy the United States, Fidel Castro Built the World's Greatest Ice Cream Parlor

The socialist establishment, which is still slinging scoops, seated 1,000 customers.

Alex Mayyasi November 8, 2019

Pad Thai for everyone was once the party line.

The Oddly Autocratic Roots of Pad Thai

The sweet and salty noodle dish started out in a prime minister's kitchen.

Alex Mayyasi November 7, 2019

Whale fat was widely used to wage war⁠—and make margarine.

Hitler’s Secret Antarctic Expedition for Whales

Whales meant margarine, and margarine meant victory.

Luke Fater November 6, 2019

Behind the Iron Curtain, shelves were empty but champagne was affordable.

How Stalin and the Soviet Union Created a Champagne for the Working Class

In 1936, the Party suddenly switched from denouncing bubbly to mass producing it.

Jessica Gingrich November 5, 2019

Mao found mangoes to be too messy.

How a Fruit Basket From Mao Made China Mad for Mangoes

Regifting the fruit created a potent political symbol.

Jessica Gingrich November 4, 2019