Heritage Cooking

In this series, authors and cooks delve deliciously into the stories and secrets behind their favorite recipes. We explore the traditions and origins behind iconic foods from around the world, and share recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation among families and communities. Learn to make Mexican tamales, the Filipino ginger-chicken soup tinola, Vietnamese-style Brussels sprouts, Southern barbecue and mac and cheese, and much more.

Most Recent

Chorizo Tacos with Homemade Whole-Wheat Flour Tortillas

These healthy tacos feature whole-wheat flour tortillas and chorizo.

My Plum Clafoutis Is an Ode to My Late Father

Clafoutis is a classic French dessert of fruit baked in thick custard-like batter. It often features cherries but this healthy clafoutis recipe features plums. Feel free to experiment with other fruit if you'd like.

I Slather This Minty Tzatziki on Almost Everything, but It's Perfect with Merguez Sausage

Merguez is a Maghrebi (Northwest African) lamb sausage spiced with cumin, coriander and fennel seeds as well as harissa. In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris' series on foods of the African diaspora, the author and historian recalls visits to Morocco, and offers her recipe for tzatziki (with plenty of mint), the Greek yogurt sauce she loves with merguez. While you're cooking the sausages, tossing in some peppers, onions and scallions makes for a delicious addition.

How to Make Paches de Pollo, the Ultimate Guatemalan Comfort Food

Potato-based tamales called paches are commonly made in Guatemala.

Chiles en Nogada (Picadillo-Stuffed Chiles in Walnut Sauce)

Chiles en nogada is a traditional and iconic Mexican dish featuring roasted poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo and topped with a velvety walnut sauce.

How the Comfort of German Potato Pancakes Helped Me Adjust to a New Life in Rural Pennsylvania

This humble recipe is a popular meatless meal in Germany.

Celebrating Foods of the African Diaspora

Migration Meals: How African American Food Transformed the Taste of America

During the Great Migration, millions of African Americans left the South and settled in the rest of the United States, bringing rich culinary traditions with them—sweet potato pie, black-eyed peas, mac and cheese, barbecue and so much more.

This Curried Cabbage Dish Will Transport You to the Eastern Coast of Kenya

In this installment of our series on foods of the African diaspora, Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D., notes that curry is the connection in this simple dish from Kenya.