Curio Cabinet / Daily Curio

You don’t have to like seafood to love these fish. Japan has plenty of beautiful foods, but none has gone quite as viral in recent years as taiyaki. Invented in the early 20th century, these fish-shaped cakes aren’t quite as ancient as some other Japanese dishes. The traditions surrounding them, however, go back a long way.
 
Taiyaki are fish-shaped cakes made from a batter similar to the kind used to make waffles. They are molded and cooked the same way waffles are, in specially-shaped irons. The cakes can be stuffed with all sorts of fillings. Anko, a sweet red bean paste, is traditional, but they can also be filled with jam, chocolate sauce, custard, or even ice cream.
 
Bean paste is central to taiyaki’s story. The cakes evolved from a street food called imagawayaki, a tall, round cake made from batter and stuffed with anko. Imagawayaki has been around since the middle of the Edo period, known as the An'ei era, which lasted from 1772–1781. They were first sold in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward, in a northeastern area called Kanda, near the Imagawabashi Bridge, from which they take their name. At first, the cakes were mainly sold at festivals, but they eventually became a popular street food.
 
It took quite a while for imagawayaki to morph into the modern taiyaki. The transformation was all thanks to one man: restaurant owner Seijirō Kobe. In 1909, his restaurant, Naniwaya Sōhonten (which still exists today), was having trouble selling enough imagawayaki. Kobe tried molding his cakes into different shapes to make them more appealing. When he finally decided to make fish-shaped imagawayaki, they sold like—well—hot cakes. The reason that fish took off when other shapes didn’t has a lot to do with Japanese cultural traditions. For one thing, they didn’t resemble just any fish: they were specifically made to look like red sea bream, which were very expensive for average people to buy, at the time. Buying one of Kobe’s cakes was an easy, tongue-in-cheek way to have a little taste of luxury. Then there’s the fact that red sea bream, or tai, are symbols of good fortune in Japan. It’s from them that taiyaki got its name.
 
Taiyaki soon became a hit in Tokyo, with other restaurants and vendors following Kobe’s lead. The treat had a pre-internet viral moment in 1979, when a catchy children’s song called Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun spread knowledge about the snack far beyond Tokyo. Taiyaki spread to Korea and Taiwan during periods of Japanese rule, and the snacks are a part of both countries’ culinary landscapes to this day. With the advent of the internet, taiyaki rose to international fame the same way that mochi and bubble tea did. Today, you can find Taiyaki just about anywhere. In the U.S., it’s often sold at Japanese restaurants, international grocery stores, and convenience stores. Suffice to say, it’s as popular as a humble fish could ever hope to be.

 
[Image description: Two fish-shaped waffle cakes, taiyaki, side by side against a white background.] Credit & copyright: Ocdp, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

When visiting Paris, there are a few must-dos: visiting the Louvre, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and now, going for a dip in the Seine. Once too polluted to swim in, the river Seine is finally ready to make a splash with the public—with a few restrictions. Beginning in 1923, the city of Paris banned swimming in the Seine…not that anyone was all that eager to break the law in the first place. While beautiful to look at, the river wasn’t the most sanitary body of water. Tens of thousands of homes in Paris, as well as the houseboats that floated along its surface, dumped their sewage directly into the river. Whatever toxic pollutants or waste that built up on the nearby streets were washed into it every time it rained.
 
Still, for some, the dream of going for a leisurely dip in the Seine remained something worth pursuing at any cost. That cost, incidentally, was around 1.4 billion euros, or $1.5 billion. For the last several years, the massive clean up project has been diverting and rearranging ancient sewer lines for homes and installing sewer hook up lines for houseboats to prevent further contamination of the Seine’s waters. A storage basin has even been constructed to catch runoff from the streets. While the cleanup effort was met with support from the city’s residents, some critics were skeptical about the project’s effectiveness. When the Olympics took place in Paris last year, several athletes fell ill after swimming in the Seine during the triathlon and open water races. President Emmanuel Macron also rescinded his promise to take a swim in the river before the Olympics as a show of trust, further spreading doubt about the cleanliness of the water.
 
Today, with cleanup seemingly complete, around 1,000 people a day will be allowed to swim at three designated areas. Authorities will also be performing daily water tests to monitor its safety. While the limit on the number of swimmers remains low for a city of millions, there are plans to create more swimming sites along the Seine in the near future. Getting your toes wet first is always an option…but we might wait for the first round of water test results first.

 
[Image description: The Seine river with two bridges and a cathedral visible.] Credit & copyright: Syced, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Don’t panic, these eggs aren’t satanic! From summer barbeques to holiday feasts, deviled eggs are widely beloved despite their odd name. These savory morsels have a surprisingly long history, popping up in cultures from ancient Rome to medieval Europe.
 
Deviled eggs are specially-prepared, hard-boiled eggs in which the yolk is scooped out, mixed with other ingredients, and then piped back into the egg white. Recipes vary, but the yolks are usually mixed with mayo and mustard, then topped with other spices and herbs like paprika or parsley. Deviled eggs can be prepared simply or elaborately since they can be topped with practically anything, from bacon to salsa to shrimp.
 
Eggs have been eaten as appetizers and side dishes for centuries. In ancient Rome, boiled eggs were eaten as finger food and dipped in spicy sauces. Spiciness was a hallmark of many early deviled-egg-like recipes from medieval Europe too. One recipe from 13th-century Spain called for mixing egg yolks with pepper and onion juice, among other ingredients, then piping it back into boiled egg halves before skewering the halves together with a pepper-topped stick.
 
As for the name “deviled”, it’s a culinary term that applies to more than just eggs. Deviled ham still exists today, as does deviled crab. It came about in the 1700s as a way of describing heavily-spiced foods. Some food historians believe that the term had to do with the heat of the spices (the devil is known to like heat, after all). Others believe that “deviled” refers to the sinful or decadent nature of the dish, since spices and herbs were expensive and hard to obtain in the 1700s, especially in the American colonies. Either way, the name stuck, though some still prefer to call them stuffed eggs, dressed eggs, or even angel eggs. Hey, an elaborately-prepared egg by any other name still tastes just as good.

 
[Image description: Six deviled eggs with green garnishes on a wooden serving board.] Credit & copyright: Büşra Yaman, Pexels

It was a lot of work, but it had to get done. Once devastated by a water crisis, the city of Flint, Michigan, has now completely replaced all of its lead pipes. In 2014, the city switched its municipal water source to the Flint River, which was cheaper than piping in water from Lake Huron and should have been easy enough to do. The change was part of an ongoing effort to lower the city’s spending after it was placed under state control due to a $25 million deficit. An emergency manager had been assigned by the governor to cut costs wherever possible, and so city officials and residents had no say in the change. Problems quickly arose when those overseeing Flint failed to treat the river water, which was more acidic than the lake water. The water gradually corroded the protective coating that had formed inside the lead pipes during years of hard water use. Eventually, the coating disappeared completely and the acidic water began leeching lead from the pipes. The water was tested periodically by city officials…but not adequately. Water samples were taken after letting the tap run for a little while, allowing any built up lead in the pipes to be washed out. By 2016, however, the effects of lead contamination were obvious. Residents were showing symptoms of lead poisoning, including behavioral changes, increased anxiety and depression, and cognitive decline. Overall, some 100,000 residents and 28,000 homes in and around the city were affected. Following a court decision later that year, residents were provided with faucet filters or water delivery services for drinking water, though these were only temporary solutions. The next year, a court decision forced the city to replace its 11,000 lead pipes. Now, almost 10 years later, the project is finally complete. Time to make a toast with tap water.

 
[Image description: The surface of water with slight ripples.] Credit & copyright: MartinThoma, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

What does a fruit salad have to do with one of the world’s most famous hotels? More than you’d think! Waldorf salad is more than just a great choice for cooling down during summer, it’s an integral part of American culinary history. Developed at New York City’s famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel during the establishment’s golden age, this humble salad is a superstar…albiet a misunderstood one.
 
Modern Waldorf salad is usually made with chopped apples, mayonnaise, sliced grapes, chopped celery, and walnuts. Raisins are also sometimes added. Juice from the chopped apples melds with the mayonnaise during mixing, giving the salad a tangy, sweet flavor. Often, green apples and grapes are used, though some suggest using pink lady apples for a less pucker-inducing dish. Though Waldorf salad is fairly simple to make, it used to be even more so. The original recipe called for just three ingredients: apples, celery, and mayonnaise.
 
Unlike many other iconic foods, Waldorf salad’s history is well-documented. It was first served on March 13, 1896, at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria by famed maître d'hôtel Oscar Tschirky. At the time, the Waldorf-Astoria was known as a hotel of the elite. Diplomats, movie stars, and other international celebrities frequently stayed there, and as such the hotel’s menus had to meet high standards and change frequently enough to keep guests interested. Tschirky was a master at coming up with simple yet creative dishes. He first served his three-ingredient Waldorf salad at a charity ball for St. Mary's Hospital, where it was an instant hit. It soon gained a permanent place on the hotel’s menu, and spread beyond its walls when Tschirky published The Cook Book, by "Oscar" of the Waldorf later that same year. Soon, Waldorf salad made its way onto other restaurant menus in New York City, and remained a regional dish for a time before spreading to the rest of the country. Naturally, the further from its birthplace the salad traveled, the more it changed. Regional variations that included grapes and walnuts eventually became the standard, though no one is quite sure how. What’s wrong with teaching an old salad new tricks?

 
[Image description: A pile of green apples with some red coloring in a cardboard box.] Credit & copyright: Daderot, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

It’s not always good to go out with a bang. Heart attacks were once the number one cause of deaths in the world, but a recent study shows that the tides are changing. In the last half-century or so, the number of heart attacks has been in sharp decline. Consider the following statistic from Stanford Medicine researchers: a person over the age of 65 admitted to a hospital in 1970 had just a 60 percent chance of leaving alive, and the most likely cause of death would have been an acute myocardial infarctions, otherwise known as a heart attack. Since then, the numbers have shifted drastically. Heart disease used to account for 41 percent of all deaths in the U.S., but that number is now down to 24 percent. Deaths from heart attacks, specifically, have fallen by an astonishing 90 percent. There are a few reasons for this change, the first being that medical technology has simply advanced, giving doctors better tools with which to help their patients, including better drugs. Another reason is that more people have become health-conscious, eating better, exercising more, and smoking less. Younger Americans are also drinking less alcohol, which might continue to improve the nation’s overall heart health. More people know how to perform CPR now too, and those that don’t can easily look it up within seconds thanks to smartphones. This makes cardiac arrest itself less deadly than it once was. Nowadays, instead of heart attacks, more people are dying from chronic heart conditions. That might not sound like a good thing, but it’s ultimately a positive sign. As the lead author of the study, Sara King, said in a statement, “People now are surviving these acute events, so they have the opportunity to develop these other heart conditions.” Is it really a trade-off if the cost of not dying younger is dying older?

 
[Image description: A digital illustration of a cartoon heart with a break down the center. The heart is maroon, the background is red.] Credit & copyright: Author-created image. Public domain.

Happy Fourth of July! This year, we’re highlighting a food that’s as American as apple pie…actually, much more so. Chicken and waffles is a U.S.-born, soul food staple, but exactly where, when, and how it developed is a source of heated debate.
 
Chicken and waffles is exactly what its name implies: a dish of waffles, usually served with butter and maple syrup, alongside fried chicken. The chicken is dredged in seasoned flour before cooking, and the exact spices used in the dredge vary from recipe to recipe. Black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder are all common choices. The exact pieces of chicken served, whether breast meat, wings, or thighs, also varies. Sometimes, honey is substituted for syrup.
 
The early history of chicken and waffles is shrouded in mystery. Though there’s no doubt that it’s an American dish, there are different stories about exactly how it developed. Some say that it came about in Jazz Age Harlem, when partiers and theater-goers stayed out so late that they craved a combination of breakfast and dinner foods. This story fits with chicken and waffles’ modern designation as soul food, since Harlem was largely segregated during the Jazz Age, and soul food comes from the culinary traditions of Black Americans. Still, others say that the dish was actually made famous by founding father Thomas Jefferson, who popularized waffles after he purchased waffle irons (which were fairly expensive at the time) from Amsterdam in the 1780s. Another story holds that the Pennsylvania Dutch created chicken and waffles based on German traditions.
 
Though we’ll never know for certain, it’s likely that all three tales are simply parts of a larger story. Dutch colonists brought waffles to the U.S. as early as the 1600s, where they made their way into the new culinary traditions of different groups of European settlers. This included the “Pennsylvania Dutch”, who were actually from Germany, where it was common to eat meat with bread or biscuits to sop up juices. They served waffles with different types of meat, including chicken with a creamy sauce. Thomas Jefferson did, indeed, help to popularize waffles, but it was the enslaved people who cooked for him and other colonists who changed the dish into what it is today. They standardized the use of seasoned, sometimes even spicy, fried chicken served with waffles, pancakes, or biscuits. After the civil war, chicken and waffles fell out of favor with white Americans, but was still frequently served in Black-owned restaurants, including well-known establishments in Harlem and in Black communities throughout the South. For centuries, the dish was categorized as Southern soul food. Then, in the 1990s, chicken and waffles had a sudden surge in nationwide popularity, possibly due to the rise of food-centric T.V. and “foodie” culture. Today, it can be found everywhere from Southern soul food restaurants to swanky brunch cafes in northern states. Its origins were humble, but its delicious reach is undeniable.

 
[Image description: Chicken wings and a waffle on a white plate with an orange slice.] Credit & copyright: Joost.janssens, Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Joost.janssens at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.

They’re more than sneakers—they’re a tribute. Adidas will soon be bringing back the very shoes worn by Terry Fox during his run across Canada in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of his “Marathon of Hope.” The blue-and-white-striped shoes were worn by Fox in 1980 when he embarked on a journey that would go on to inspire millions. At the time, though, no one was looking at his shoes. Born on July 28, 1958, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Fox was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma in 1977 at the age of 18. The disease didn’t claim his life then, but Fox lost his right leg just above the knee. By 1979, Fox mastered the use of his artificial limb and completed a marathon, but he was determined to do more. Fox was driven by his personal experiences from dealing with cancer, including his time in the cancer ward. He believed that cancer research needed more funding, and he came up with the idea to run across Canada to raise awareness.
 
Fox started his marathon on April 12th, 1980, by dipping his prosthetic leg in the Atlantic Ocean, and in the first days of his journey, he attracted little attention. For months, Fox ran at a pace averaging 30 miles a day, and his persistence paid off. Over time, more and more people rallied behind Fox, and began to stand along his route to cheer him on. Then, after over 3,300 miles, Fox started suffering from chest pains. The culprit was his cancer, which had spread to his lungs and forced him to stop his marathon prematurely. Fox passed away the following year on June 28, and though he never managed to reach the Pacific side of Canada, he accomplished something more. He surpassed his goal of $24 million CAD, raising the equivalent of $1 from every single Canadian. Fox also became a national hero for his dedication, and is the youngest Canadian ever to be made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor. Since his passing, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised a further $850 million CAD, and a statue in his honor stands in Ottawa, Ontario. A true hero of the Great White North.

 
[Image description: A statue of Terry Fox running, with another wall-like memorial behind it. In the background is a building and trees.] Credit & copyright: Raysonho, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.