Vittles

Vittles explores global food and culture, highlighting perspectives and trends overlooked by mainstream food media. It covers London's evolving food scene, societal and emotional aspects of eating, design impacts on consumer behavior, systemic issues within food systems, and personal narratives tied to food. Vittles also discusses the role of food in diplomacy and identity.

Global Food Culture Food Trends Societal Impacts of Food Food System Issues Personal Food Narratives Food and Identity Design in Food Retail Food Education Hospitality and Stereotypes Gastrodiplomacy

The hottest Substack posts of Vittles

And their main takeaways

Clueless No More: A Guide for Americans Eating in London

264 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Culinary Dining Travel Culture Guide
  1. American tourists often miss out on London's great food by sticking to popular spots like afternoon tea and fish and chips. It's better to explore local favorites instead.
  2. Many traditional meals in London, like roast dinners in pubs, can be disappointing and overcooked. You might want to skip this and try homemade meals instead.
  3. While some British foods can be bland, there are also lots of exciting culinary options in London. Don't let stereotypes stop you from finding great places to eat.

Double Cardamom: Malawax and Shai

102 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Culinary Beverages Cultural Comfort food
  1. The article shares a cozy recipe for Somali cardamom pancakes and spiced tea, emphasizing comfort during the cold winter months.
  2. Cardamom is highlighted as a warming spice that adds both flavor and comfort to the tea and pancakes.
  3. It's a reminder to enjoy simple pleasures like a warm meal and good company, especially when the weather is gloomy.

'If you don’t like it, you know what you can do'

205 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Cooking Recipes Food culture Personal Stories Food history
  1. Cooking can be a way to show love, just like the author's mom did. Simple, nourishing meals can carry deeper meanings and memories.
  2. Life isn’t always fair, and cooking lessons can help us deal with challenges. It's important to enjoy food and savor moments with friends and family.
  3. As we grow, we might need to unlearn some of our childhood teachings. It's okay to take pleasure in cooking and sharing meals without guilt.

Part 1: The Vittles Christmas Gift Guide 2024

156 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Gifts Cooking Cuisine Recipes Food Trends
  1. The Vittles Christmas Gift Guide offers a huge list of fun and unique gift ideas from various contributors. There are over a hundred options, including food items and quirky goodies.
  2. The guide is published in parts, with the first covering contributions made by Vittles writers, while the second part will feature more categories like books and kitchenware.
  3. The gifts range from sophisticated to silly, ensuring there's something for everyone, whether you're looking for stocking fillers or special treats.

The Vittles EU8 Restaurant Guide

123 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Cuisines Food culture Food history
  1. The EU expansion in 2004 brought in eight countries, giving London a rich variety of Eastern European cuisines. You can find Polish, Lithuanian, Czech, Hungarian, and more types of food across the city.
  2. Many restaurants, bakeries, and pubs celebrate these cultures, especially in neighborhoods with a strong East European community. Places like Streatham and Ealing have become hubs for this diverse culinary scene.
  3. Certain dishes, like Lithuanian cepelinai or Czech goulash, are becoming more popular, showing a shift in how these cuisines are viewed. People are starting to see them as trendy and delicious.
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Part 2: The Vittles Christmas Gift Guide 2024

141 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Culinary Arts Food Writing Gift Guides
  1. This guide offers many unique gift ideas, including books, kitchenware, and quirky food items. It's a great way to find something special for food lovers.
  2. There’s a focus on independent food zines, which showcase unique and interesting food writing in the UK. These zines can be a fun way to explore diverse food stories.
  3. The guide suggests looking at both practical and decorative kitchen items among the gifts. You can find things that are useful and also add style to your kitchen.

A Ghost Story About Pies

159 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Baking Cuisine History Culture Economics
  1. Pimbletts bakery is a big part of the history and culture of St Helens, where pies have been loved for generations. It shows how food connects to the town's industrial past.
  2. Despite its closures and comebacks, the new Pimbletts is facing criticism for not tasting as good as the original. People feel like the history and quality of the pies are being lost.
  3. St Helens struggles with its identity after losing many factories and jobs. Young people see little hope for the future, feeling the town is stuck living in the past.

Nick Bramham’s Rabbit & Fennel Risotto

128 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Cooking Dining Food culture Gastronomy
  1. The Rabbit & Fennel Risotto was created out of a kitchen challenge due to unexpected demand for rabbit and over-ordering of fennel. The chef had to think quickly to make a delicious meal.
  2. To give the risotto a rich flavor, the chef uses high-quality ingredients like Carnaroli rice, chicken stock, and fresh fennel, making sure the vegetables add texture.
  3. The finished dish is intended to be substantial and perfect for sharing at gatherings, making it both satisfying and versatile for different occasions.

Melek Erdal’s Baked Candied Pumpkin with Tahini and Walnuts

161 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine Recipes Culinary Arts Food culture Cooking techniques
  1. Baked candied pumpkin is a comforting dessert that combines sweetness with tahini and walnuts. It reminds people of shared moments and helps heal emotional pain.
  2. Cutting up the pumpkin can be the hardest part of making this dish, but the process of preparing it is important and rewarding.
  3. Sharing food with loved ones can be a source of joy and connection, especially during tough times.

Sowing Solidarity: How Lebanon’s Wineries Remain Rooted

159 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Wine Culture Environment Economy Agriculture
  1. Lebanon's wineries are facing tough times due to conflict and destruction. Many winemakers are shifting their focus from producing wine to supporting their communities.
  2. The connection to the land is really important for these winemakers. They feel a strong pride in their heritage and want to preserve their agricultural traditions amidst the chaos.
  3. Support from abroad is crucial for the survival of Lebanon's wine industry. Winemakers need strong export partnerships to keep their businesses alive as local markets struggle.

Vittles Reviews: What Does the River Café Café Bring to the Table?

118 implied HN points • 13 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Cuisine Food Critique Culinary Trends Dining Experience
  1. The River Café has opened a new, more affordable location, called the Café Café, but its existence was uncertain at first. There were no signs of it online, which raised doubts about its legitimacy.
  2. The Café Café aims to stand out from many average cafés in the area by offering a unique menu and dining experience. It reflects a mix of creativity and commonality, hoping to keep customers interested.
  3. The overall vibe of the Café Café feels casual and approachable, offering simple dishes like pasta and salads. The atmosphere is easygoing, making it accessible to a wide range of customers.

Make Your Own Festive Biscuit Box

125 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Baking Christmas Traditions
  1. You can easily make your own festive biscuit box with simple recipes. It's a fun way to share baked treats with friends and family during Christmas.
  2. There are three easy biscuit recipes: chocolate-dipped oat cookies, spiced ginger thins, and saffron shortbread. Each can be prepared quickly and adapted to your taste.
  3. Baking for others is a great way to spread joy during the holidays. You don't need to be an expert to create something special for your loved ones.

Michèle Roberts: The Art of Writing a Cookbook

136 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Cooking Food Writing Recipes Feminism
  1. Cooking is like a creative art form, similar to writing poetry. It's about being attentive and using the right ingredients to create something special.
  2. Understanding and recognizing your own appetite is key to enjoying cooking for yourself. It’s important to treat yourself well, just like you would a dear friend.
  3. Using leftovers can be a fun and creative challenge. It's a way to reduce waste and make something new and delicious from what you already have.

Back to the Future: A Trip to Wing Yip

138 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurant Reviews Culinary Trends Food culture Dining Experiences Food Photography
  1. Brent Cross West is a new train station in London that makes it easier for people to get around. It helps connect different areas that were hard to reach before.
  2. The Wing Yip supermarket complex remains busy and lively, resembling classic Chinese supermarkets. It's a place that many people have fond memories of.
  3. There are big changes happening in the Brent Cross area, including new homes and businesses, making it a lively neighborhood to visit.

Nick Bramham’s Perfect Tuna Melt

151 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Cuisine Cooking Food culture Food history
  1. The tuna melt is a popular sandwich that combines tuna salad with grilled cheese. It became famous at Woolworth's lunch counter in the 1960s by accident.
  2. There are many types of sandwiches with unique origins in different cities, showcasing a rich food culture in America.
  3. Everyone has their own preferred way of making a tuna melt, and the perfect ratio of tuna to mayo can be a hot topic among sandwich lovers.

Songsoo Kim’s Jjajangmyeon (Pork Belly and Fried Black Bean Noodles)

115 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Cuisines Food culture Cooking techniques Personal Stories
  1. Jjajangmyeon is a comfort food in Korea that connects people to their memories and identity. It represents not just a meal but also a connection to family and past experiences.
  2. The dish has roots in both Chinese and Korean cuisine, evolving over time to become a symbol of indulgence for many. It's often enjoyed on special occasions, showing how food can carry cultural significance.
  3. Eating jjajangmyeon can serve as a way to cope with feelings of nostalgia and belonging. It allows people to hold onto parts of their past while adapting to new environments.

Vittles Reviews: What's the Point of Spanish Food in London?

141 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Cuisine Reviews Culture Dining
  1. Spanish food options in London are quite limited, often centered around a few high-end restaurants in Soho and Mayfair.
  2. While Spanish cuisine has improved over the years, many places still feel like replicas of traditional Spanish dining, lacking a unique identity.
  3. A truly good restaurant should transport diners to a different world, offering an experience that goes beyond just food.

Six of One: Cafe Culture

100 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Beverages Cuisine Food culture
  1. Cafes in London are diverse and special, with unique themes and menus that reflect different cultures. This variety keeps the cafe culture lively and interesting.
  2. Some cafes focus on blending different cuisines, like a cafe that serves both traditional English meals and Thai food. This mix can create a fun and unique dining experience.
  3. Certain cafes, despite changes around them, manage to hold on to their original charm and character. They serve as a reminder of the area's history and appeal to both locals and visitors.

Six of One: Zone 1 Special

133 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Food culture
  1. Zone 1 in London has some great restaurant options that aren’t very well known. It's worth exploring local spots beyond just the popular tourist places.
  2. Sagamiya is a cozy sushi restaurant that serves delicious bento boxes and chirashi bowls. It’s a great place for a quick and satisfying lunch.
  3. This time, there are recommendations for various cuisines like Teochew, Vietnamese, and Korean in busy areas. These hidden gems are perfect for anyone looking for good food while out and about.

Introducing Vittles Prints

84 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Art Illustration Design Photography Food
  1. Vittles is launching six new art prints in a collaboration with two artists, Sing Yun Lee and Michaël Protin.
  2. The prints feature vibrant illustrations and photos related to food and culture, adding a unique visual element to the Vittles brand.
  3. These prints are available for purchase, and the team plans to expand their selection in the future.

Spiced Pumpkin Cream Pie

79 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Culinary History Baking Cultural cuisine
  1. Spiced pumpkin cream pie is a fun twist on a classic American dessert found in diners. It's a great option to share at events or enjoy throughout the week.
  2. Making cream pies became popular with instant pudding mixes, making it easier for busy home cooks to create impressive desserts. These pies often have a graham cracker or digestive biscuit crust, which is easy to prepare.
  3. The pumpkin cream pie recipe uses roasted pumpkin and warm spices for a unique flavor. It's best to make it a day ahead so it has time to cool and set properly.

Chloe-Rose Crabtree's Blackberry and Kiwi Lattice Pie

53 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Cooking Baking Desserts Ingredients
  1. This pie recipe combines blackberries and kiwi, perfect for adding brightness during winter. It's a delicious way to enjoy seasonal fruits.
  2. You can choose different decorative toppings for the pie, like a lattice crust or sugar on top. Even simple designs can look lovely and impressive.
  3. Making a successful pastry requires keeping ingredients at the right temperature and letting the dough rest. This helps create a flaky and tasty crust.

Food is a Battleground

310 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Community Building
  1. Food is often used as a tool of control by employers of live-in nannies and domestic workers.
  2. The family worker exemption policy excludes live-in childcare workers from UK employment rights, leading to exploitative conditions.
  3. Eating restrictions and limitations imposed on nannies and au pairs in their workplace can lead to feelings of shame, isolation, and mistreatment.

Fozia Ismail’s Hibiscus and Xawaash Venison with Creamy Parsnip Mash

64 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Cooking Cuisine
  1. Game meat, like venison, connects us to the seasons and brings rich, comforting flavors to our meals. Cooking with seasonal ingredients can enhance our relationship with the food we eat.
  2. Using unique ingredients like hibiscus can add a special twist to traditional dishes, making them more vibrant and interesting. Hibiscus' tangy flavor works well with meats, similar to how cranberry might be used.
  3. Homemade spices, like xawaash, can deepen the flavor of dishes and make them more personal. Taking the time to prepare your own seasonings can elevate your cooking experience.

The Hater - Ultra Processed Foods

341 implied HN points • 16 Oct 23
🍲 Food & Drink Nutrition Food Processing Health Outcomes Food System
  1. UPFs are often demonized in the health and nutrition world, leading to fear and anxiety about food.
  2. The classification of ultra-processed foods lacks nuance and lumps together a wide range of products with varying nutritional profiles.
  3. Issues with our food system go beyond just avoiding ultra-processed foods and need to address systemic inequities and lack of access to nutritious options.

All Change at Vittles

202 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Magazine Website Writing Pitching Editorial
  1. Vittles has launched a new website with sections like Features, Restaurants, Recipes, Columns, and Projects, offering a diverse range of food and culture content.
  2. Vittles is changing their pitching process to allow for more freedom in article submissions, encouraging writers to pitch ideas related to food with no restrictions on content.
  3. Vittles is expanding their team with new personnel and editors, aiming to sustainably grow the online magazine with reader contributions.

Why is Food Education so Unappetising?

218 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🍲 Food & Drink
  1. Food education in British schools has a complex history with changes in focus and emphasis over the years.
  2. Despite recent policies making food education compulsory, implementation and resources have been lacking.
  3. There is a need for better food education in schools to equip children with essential life skills and understanding of the food system.

Long days, longer battles

154 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business Labor Issues Market Dynamics
  1. Many food delivery workers are facing challenges such as falling pay, long hours, and lack of information on decision-making processes.
  2. Delivery workers' vulnerability is exacerbated by migration policies, including the threat of deportation and exploitation of undocumented workers.
  3. The success of strike actions by delivery riders against major platforms like Uber Eats and Deliveroo highlights the impact that collective action can have in addressing labor issues in the gig economy.

The Life and Death of the Hawker Centre

156 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine History Policy Culture Tradition
  1. Hawker culture in Singapore was built on individual craft and diversity but is facing challenges due to modernization and standardization.
  2. Government initiatives are in place to preserve the hawker trade in Singapore, seen as a key part of the social safety net.
  3. While new hawker-inspired businesses have emerged, true hawker culture is deeply rooted in the authentic, independent stalls found in traditional hawker centers.

How to eat an Orange

284 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Family Cultural heritage Cooking
  1. Eating fruits can hold deep personal and cultural significance, connecting past experiences and childhood memories.
  2. For some individuals, food choices can reflect not just personal preferences, but also societal and political pressures.
  3. The act of eating an orange can be a symbolic and meaningful experience, tied to personal history and emotions.

Vittles Reviews: A Restaurant in Diaspora

146 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurant Reviews Cultural cuisine
  1. Vittles Reviews focuses on critical reviews of London restaurants, exploring cultural connections and the evolving dining scene.
  2. Little Nyonya in suburban London is a unique dining experience, showcasing a blend of Hong Kong culture and immigrant stories in a diaspora setting.
  3. The migration of Hong Kong communities to places like Sutton in London represents a significant cultural shift, influencing dining preferences and creating new culinary landscapes.

The Hater - The TV Food Man

315 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Writing Critique
  1. The post discusses a biography of a TV Food Man from the perspective of someone who dislikes him.
  2. The Vittles website offers subscriptions for accessing their content.
  3. Consider subscribing to Vittles for full access to their back catalog and new columns.