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Food for settlers in New Zealand used to be mutton, mutton, mutton and potatoes or potatoes. Not any more.

You may be wondering, if you care about these things as I do, why there is a chilli species called Capsicum chinense.

Chilli peppers took a few years to reach China after their initial encounter with Westerners, but rapidly became a very hot item.

In Sierra Leone, a hunt for long lost species of coffee succeeds

A brief look at the life of one of the first celebrity chefs

Are there any universals about more complex kinds of gustatory taste? And how do we learn to talk about taste?

On being the right size, and other news, ancient and modern, food and drink. Subscribe to the newsletter for a fuller “analysis”.

Robert Walpole — like all great politicians — understood how to use his tipple to send a signal

No meat shortage, no vegetable left behind, not enough figs, tasty maize, bulky barley, old bottles.

I know taste is entirely subjective. But I’m also willing to think about good taste and bad taste and even to use that as part of a value judgement. How about you?