People slurp soup and pluck noodles at a soba and udon restaurant in Tokyo in February 2016. Shuji Kajiyama/AP hide caption
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Slow carbs like whole-grain breads and pastas, oats and brown rice are rich in fiber and take more time to digest, so they don't lead to the same quick rise in blood sugar that refined carbs can cause. fcafotodigital/Getty Images hide caption
The key to making the quintessential biscuit of the American South, like these from Callie's Charleston Biscuits Bakery in Charleston, S.C., is more about technique than a specific flour, some bakers say. Brett Flashnick/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption
California home cooks like Akshay Prabhu are excited about the prospect of selling food from their kitchens to supplement their incomes. Ezra David Romero/NPR hide caption
Selling Food From Your Kitchen Is Legal In California, But There's A Catch
Capital Public Radio
Sriraja Panich is the brand name of one of two Sriracha sauces created by Saowanit Trikityanukul's family. The family sold the brand to Thaitheparos, Thailand's leading sauce company, in the 1980s. The brand has struggled to gain a foothold in the U.S., where the Huy Fong Rooster brand of Sriracha, created by Vietnamese-American David Tran, reigns supreme. Michael Sullivan/for NPR hide caption
In Home Of Original Sriracha Sauce, Thais Say Rooster Brand Is Nothing To Crow About
When Corsair Distillery in Nashville, Tenn., wanted to start experimenting with alternative grains, there wasn't a playbook to follow. Now, it makes a quinoa-barley whiskey. Ashlie Stevens/WFPL hide caption
Quinoa Whiskey? Modified Crop List Spurs Distilleries To Try Alternative Grains
Louisville Public Media
Costco Wholesale requires its food suppliers to undergo annual inspections and requires some produce suppliers to hold shipments until tests come back negative for disease-causing bacteria. Mark Peterson/Corbis via Getty Images hide caption
Craft beer lovers may not see many new brews on the shelves in coming weeks. The government shutdown means new labels can't be approved, delaying the release of new bottled beers. Dave Martin/AP hide caption
Students exercise at a weight-loss summer camp in China's Shandong Province. The government promotes physical activity as the solution to a growing obesity problem. Wang Zhide/VCG via Getty Images hide caption
People were more likely to try mealworms — such as these mealworm chocolate truffles sprinkled with coconut — when the ad focused on taste and experience, a study showed. Oliver Brachat/for NPR hide caption
Pigs stand in their shed in a farm in Iowa. A judge Tuesday threw out a law banning undercover investigations in Iowa agricultural facilities. Nati Harnik/AP hide caption
Beloved in eastern Asia, especially Japan, persimmons get little respect in the United States, where many tree owners don't bother harvesting their crop. Alastair Bland/for NPR hide caption
Cheese is packaged for sale at Widmer's Cheese Cellars in 2016 in Theresa, Wis. Record dairy production in the U.S. has produced a record surplus of cheese causing prices to drop. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
This granary weevil has set up shop inside a kernel. Even without wings, these stealthy stowaways — with the help of humans — have managed to infest grains all over the world for thousands of years. Biophoto Associates/Getty Images/Science Source hide caption
Nick's Cafe owner Nick Andurlakis says his business near the Denver Federal Center has dropped about 20 percent since the partial government shutdown began. He thinks the decrease is due to a combination of the shutdown and the holidays. Dan Boyce/NPR hide caption
Not Out To Lunch: Businesses That Rely On Federal Workers Suffer The Shutdown
Fishing trawlers lined up in Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. The Alaska pollock fishery is worth about $750 million each year, and it's scheduled to open Jan. 20. But the heavily regulated industry is facing delays in inspections because of the shutdown. James Brooks/Flickr hide caption
Artist Stephanie Shih remembers making pork-filled dumplings with her family and started her art project by sculpting six of them out of porcelain. She's now made 600. Courtesy of Robert Bredvad hide caption
Scientists have re-engineered photosynthesis, the foundation of life on Earth, creating genetically modified plants that grow faster and bigger. Above, scientists measure how well modified tobacco plants photosynthesize compared to unmodified plants. Haley Ahlers/RIPE Project hide caption
Scientists Have 'Hacked Photosynthesis' In Search Of More Productive Crops
Nepal native Indra Sunuwar's vegetarian chow mein is a favorite order of regular customers to the café. Sunuwar arrived in Memphis with her family as a child refugee. Global Café hide caption
The world of mainstream consumer brands is in a major slow-motion transformation. sorbetto/Getty Images hide caption
From Campbell's To Kellogg's, Classic Brands Are Feeling The Crunch
This is the original Old Taylor Distilling Co. castle in 2016. At the time, the property was still under renovation. Ashlie Stevens/WFPL hide caption
Kentucky Distillers Scientifically Emulate A Century-Old Bottle Of Bourbon
Louisville Public Media
Coconut oil's potential health benefits are outweighed by its heavy dose of saturated fat, most nutrition experts say. Saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Russ Rohde/Getty Images/Cultura RF hide caption
Is Coconut Oil All It's Cracked Up To Be? Get The Facts On This Faddish Fat
Martha Stewart says in the last 30 years she's seen the food offerings at parties become a lot more interesting and varied. "Our interest in all kinds of things culinary, and all kinds of things related to celebration has really expanded tremendously," she says. Fadil Berisha/Magrino PR hide caption