Summer is the canning and preserving season in Azerbaijan. I spotted these jars with pickled cucumbers at Baku’s Taza Bazar farmer’s market back in the summer of 2013. These particular cucumber variety is called “agh khiyar,” or white cucumber. Known for its meaty flesh and distinctly fresh flavor, it is the preferred choice for pickling.
Welcome, July! Happy Birthday, America! And hello, new Links to Reads. Enjoy the top 10, handpicked specially for you!
* So Amazon bought Whole Foods. What will the shopping experience be in the famous natural foods store from now on?
* Trash cooking? Yup. Such exists. In a better language, it is called cooking with scraps.
* Korean scientists are toning down some of kimchi’s distinct characteristics, including its strong smell, to make it more appealing to Westerners.
* The secret history of the world’s most expensive spice, saffron.
* A special type of tea, pu-erh, sought after by tea connoisseurs, comes from only one hidden mountainous corner in China.
