Tequila is a little drink with a big multicultural history. The popular liquor has a lineage steeped in pre-Hispanic Mexican and European cultures.  Like many foods, the origins of the beverage intertwine a little bit of myth and a little bit of history.

Coming of age is a serious event in Japan. So serious that the occasion is celebrated every year during the Seijin no hi (Coming of Age Festival).  In Japan, twenty is considered to be the beginning of adulthood and is the minimum age for drinking, smoking, and voting.

While Americans usually feature Egg Nog as a holiday drink, in Trinidad and Tobago there are several beverages that are consumed during the Christmas season. Among them is sorrel, puncha cream and ginger beer. My favorite is ginger beer because I love ginger — it aids in digestion. It also reminds me of the variation of the drink that I grew up with in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The ginger would steep for at least one day so the output was quite a pungent drink that had quite a punch!  - by Jeneba Ghatt

Family, food, and travels are synonymous with the holiday season. As leaves begin to change colors and winter coats make their way out of the back of the closet, visions of pumpkin pies, turkeys, and sorrel fill our dreams. Did I lose you somewhere? If you’re a lover of Caribbean cuisine I didn’t. Sorrel is a drink that is a holiday favorite in the Caribbean and many American homes.

While Americans usually feature Egg Nog as a holiday drink, in Trinidad and Tobago there are several beverages that are consumed during the Christmas season. Among them is sorrel, puncha cream and ginger beer. My favorite is ginger beer because I love ginger — it aids in digestion. It also reminds me of the variation of the drink that I grew up with in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The ginger would steep for at least one day so the output was quite a pungent drink that had quite a punch!  - by Jeneba Ghatt

Family, food, and travels are synonymous with the holiday season. As leaves begin to change colors and winter coats make their way out of the back of the closet, visions of pumpkin pies, turkeys, and sorrel fill our dreams. Did I lose you somewhere? If you’re a lover of Caribbean cuisine I didn’t. Sorrel is a drink that is a holiday favorite in the Caribbean and many American homes.

What’s green, cold, thick, and elusive? The McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. This green mint flavored treat is whipped up every year from late February to March. Introduced in 1970, the shake was brought to the U.S and Canada by Uncle O’Grimacey- the green Irish uncle of the very purple Grimace.

Mexican chocolate, which is available in solid blocks or bars, is laced with sugar and cinnamon. Panocha, AKA panela or piloncillo, is pure cane sugar, in a solid form. Panocha is sometimes referred to as Mexican brown sugar, and can be found in bags of small, hard blocks.

Did you think tea time was only popular in England? Well think again! Tea is a popular social event in India. And why wouldn’t it be? India is the world’s largest producer, exporter and consumer of tea. The Indian Tea Time menu is a high tea (a fairly substantial meal) but in today’s world it can be made into a dinner and an excellent menu for entertaining. What’s on the menu? See for yourself!

Being an East Coaster nothing ushers in the fall for me like a cup of hot apple cider.  The smell of cinnamon and cloves in addition to the heat of the mug warming my hands on a cold day is one of the great experiences of fall.    Enjoy this recipe from all recipes.com – Crystal Johnson, MCCN Editor