Renée Alexander and Scott Mansfield have been writing about people, places, and culture for more than four decades combined. Read on for a sampling of our stories.
- Chicha has long been understood to be made with masticated maiz — in other words, corn that is chewed and spit out. After a years-long excavation of an ancient Peruvian brewery burned and abandoned nearly 1,000 years ago, scientists discovered evidence of a more sophisticated method previously thought to have evolved much later. – An Alternative History of Chicha ~VinePair
- The most favored of these virgins learned ceremonial rites to prepare them to marry Inti (although this, unfortunately, required that they give up their life on Earth) – House of the Virgins of the Sun~Atlas Obscura
- Our winter welcome to Bolivia wasn’t exactly warm. Barely 24 hours after crossing the Bolivian border, we were arguing with a thief at the Sunday flea market in La Paz. – Welcoming the Return of the Sun to Lake Titicaca ~World Footprints
- “Seriously? You’re going to relocate 3 million corn producers into some hypothetical other part of the economy, not to mention some other part of the country?” – Want to Understand the Border Crisis? Look to American Corn Policy ~New Food Economy
- Mexico’s Tourism Board designates certain towns as “Pueblos Magicos,” and San Cristobal is considered to be the most magical of all. – A San Franciscan’s Guide to Chiapas ~7×7
- We are hot, tired, and hungry when we spot a dhaba, one of the ubiquitous truck-stop eateries found along India’s highways, at half past noon. – The Rewards of the Road ~Saveur
- For homeless youth like Tiffany Case, forming trusting relationships can be terrifying… – Can Big Data Help San Francisco’s Homeless Kids? ~Vice
- “Some people are inspired by the spirit of the pechuga. For others, it is absolutely overwhelming.” – The Art of Making Mezcal in Oaxaca ~Vice Munchies
- “In nature, mushrooms break down all kinds of substances, and we’re just beginning to look at this more closely in the lab and in field studies.” – Oyster Mushrooms Helped Clean Up After California’s Wildfires ~New Food Economy
- “The target really is the pathogen, and we can use the mosquitoes to get at the pathogen.” – Engineering Mosquitoes to Spread Health ~The Atlantic
- Never let anyone tell you a partial eclipse is close enough—the difference between 99 percent and 100 percent is the difference between winning the lottery and winning a set of steak knives. – Meet the Solar Eclipse Mega Fans Who Travel the World Chasing a Blackened Sun ~Vice