Culture

The beginning of October brings beautifully colored leaves, chilly days, and the beginning of America’s rampant pumpkin obsession. For a limited time only, pumpkin spice candles and lotions and air fresheners and even kitty litter are socially acceptable (or at least marketed as if they were). Anything edible that can be pumpkin-spice flavored will be—and the nation basks in this season until the last bite of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie is gone.

Humanity has traded herbs, spices, and seasonings for thousands of years, longing for new and exciting flavors. Today, even the most modest American spice cabinet is enough to make ancient kings jealous. Despite that, there are still countless seasonings used in cuisines around the world that you’ve probably never heard of. Here are a few to be on the lookout for—along with some inspiration for incorporating them into your repertoire.

When you think about a wax museum—and I mean really think about a wax museum—it can lead you to wonder who really thought that a wax museum would be a good idea for attracting customers in the first place. A bunch of creepy statues of real people, dead or alive, who remain eerily in their fixed state for customers to gaze at for entertainment. Who could have foreseen that the idea would not only take off, but extend its reach from its place of origin in Europe to America, Asia, the Middle East, and even Australia?

If you’ve seen Disney’s Tangled, then you’ve seen how mesmerizing lantern festivals can be. Cultures around the world use lantern festivals as a way of bringing people together and bringing light to their communities. Some lanterns are released into the air, some float away on the water, and some are used to decorate homes and cities. Below you’ll find a few examples of the many lantern festivals around the world.