Food Traditions

Food from around the world

How We Think About Food, Representation, and Cultural Appropriation

When ButcherBox first launched a blog, the idea was to share interesting information about food and give folks easy recipes to feel confident cooking a variety of meats. Since then, we’ve expanded Just Cook to improve upon those initial aspirations by creating content to challenge aspiring chefs in the kitchen […]

per-peri chicken recipe

Peri-Peri Chicken with Coconut Rice

The first time I had peri-peri was in Maputo, Mozambique, at a seaside restaurant called Casa de Peixe, which in Portuguese means “house of fish.” It was a shrimp dish stewed in a peri-peri sauce, served with white rice. Once I got to Portugal (where I live), I was happy […]

chicken larb recipe

Spicy Chicken Larb (Larb Gai)

In 30 minutes or less, you can make chicken larb (larb gai), a dish that will tingle your senses and fill your kitchen with fresh aromas. Larb gai originated in Laos, but you can also find the dish in northern Thailand (brought over by Laotians) where it is served with […]

bone broth and noodle soup

Homemade Chinese Noodle Soup and Bone Broth

If I had to eat one dish forever, I would choose the noodle soups that are staples in the food cultures of many East Asian countries. I love all of them: Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, Tawainese beef noodle soup (Niu Rou Mian), Japanese udon, Korean beef soup (Galbitang)…the list goes […]

kofta recipe with lemons

Spiced Ground Beef Kofta

The Middle Eastern specialty kofta is a grilled, spiced meat served on skewers that can be found at nearly any food stall in the region. Its intoxicating smell perfumes the streets of many countries and is guaranteed to entice locals and tourists alike. Every region has its own version of […]

breakfast burrito eggs and cheese on plate

The Greatest Breakfast Food – The Breakfast Burrito

In the pantheon of great American food inventions (many of which have been co-opted from other country’s food traditions, let’s be honest), the breakfast burrito, in our opinion, stands out as the most satisfyingly culinary innovation to start a day. First off, it is a breakfast food, and we’ve long […]

matzoh ball soup

A Tradition for Passover and Beyond: Matzoh Ball Soup Recipe

This coveted Jewish comfort food is perfect for Passover and year-round. Passover meals don’t contain leavening, and though menus vary from family to family, the only bread or cracker-type item found on the Passover table is made with matzoh, the flatbread made with just flour and water that forms the […]

ladies beefsteak

Claiming a Seat at the Butcher’s Table

Beefsteak banquets were once considered a guys-only event. But for generations, women have played a defining role in sustaining—and evolving—the feasting tradition. My first beefsteak experience was in 2019. It included drinking whiskey, singing along to Beyoncé with a dozen or so feminists, and routinely wiping beef juice from my […]