Saveur

4 days ago | saveur.com | Anya von Bremzen

By Anya von BremzenPublished on June 3, 2025This piece originally appeared in SAVEUR’s Spring/Summer 2025 issue. See more stories from Issue 204 here. The first time I came to Istanbul as a student in the late 1980s, I was instantly hooked on the food. There were dollhouse-like baklava shops, teensy manti dumplings cloaked in yogurt, and green beans braised in olive oil until silky and luscious—a classic preparation known as zeytinyağli.

1 week ago | saveur.com | Shane Mitchell

By Shane MitchellPublished on May 30, 2025Food is more than what’s on the plate. This is Equal Portions, a series by editor-at-large Shane Mitchell, investigating bigger issues and activism in the food world, and how a few good eggs are working to make it better for everyone. ​​  “When you make imu, especially when you’re dealing with food, you gotta come from love,” says Iopa Maunakea, the executive director of Men of PA‘A, a mutual-aid nonprofit founded in 2004.

1 week ago | saveur.com | Olia Hercules

By Olia HerculesPublished on May 29, 2025When Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules has a glut of overripe tomatoes, she likes to grate them with salt and use them to ferment other produce—in this case, cherry tomatoes, which become plump and almost fizzy. The process of lacto-fermentation uses a salt brine to cultivate Lactobacillus bacteria, which can help keep fermented vegetables safe to eat in the fridge for months by producing lactic acid, a natural preservative.

1 week ago | saveur.com | Olia Hercules

By Olia HerculesPublished on May 29, 2025This version of the classic Ukrainian soup from chef Olia Hercules features fresh peas, new potatoes, and morels for a seasonal take that’s perfect for warmer months. The dish is finished with a splash of beet kvass, a fizzy fermented drink popular in Ukraine, but any tart, fruity vinegar will work. If you can't find dried morels, you can substitute with any dried wild mushroom, such as porcinis, chanterelles, or black trumpets.

1 week ago | saveur.com | Alex Testere

By Alex TesterePublished on May 29, 2025This piece originally appeared in SAVEUR’s Spring/Summer 2025 issue. See more stories from Issue 204 here. The first thing I learned from chef Olia Hercules is that you can chase a shot of vodka with a tomato. Specifically, a cherry tomato lacto-fermented in a tomato-pulp brine until its insides are fizzy and the whole thing explodes as soon as it lands on your tongue.