From street tacos to spiced tea, food shapes how we experience a place. A new study shows it connects us through our senses, emotions and curiosity — proving the best way to a traveler’s heart is through their stomach.

A new Journal of Food Protection study introduces a visual, hands-on toolkit that helps food handlers with low literacy learn safety skills faster. Replacing text-heavy manuals with pictures and demos, it offers a simpler, more effective way to train the food industry’s newest workers.

A new International Journal of Hospitality Management study found that before 2020, Black restaurateurs were 70% less likely to meet crowdfunding goals. During the Black Lives Matter movement, their success rates nearly quadrupled — showing how awareness and solidarity can drive real economic change.