Harper Macaw Chocolate

Luxurious and ethical Brazilian cacao beneath kaleidoscopic packaging

Entering the burgeoning world of artisanal chocolate with a flourish, Harper Macaw‘s Washington, DC-made bars capture attention with their kaleidoscopic packaging. We were enticed to open the crisp, colorful boxes but ultimately more pleased to savor the complex flavors of cacao—sourced from the rainforests of Brazil—that we found within. By exploring her love of chocolate, Sarah Müller Hartman of Harper Macaw pays homage to her …

Delta Blues Rice

Single variety rice grown in Mississippi and sold directly by the farm

Sure, it’s easy to know your tomatoes come from the community garden, berries from Berkshire County, grass-fed beef from Lancaster, PA—but knowing where your rice comes from is a little harder. From the Mississippi Delta comes an effort to bring rice straight to the table: Delta Blues Rice. The Arants’ multi-generational farm grows corn and soybeans—which are sold to make products like crayons—but rice is …

Your Parmesan Cheese Might Actually Be Wood

When acting on a tip a few years back, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that Castle Cheese Inc was selling “100% parmesan” cheese that was anything but. Not only using cheaper substitutes, the company was even filling out their product with wood pulp. It’s believed that Castle wasn’t the only company using the trick and considering the popularity of store-bought grated cheese …