Our Favorite Food Stories From The Week

Another week, another batch of great food stories that took us all over the map, from New York's iconic street carts and disappearing Jewish delis to one of China's hottest (pun intended) cuisines. Here are nine reads we hope carry you into a great summer weekend.

The Atlantic persuades us with wisdom and humor over why whole wheat is superior to white bread, in case you didn't already know, and which loaf you should actually be looking for instead of multigrain.

In another article that made us feel healthier just by reading it, the Kitchn asks why so few foods are blue. Who knew?

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The Guardian takes an honest, unapologetic and touching look at how McDonald's holds together communities. Happy Meal has a whole new meaning now.

And then there's Michael Pollan talking about psychedelic drugs "being the ultimate meal for your mind" in Mother Jones. Now the question is: What kind of research did he do for the piece?

NPR's map of where all of your favorite foods originated will surprise and delight you, while the accompanying article will make you think about the necessity and implications of a globally interdependent food supply. You can get a closer look at the interactive maps here.

Brooklyn-raised rapper Ill Bill talks about New York's disappearing Jewish delis and eating, or not eating, tongue on First We Feast.

And in a different look at a potentially vanishing tradition, the New York Times surveys the threat to Sichuan cuisine in China. The recipe for demise ironically involves success.

Your long read for the weekend should be Crain's alarming exposé on the shady enterprise behind New York's iconic food carts and the vicious cycle that entraps workers, some who end up making less than minimum wage. It may make you think twice the next time you stop for a dirty water dog.

When you're done with that and need a pick-me-up, unwind with this mesmerizing video on making one of New York's trendiest pizzas: the clam pie at Pasquale Jones. The video's quick, but if you're short on time and can't commit to the whole thing (for shame), skip ahead to the one-minute mark. You'll be hypnotized pretty quickly and left longing for a table at the popular pizzeria.