Food and drink

World food prices fell for a ninth month in a row in December but hit their highest level on record for the full year in 2022, U.N. data have showed.    

Food prices soared to a monthly record high in March after Russia invaded agricultural powerhouse Ukraine, a major supplier of wheat and cooking oil to the world.    

Koleda, 1,000-year-old tradition of the Balkans, has been celebrated in a village of the northwestern province of Kırklareli's Babaeski district, with villagers wearing strange clothes frightening people by knocking on the windows of their houses.

The horror nights are held under different names by people in various settlements of Thrace in the coldest days of winter.

It is a gift fit for a king, or three: a gold coin slipped by a Belgian baker inside a traditional flaky Epiphany Three Kings cake baked to perfection.

Instead of the usual bean, Brussels baker Luc de Weerdt opted for the more luxurious prize of small round 18-carat gold coins, stamped with his bakery's logo.

Global food prices fell in December for the ninth month in a row, but nevertheless rose 14 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year to record levels, the World Food Organization (FAO) reported to the United Nations, cited by "Reuters".

The top-selling tuna at Tokyo's traditional New Year auction sold for more than $270,000 yesterday, nearly double last year's price, breaking a pandemic trend of slumping demand.

Michelin-starred sushi restaurant Onodera Group and Japanese wholesaler Yamayuki forked out 36.04 million yen ($273,000) for the

212-kilo bluefin tuna in the auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.

Recently described as "250 grams of magic and perfection" by President Emmanuel Macron, the French baguette is at risk from surging energy prices, with some bakers warning they can no longer afford to fire up their ovens.

The main reason for this move is that the Central Asian country was left without a replacement for Russian meat supplies, according to American Bloomberg.

The world's largest fast-food chain will pull out of the country of 20 million people bordering Russia after just six years.

It remains an uncomfortably foreign idea for some, but even the wine-loving French are experimenting with non-alcoholic drinks these days. 

Being pregnant or the designated-driver in France or attempting a "Dry January" after a booze-soaked festive season has tended to leave few exciting drinks options when dining out. 

It was served at weddings

Thessaloniki has also developed its own pastry culture