culture

Barbecue recipes — Asian-style

Food

In a new book, Chef Hugh Mangum — based in Los Angeles, with contributions from Chef May Chow in Hong Kong — compiles barbecue recipes with flavors from around the world. They shared a couple recipes with The World.

Meet the 80-year-old woman who repairs Mexico City’s iconic hand-cranked organs

Music

Once marginalized, Mexico City’s sonidero parties draw crowds across social divides

Culture

In Damascus, stand-up comedians test the limits under a new government

Syria

Bringing history back to life: How Iranians are reviving old homes into cultural gems

Development

A look at the culture and tradition behind brewing sake in Japan

Japan in Focus

Following its inclusion on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list, Japanese brewers hope to showcase the true identity of sake and the hundreds of years of tradition behind the popular drink.

Can robots fall in love? A sci-fi musical from South Korea is now a hit on Broadway.

Arts, Culture & Media

“Maybe Happy Ending” is an intimate science fiction story that has been performed many times in Seoul, South Korea. Now, its adapted version is playing on Broadway. The story, about a pair of robots, sheds light on the human condition in this digital age.

A Costa Rican dance against colonialism becomes a paradoxical tourist attraction

Arts, Culture & Media

Every year, in the Costa Rican village of Boruca, men dress in garish masks and costumes to reenact their ancestors’ battle against colonizers 500 years ago. In the ritual, Spaniards are depicted as bulls, while the Borucans depict themselves as devils, to reclaim a slur the Spanish once used against them.

Out of Eden Walk: South Korea’s love motels

Out of Eden Walk

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek talks about his experience with South Korea’s so-called “love motels,” short-term rental hotels primarily used by couples for intimate encounters. In a country with a severe housing shortage, these motels provide privacy for young people who live by necessity with their parents. As Salopek discovered on his walk across the country, these budget rooms are also convenient for travelers.

Mapuche sports help Indigenous Chileans revive culture

Sacred Spaces

Chile’s Indigenous Mapuche people have long fought the government over land claims. They’ve faced discrimination and assimilation in Chilean society. But some Mapuche communities are now turning the page. And they’re using an ancestral sport to help protect and revive their culture, customs and language.