Today's issue celebrates the creative forces shaping food culture, highlighting the people who dig deep —whether into history, technique or sustainability — to transform the way we experience food. Fuchsia Dunlop is a perfect example; her remarkable well of knowledge comes from decades of immersive study in the Chinese culinary world, approaching regional cuisines not as a visitor, but as a student. That same devotion to legacy is reflected in Russ & Daughters, which celebrates 100 years of preserving family recipes, documenting culinary stories and keeping a century-old appetizing tradition alive for new generations.

At the same time, we see innovation in action: bartenders turning kitchen scraps into standout cocktails, chefs reimagining classics with sustainable practices and researchers developing gene-edited fungi as a fast, environmentally conscious protein. Across these stories, curiosity, care and a willingness to go deeper are the backbone to enriching and fruitful culinary experiences.

In this issue: