Tag Archives: Madagascar

Mexico’s Tahí Farm Enshrines Mystery and Wonder of the Orchid

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By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS For some, they are the very essence of feminine sensuality, their delicate petals unfolding like a vibrant display of female genitalia (think Georgia O’Keeffe’s famous flower paintings that resemble a vagina). For others, they symbolize death and the morose beauty of unobtainable passion. In 1894, H.G. Wells wrote a short story about them, describing their bulbs as

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The Making of Chocolate: From Bean to Bonbon

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By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS     The cacao tree may be native to Mexico, but most culinary experts agree that the best chocolate in the world is produced in Europe, primarily in Switzerland, France and Belgium. And while Mexico still produces cacao beans for national and export consumption, the best producers worldwide are generally considered to be Venezuela, Brazil, the Ivory Coast, Madagascar,

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