Here are our 10-most read articles this year on Worldcrunch:
How The "Ratatouille Curse" Has Been Poisoning Haute Cuisine
LUCY SULLA CULTURA
In Ratatouille, the food critic Anton Ego declares innovative a dish that is actually quite traditional. Today, many great chefs offer reinterpretations of homemade dishes from childhood. But what happens when even avant-garde cuisine becomes nostalgic, asks Italian chef and writer Tommaso Melilli.
"Two Censors Walk Into A Bar..." Inside The Slippery World Of Stand-Up Comedy In China
THE INITIUM
In China, stand-up comics must submit their sets to a state censor. Plus, there are self-appointed wannabe censors online (like on all social media!). How do would-be professional standup comedians handle this blatantly gray zone?
Where Dementia Patients Live Their Parallel Lives — With Staff Playing Along
DIE ZEIT
People with dementia are often patronized and their movements restricted — like in prison, some say. Gammeloase, a retirement home in Germany does things very differently. For Germany's Die Zeit, Anna Scheld asks whether this approach is sustainable and whether it could be replicated elsewhere.
No Limit? Kilian Jornet And The Ecological Paradox Of Mountain Running
LA MAREA
Setting mountaineering speed records is a way for trail runners to add their names to history books to stay in the spotlight now that almost all the world's mountains have already been climbed. But this desire to push limits is not ecological — even for a man who recycles or foregoes airplane travel.
No More Tears — My Lebanon War Diary And The Routine Of Tragedy
DARAJ
In more than a year since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated, news of bombing has become a habit in Lebanon. In an essay for the Beirut-based independent media Daraj, Lebanese journalist Pascale Sawma discusses how war has become "normal" — and what that means for her and her work.
France Says Bye-Bye Jambon-Beurre, Bonjour Neo-Sandwich
LES ECHOS
The humble jambon-beurre, the classic ham and butter sandwiches, has long been eaten standing-up at a bistro counter. But now the so-called "neo-sandwich" has arrived on Parisians' plates — not only in coffee shops and fast food joints but also in restaurants. Garnished with seasonal produce and a chef's touch, the sandwich is now a dish in its own right.
Déjà Vu: The New Science Behind That Strange, Been-Here-Before Feeling
DIE ZEIT
How does déjà vu happen? Psychologists have long avoided the complicated question, but researchers are now trying to understand this uncanny phenomenon.
Occupied Ukraine's Clandestine School Network: It's Online, In Ukrainian And Dangerous
IMPORTANT STORIES
A network of Ukrainian teachers, parents and administrators teach online classes to families trapped in Russian-occupied territories. But it comes with serious consequences if they are discovered.
Gaza And Beyond: Why The Middle East Will Be A War Zone For Years To Come
AL-MANASSA
Benjamin Netanyahu escaped the growing calls to stop the war in Gaza and bring the hostages back, by launching another war on Hezbollah. It's a taste of what's to come.
Narcos Or The Algorithm? Colombia's Coca Farmers Storm Social Media
EL ESPECTADOR
A new generation of coca leaf growers and pickers is posting video content on social media. They show their life in the fields, how the crops grow, the laboratories where they create the coca paste, and even the exit routes for drug trafficking. And while they used to be stigmatized, and threatened by armed groups, their content is escaping censorship and violence.