Friday Faves No. 117

our favorite finds from the front lines of food

Plop, plop, Fizz, fizz — Champagne house Veuve Clicquot is investigating a hoax by a Russian marketing agency about the supposed release of Veuve-branded tablets.  (Drinks Business)

Russians React To Western Food Ban With Pride, Resignation "Take the Soviet times: Everything was Soviet, everyone ate Soviet, Russia didn't depend on the West — so there's nothing to worry about." No Champagne for them. (NPR)

We can now raise a lot of food, but how we consume it and continue to grow is critical: How Humans Deal With A Changing Natural Environment MacArthur “genius” Ruth DeFries looks at humanity’s long, deep integration with nature – and what comes next. (On Point)

For those who love a graphic, check out 40 maps that explain food in America from farming politics to plain goofy stuff.  (Vox)

Last week all the super cool kids were in Copenhagen for MAD4 Cool bit of news: Chefs Roy Choi of the L.A.-based Kogi and San Francisco-based chef Daniel Patterson of Coi to "supplant the fast-food chains and convenience stores that separate out youth from the taste of real food." The pair plan to open Loco’l — a high-quality, affordably priced fast-food chain — in the spring of 2015 on the West Coast, with the rest of the country to follow. We can't wait to check it out. (New York Times)

Friday Faves — notes from the new gastroconomy, No. 62

• A new local food and beverage consciousness has come to Ghana. "'We are trying to create a new atmosphere here, and to rejuvenate our sense of identity," said Kofi Owusu-Ansah, 39, who founded Republic with his brother Raja last year. 'If you look at our spirits, you will find not one single import – the base for all our cocktails is local-made sugar cane spirit akpeteshie.'" Curious about all the African food you don't know about? Check out the new project My African Food Map.

• Russians are now trying to get back to their former, healthier cuisine. "'We want to inspirate [sic] the old Russian traditions with new feelings and ideas," Akimov says. "In Europe, it [local food] is about health and sustainability. In Russia, it's more than that. It's an opportunity to revive whole regions.' LavkaLavka and its partners aren't just resurrecting their country's indigenous foods – they are reinvesting in the people who grow them."

• In Florida, you don't have to go out of your way to find exotics — just go out your back door. The giant African land snail is the latest eco-invader. (yes, everything really weird happens in Florida) If you want to make good use of the invaders by turning them into dinner, food writer Tim Hayward of the Guardian UK visits an African restaurant in south London for a cooking lesson (video).

• What we will probably all be eating soon and probably should be already: edible insects. London-based company Ento wants to convince you to give this sustainable protein a try.

• Insects are also helping us figure out what we should be eating. A young (high school aged young) scientist in Texas is working with fruit flies to more closely examine the effects of organic food on their systems. "By nearly every measure, including fertility, stress resistance and longevity, flies that fed on organic bananas and potatoes fared better than those who dined on conventionally raised produce."

• And not to freak you out that the world is actually coming to an end, but climate change is going to mess up winemaking in a big way. Global warming will make it difficult to raise grapes in traditional wine country, but will shift production to other regions.