Lorena Rios
How LGBTQ Turks are Preparing for a History-Making Constitutional Vote
If Turkey's constitution is amended on April 16, nationalism could rise—and the already imperiled queer community may bear the brunt of what follows.
Delivering Bread in Cairo Is a Balance of Life and Death
The handmade bread known as aish baladi is Egyptian staple. In Cairo, its ubiquity is made possible by the network of agalati—bread carriers—who risk their safety to deliver bread to restaurants, ful carts, and street stands.
Inside the Willy Wonka Baklava Factory of Turkey
Gaziantep, located in southeast Turkey at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, is the pistachio capital of the country. Coincidentally, Gaziantep is home to some of the world’s the best baklava.
Drinking Alcohol Is Always an Open Secret in Egypt
Egypt has been brewing beer for 3,000 years, but the highly religious country still has an under-the-table relationship with alcohol. Even some members of the Muslim Brotherhood buy booze on the down-low.
Inside the Last Pork Butcher Shop in Istanbul
Since 1967, the Kozmaoğlu brothers have sold fresh pork and charcuterie from their unmarked store located across the street from a gas station in Istanbul.
Fighting for Organic Corn Tortillas in Mexico
Luis and Dorita Elizondo aren't content with huge agribusinesses controlling Mexico's agriculture, so they set out to grow their own organic corn for high-quality tortillas.
Eating and Praying on The Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City
The largest pilgrimage of Latin America—that of Our Lady of Guadalupe—takes place in Mexico City and is one of the best displays of the country’s tortas, tacos, gorditas, carnitas, tamales, atole, and pozole.
Eating Inside a Syrian Refugee Camp in Germany
At Benjamin Franklin Village—a refugee camp in Mannheim, Germany—displaced Syrians make do with cafeteria-style food, grill wieners on smuggled hot plates, and try to make some semblance of a normal life.
The Turkish Man Who Sells Alcohol in Front of a Mosque
Inside his bar, just before the muezzin’s call for the noon prayer, Umit Dai made himself a fluorescent cocktail and spoke with me about his business’s imminent demise due to the rise of Turkey's conservative Islamist party.
Cairo's Streets Become Charity Restaurants During Ramadan
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Egyptians across the country offer free iftar meals to the underprivileged, and everyone else who wishes to join, in the form of discordant clusters of dinner...
The Irreparable Loss of Cairo's Street Café District
In the last four years, the Cairo café district known as el-Borsa has been raided by the police for its role in fostering a revolution, as well as its reputation for attracting drug dealers, sex workers, and gay men. In March, it was shut down for good.
Female Athletes in Egypt Face Low Pay and Little Support
In a country with stringent gender norms, women are discouraged from playing sports and even Olympic-level female athletes are expected to retire when they become mothers.