MACAO — A crack of fire under a sprawling wok, a dab of soy sauce and a splash of Chinese rice wine. Bursts of aroma from spices sourced from around the world sizzle as a chef prepares Minchi, a dish of fried minced meat with diced potatoes topped with a sunny-side-up egg. This is one of the most iconic comfort foods for the Macanese.

Restaurateur Manuela Sales da Silva Ferreira’s hopes to ensure her grandmother’s version of dishes like Minchi are not forgotten, using recipes passed down through generations at her eatery, Restaurante Litoral.

SHARPSBURG, Pa. — When did we know for sure?

Was it April, when Nature Made introduced its pickle-flavored gummy vitamins? Was it November, when Petco’s “Pickle Mania” promotion offered 26 different pickle-themed toys for dogs and cats? Maybe it was the December day that a food scholar was heard to utter, “Everyone can kind of see their needs met by pickles.”