Hepzibah's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Cassata Siciliana
Gastro Obscura
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Sweets

Cassata Siciliana

The seductively delicious Easter cake once made an entire convent neglect its prayers.
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Irn-Bru
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Drinks

Irn-Bru

A citrusy cream soda with a hint of rust outsells Coca-Cola in Scotland.
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Saint Agatha's Breasts
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Sweets

Saint Agatha's Breasts

This ricotta and marzipan pastry honors the Sicilian saint's most noteworthy body part.
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Labskaus
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Prepared Foods

Labskaus

A hangover cure that spans classes and centuries.
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Marsh Samphire
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Fruits & Vegetables

Marsh Samphire

The briny “asparagus of the sea” grows along coasts around the world.
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Biltong
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Meats & Animal Products

Biltong

This spiced jerky is a beloved snack in South Africa.
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Beef Dripping
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Ingredients & Condiments

Beef Dripping

You can roast your potatoes in this rendered fat, or just spread it on bread and eat it cold.
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Absinthe Spoon
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Absinthe Spoon

This flat, silver spoon holds an exalted place in the mystery and ritual of absinthe drinking.
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Sfogliatella
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Sweets

Sfogliatella

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.
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Ketchup Chips
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Prepared Foods

Ketchup Chips

This Canadian favorite is relatively unknown elsewhere.
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Falooda
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Sweets

Falooda

A 2,500-year-old Persian dessert evolved into this Indian summertime favorite.
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Ramune
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Drinks

Ramune

The Japanese soda still comes in a marble-stoppered bottle from the 19th century.
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Takoyaki
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Prepared Foods

Takoyaki

Osaka's most famous dish is an octopus-stuffed fried dough ball.
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Japanese Tea Ceremony
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Japanese Tea Ceremony

A ritual that showcases the beauty of the present moment.
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Exploding Chocolate Teacakes
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Sweets

Exploding Chocolate Teacakes

In the 1960s, Royal Air Force pilots made a startling discovery about their sweets.
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Floating Island
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Sweets

Floating Island

The 17th-century dessert plants an isle of meringue in a sea of custard.
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Carciofi alla Giudia
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Prepared Foods

Carciofi alla Giudia

Created in Rome's Jewish ghetto, the fried artichokes herald spring.
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Turkish Coffee
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Drinks

Turkish Coffee

Locals joke that you should be able to “float a horseshoe” on the thick brew.
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Podstakannik
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Podstakannik

These old-school metal tea-glass holders are a fixture on Russian trains.
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Egg Cream
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Drinks

Egg Cream

A fizzy, chocolate drink that harkens back to the days of Brooklyn soda fountains.
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Cotton Candy Grapes
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Fruits & Vegetables

Cotton Candy Grapes

A crossbred table grape variety that tastes an awful lot like spun sugar.
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Gooey Butter Cake
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Sweets

Gooey Butter Cake

Everything St. Louisans love about this local specialty is in the name.
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Steam Beer
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Drinks

Steam Beer

The unique style born out of the California Gold Rush blends the crispness of a lager with the flavor of an ale.
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Pocari Sweat
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Drinks

Pocari Sweat

A pharmaceutical company developed this beverage as drinkable IV solution.
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