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

Nothing says “happy holidays” quite like mulled wine and a flaming, rum-soaked sugar loaf.

These sweet hands come with stories of triumph and brutality.

This dessert pays tribute to the snow-covered mountains surrounding Salzburg.

This sweet symbolic figurine is a Sicilian holiday tradition.

"Monk's Head" cheese requires a special shaver.

Real maraschinos were born more than a century ago in an Italian distillery.

Devoted fans pay thousands for bricks of this fermented tea.

This French fortified wine is left outside for a year, aging amid rain and swinging temperatures.

The washed and dried root of the licorice plant was once a popular natural “candy.”

When the clock strikes midnight on the third Thursday of November, fans gather to celebrate the release of this fresh, fruity wine.

In this Dutch holiday tradition, Sinterklaas leaves good children sweet pieces of the alphabet inside their shoes.

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

A gesture of welcome and respect, Moroccan mint tea gets poured from high above the glass.

Spread this fat-poached meat on a crusty French loaf.

This French Creole Christmas Eve tradition takes midnight munchies to a whole new level.

These embellished containers didn’t just sit pretty on the table; they determined social standing.

The hot dog chain’s charming “bi-dent” picks up potatoes with ease.

A relic from the era of highly specialized cutlery.

Once upon a time, getting your carbonation fix required a visit to a monstrous machine.

The marshmallow-based candy is named for a delicacy just out of the ancient Greeks' reach.

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

The Irish bread comes with raisins and omens.

French Canadians find “nun’s farts” addictively delicious.