erinmatthews's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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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Tula Pryanik
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Sweets

Tula Pryanik

These ornately decorated spice cookies developed alongside a Russian city's gun industry.
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Kissel
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Sweets

Kissel

The dessert that's also a meal.
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Russian Napoleon Cake
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Sweets

Russian Napoleon Cake

This traditional dessert commemorates the country's sweet taste of victory over the French emperor in 1812.
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Pine Cone Preserves
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Sweets

Pine Cone Preserves

Soft young cones make a sweet jam believed to have health benefits in Russia and Georgia.
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Karelian Pie
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Prepared Foods

Karelian Pie

Though its home region has been split by war, love for this hearty pastry transcends borders.
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Kartoshka
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Sweets

Kartoshka

Soviet cafeterias whipped up this chocolate “potato” to use leftovers.
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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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Selfish Samovar
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Selfish Samovar

This device bucks the Russian tradition of sharing a cup of tea and makes just enough hot water for one person.
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Flämmli
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Drinks

Flämmli

After a long day of skiing, you deserve caffeine, fire, and alcohol—at the same time.
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Ruby Chocolate
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Sweets

Ruby Chocolate

The sweet is naturally a bubblegum shade of pink.
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Poire Williams
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Drinks

Poire Williams

Before they're filled with brandy, these bottles get attached to trees so pears can grow inside.
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Maggi Seasoning
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Ingredients & Condiments

Maggi Seasoning

This condiment proves that what the world considers delicious is (nearly) universal.
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Redlove Apple
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Fruits & Vegetables

Redlove Apple

Apples are red, blueberries are blue / But these pommes d’amour are red inside, too.
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Colcannon
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Prepared Foods

Colcannon

A hearty Irish staple that can tell your fortune.
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Motiv Zuckerl
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Sweets

Motiv Zuckerl

These detailed, dainty confections are made by hand with minimal tools.
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Kali
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Drinks

Kali

Beer meets soda in this refreshing Estonian brew.
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Kama
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Ingredients & Condiments

Kama

The thrifty Estonian grain mix makes creamy drinks and candy bars.
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Kamatahvel
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Sweets

Kamatahvel

Created during a cocoa shortage, the grain-based “chocolate” bar became an Estonian classic.
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Kohuke
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Sweets

Kohuke

Chocolate-covered cheese curds make sweet Estonian energy bars.
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Smørrebrød
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Prepared Foods

Smørrebrød

Denmark's open-faced sandwiches are equal parts decadent and decorative.
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Kofola
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Drinks

Kofola

The sweet-and-sour soda almost disappeared with the collapse of communist rule in then-Czechoslovakia.
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Cougnou
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Sweets

Cougnou

This Christmas bread is formed in the shape of the baby Jesus.
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Carbonnade à la Flamande
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Prepared Foods

Carbonnade à la Flamande

Belgium's stew of beef and abbey-style ale is essentially bourguignon for beer lovers.
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