jessaj's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Luxardo Maraschino Cherries
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Luxardo Maraschino Cherries

Real maraschinos were born more than a century ago in an Italian distillery.
Gastro Obscura
Ramune
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Ramune

The Japanese soda still comes in a marble-stoppered bottle from the 19th century.
Gastro Obscura
Shivit Oshi
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Shivit Oshi

Once an important Silk Road stop, a fortified Uzbek city specializes in bright green noodles.
Gastro Obscura
Finger Lime
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Finger Lime

Slice one open for some citrus caviar.
Gastro Obscura
Sumalak
Gastro Obscura
Story

Sumalak

A sweet and simple pudding traditionally made in a joyous, spring ritual.
Gastro Obscura
Grasshopper
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Grasshopper

This bright green cocktail doubles as dessert.
Gastro Obscura
Maggi Seasoning
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Maggi Seasoning

This condiment proves that what the world considers delicious is (nearly) universal.
Gastro Obscura
Fry Sauce
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Fry Sauce

It's so much more than just mayonnaise and ketchup.
Gastro Obscura
Tonka Beans
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Tonka Beans

A legume so loved, it’s caused a “fever” in France and made Americans break laws.
Gastro Obscura
Pandan Leaf Extract
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Pandan Leaf Extract

This plant adds a hint of vanilla and a wash of brilliant green to any dish.
Gastro Obscura
White BBQ Sauce
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

White BBQ Sauce

In Alabama, smoked meat gets dressed up in white.
Gastro Obscura
Pork Floss
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Pork Floss

This cotton candy-like garnish is made of dried, candied meat.
Gastro Obscura
Rochester-Style Hot Sauce
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Rochester-Style Hot Sauce

This spicy, sloppy meat mixture is thinner than chili, thicker than soup, and perfect atop “garbage.”
Gastro Obscura
Falooda
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Falooda

A 2,500-year-old Persian dessert evolved into this Indian summertime favorite.
Gastro Obscura
Pu'er
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Pu'er

Devoted fans pay thousands for bricks of this fermented tea.
Gastro Obscura
Anis de Flavigny
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Anis de Flavigny

Once made by monks, this candy spends 15 days rolling in sugar syrup to get its pearly-white shell.
Gastro Obscura
Peanut Butter & Mayonnaise Sandwich
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Peanut Butter & Mayonnaise Sandwich

Now largely forgotten, the pairing was once as popular as PB&J.
Gastro Obscura
Stroopwafel Liqueur
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Stroopwafel Liqueur

The Netherlands' most famous treat now comes in a bottle.
Gastro Obscura
Mozartkugel
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Mozartkugel

Like the famed composer himself, this Mozart-homage bonbon originated in Salzburg, Austria.
Gastro Obscura
Ham Salad
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Ham Salad

This retro sandwich filling was once a convenient, comforting funeral food.
Gastro Obscura
Cherimoya
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Cherimoya

Growing this sweet, tropical fruit sometimes requires careful hand-pollination with a paint brush.
Gastro Obscura
T'tu Lavash
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

T'tu Lavash

Armenians were making these sweet sheets of dried fruit centuries before the Fruit Roll-Up.
Gastro Obscura
Financiers
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Financiers

These almond cakes resembling gold ingots were sold near the Paris stock exchange.
Gastro Obscura
Mashed Potato-Filled Walnut Cakes
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Mashed Potato-Filled Walnut Cakes

Korean hodu kwaja is normally stuffed with red bean paste, but one bakery in Toronto slips in a delicious surprise.
Gastro Obscura