KathleenMcCann's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Molcajete
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Story

Molcajete

The Mesoamerican mortar and pestle has been made, and used, the same way for thousands of years.
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Mangonada
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Sweets

Mangonada

Slurp this sweet and savory summer treat from a tamarind-and-chili-paste-coated straw.
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Necco Wafers
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Sweets

Necco Wafers

Produced since 1847, these classic New England candies almost disappeared in 2018.
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Texas Kolaches
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Sweets

Texas Kolaches

This tasty Czech pastry is now a Texan tradition.
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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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 Vernors Ginger Soda
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Drinks

Vernors Ginger Soda

The Detroit favorite is one of the oldest sodas in the United States.
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Butter Cows
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Butter Cows

These dairy-based sculptures have been state fair traditions for more than a century.
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Malasadas
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Sweets

Malasadas

These Portuguese doughnuts have a fervent fanbase in Hawaii.
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Kouign-Amann
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Sweets

Kouign-Amann

Some Bretons claim that their signature treat is the fattiest pastry in the world.
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St. Joseph's Day Altars
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St. Joseph's Day Altars

Elaborate bread sculptures grace these edible annual altars in Sicily and Sicilian communities abroad.
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Dole Whip
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Sweets

Dole Whip

This pineapple soft serve has a cult following at Disney theme parks.
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Sponge Candy
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Sweets

Sponge Candy

This chocolate-coated confection's crisp, bubbly structure is well-suited to the even crisper Buffalo air.
Sponsored by Visit Buffalo Niagara
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The Zombie
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Drinks

The Zombie

Donn Beach only wrote the recipe for his famously potent cocktail in secret code.
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Boiled Green Peanuts
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Prepared Foods

Boiled Green Peanuts

Roadside vendors in the Deep South soften fresh goobers with bubbling brine.
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Louisiana Mirliton
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Fruits & Vegetables

Louisiana Mirliton

After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleanians banded together to save a beloved heirloom squash.
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Roman Candy
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Sweets

Roman Candy

This century-old New Orleans treat is still sold from a mule-drawn cart.
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Yakamein
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Prepared Foods

Yakamein

Mixing soy sauce, Creole spices, and spaghetti, this hybrid soup is the embodiment of New Orleans' melting pot.
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Egg Waffles
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Sweets

Egg Waffles

These portable pancake sheets have a crispy, hollow side and a sweet, doughy side.
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Bonito Flakes
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Meats & Animal Products

Bonito Flakes

Some fish can dance.
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Kala Jamun
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Sweets

Kala Jamun

These dark fried milk balls are flecked with gold and dipped in scented syrup.
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Umeboshi
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Fruits & Vegetables

Umeboshi

These salted, pickled plums are an ancient Japanese hangover cure.
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Grasshopper
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Drinks

Grasshopper

This bright green cocktail doubles as dessert.
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Pickleback
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Drinks

Pickleback

A bar sharing a basement with a pickle place led to an unusual drink.
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Cheerwine
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Drinks

Cheerwine

A World War I sugar shortage led an inventor to make a very cherry soda that looks like wine.
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