Fantastic Yeasts and Where to Find Them

Mighty microbes give rise to a delightful assortment of intriguing treats.

155 Items

Sourdough Starter

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Sourdough Starter

A century-old organism creates some of the world's best bread.

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Ike Allen

Added by Ike Allen

Tutankhamun Ale

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Tutankhamun Ale

This beer was popular more than 3,000 years ago.

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Alex Mayyasi

Added by Alex Mayyasi

Adjaruli Khachapuri

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Adjaruli Khachapuri

Economists use this cheesy bread as a metric for cost of living between Georgian cities.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Fog Beer at Atrapaniebla Brewery

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Fog Beer at Atrapaniebla Brewery

In the Atacama Desert, brewers trap fog moisture to make crisp ales.

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Zoe Baillargeon

Added by Zoe Baillargeon

Borsok

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Borsok

Kyrgyzstan’s fried dough marks special occasions and "feeds" the dead.

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EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Berliner Weisse

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Berliner Weisse

Pink or green syrup turns a historic German ale into a tart, sweet delight.

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Sam OBrien

Added by Sam OBrien

Goon Sack

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Goon Sack

The least interesting thing Australians do with these giant, inflatable wine bags is drink from them.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Palm Wine

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Palm Wine

It takes only two hours for palm sap to become palm wine.

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Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

Hartford Election Cake

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Hartford Election Cake

These massive, booze-filled cakes once made voting sweet.

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Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

Enset

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Fruits & Vegetables

Enset

Some bread goes in the oven for an hour; some goes underground for two years.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Birch Beer

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Birch Beer

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.

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Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

Vin Mariani

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Vin Mariani

Presidents and popes loved this cocaine-infused wine.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

King Cake

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King Cake

The Carnival cake comes with a hidden baby Jesus inside.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Hot Ale Flip

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Hot Ale Flip

A Colonial cocktail brought to you by ale, rum, and a really hot poker.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Cougnou

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Cougnou

This Christmas bread is formed in the shape of the baby Jesus.

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Sarah Laskow

Added by Sarah Laskow

Pan de Jamón

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Pan de Jamón

In Venezuela, traditional Christmas bread marries ham, raisins, and olives.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Clam Apizza

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Clam Apizza

New Haven's signature pie combines staples from Rhode Island and Naples.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Ohio Valley-Style Pizza

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Ohio Valley-Style Pizza

In parts of Ohio, pizza topped with cold, unmelted mozzarella reigns supreme.

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Ike Allen

Added by Ike Allen

Gatsby

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Gatsby

This Cape Town sandwich is as extravagant as a certain literary character.

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paulamejia

Added by paulamejia

Buckfast

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Buckfast

The caffeinated wine is made by British monks and loved by Scottish criminals.

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natashafrost

Added by natashafrost

Honey Toast Box

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Honey Toast Box

Many spoons are needed to demolish one of these ice cream-stuffed bread loaves.

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Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

Hagelslag

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Hagelslag

The bread and butter of Dutch cuisine includes these jumbo sprinkles.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Hákarl

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Hákarl

Iceland's fermented, dried shark smells like urine and can taste like strong cheese.

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Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

Smen

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Meats & Animal Products

Smen

This Moroccan butter ferments underground for years and smells like blue cheese.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Makgeolli

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Makgeolli

South Korea's oldest alcoholic beverage is making a comeback.

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Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

T’anta Wawa

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T’anta Wawa

On All Souls' Day, South Americans celebrate life and death with "baby bread."

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cecilyannwong

Added by cecilyannwong

Pulque

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Pulque

Tequila's ancient, fermented cousin is making a comeback in Mexico City.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Yak Butter Tea

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Yak Butter Tea

It's the fat-fueled energy drink of the Tibetan Plateau.

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natashafrost

Added by natashafrost

Kumis

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Kumis

Infants and Genghis Khan enjoyed this fermented mare's milk.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Asturian Cider Pouring

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Asturian Cider Pouring

A Spanish ritual meant to inject effervescence into a flat drink.

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Dr Alan P Newman

Added by Dr Alan P Newman

Chicha de Jora

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Chicha de Jora

The Colombian government declared war on this once-ubiquitous drink.

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paulamejia

Added by paulamejia

Bishop, California

Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ

A charming desert roadside bakery that produces 10 times more bread daily than it has residents in its town.

Added by hypnosis19

Tarrenz, Austria

Starkenberger Beer Pools

Where beer lovers can literally immerse themselves in beer.

Dylan

Washington, D.C.

The Brewmaster's Castle

This grand gothic brewery has been pumping out suds for over a hundred years.

Added by bachrach44

Brussels, Belgium

Délirium Café

Cozy basement bar sports an inventory of over 2,000 beers.

chelseadeptula

Added by chelseadeptula

Huntington Beach, California

Don The Beachcomber

This midcentury LA bar was the birthplace of tiki culture.

Molly McBride Jacobson

Added by Molly McBride Jacobson

Mamajuana

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Mamajuana

This alcoholic drink has medicinal properties (and sometimes contains turtle penis).

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Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

Ranfañote

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Ranfañote

This vintage dessert of bread, cheese, and syrup nearly disappeared from Peru.

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rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Sánguche de Potito

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Sánguche de Potito

Cow rectum gives Chile's favorite game-day sandwich its addictive flavor.

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Zoe Baillargeon

Added by Zoe Baillargeon

Cleethorpes, England

The Signal Box Inn

This tiny business claims to be "the smallest pub on the planet."

Dr Alan P Newman

Added by Dr Alan P Newman

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Brewery Barrel Room

2,000 barrels of aging beer hidden in a warehouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

lewblank

Added by lewblank

Rapid City, South Dakota

Firehouse Brewing Co.

South Dakota's oldest operating brewery is housed inside a historic firehouse.

Added by meagka

Pilsen, Czechia

Pilsen Historical Underground

Underneath the city that invented pilsners are a series of historic tunnels that have been storing beer for centuries.

Added by jblaak

Kolossi, Cyprus

Kolossi Castle

This 700-year-old Cyprus castle is the birthplace of the world's oldest wine, said to be toasted by Richard the Lionheart at his wedding.

markiandolo

Added by markiandolo

Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Sherry-Drinking Mice of Tío Pepe

A complimentary beverage is offered to the bodega's resident rodents every day.

aRedLetterLife

Added by aRedLetterLife

Aranda de Duero, Spain

Bodegas of Aranda de Duero

A network of hundreds of interconnected wineries in caves hides under the town center.

Dr Alan P Newman

Added by Dr Alan P Newman

Waddesdon, England

Waddesdon Manor Wine Cellars

The luxurious English estate houses the world’s largest private collection of French Rothschild wines.

Dr Alan P Newman

Added by Dr Alan P Newman

Strasbourg, France

Historic Wine Cellar of Strasbourg Hospital

This 14th century wine cellar is home to the oldest barrel-stored wine in the world.

Added by bludgusc