kosmoskatten's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Stinging Nettles
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Stinging Nettles

Boil away this plant's poisonous hairs, and you're left with a tasty, spinach-like leaf.
Gastro Obscura
Blood Pancakes
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Blood Pancakes

Scandinavians use blood to make dense, dark, savory flapjacks.
Gastro Obscura
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Most people have never tasted the real thing.
Gastro Obscura
Pimientos de PadrĂłn
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Pimientos de PadrĂłn

Eating these unpredictable tapas is a game of spicy-pepper roulette.
Gastro Obscura
Mortadella
Gastro Obscura
Story
Meats & Animal Products

Mortadella

Baloney's predecessor is sweet, delicately spiced, and bigger than your head.
Gastro Obscura
’Nduja
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

’Nduja

The fiery Calabrian meat spread also goes by "red Nutella" and "poor man's Viagra."
Gastro Obscura
Unicum
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Unicum

A bitter liqueur that traces the history of a Hungarian-Jewish family.
Gastro Obscura
Lacryma Christi
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Lacryma Christi

The vineyards of Mount Vesuvius still produce the same wines enjoyed by the ancient Romans.
Gastro Obscura
Lutefisk
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Lutefisk

The lye-soaked fish recipe created by Vikings is now a holiday favorite at Midwestern church dinners.
Gastro Obscura
Salt Licorice Ice Cream
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Salt Licorice Ice Cream

A Finnish treat that's sweet, dark, and herbal.
Gastro Obscura
Glögg
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Glögg

The aroma of this mulled wine has been compared to “a warmed-up bowl of Froot Loops.”
Gastro Obscura
Kräftskiva
Gastro Obscura
Story

Kräftskiva

Don your party hat, sing, and chow down at these seasonal Swedish crayfish feasts.
Gastro Obscura
Chocolate Letters
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Chocolate Letters

In this Dutch holiday tradition, Sinterklaas leaves good children sweet pieces of the alphabet inside their shoes.
Gastro Obscura
Smørrebrød
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Smørrebrød

Denmark's open-faced sandwiches are equal parts decadent and decorative.
Gastro Obscura
Licorice Root
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Licorice Root

The washed and dried root of the licorice plant was once a popular natural “candy.”
Gastro Obscura
Kalvdans
Gastro Obscura
Story
Meats & Animal Products

Kalvdans

A rare, rich pudding made from the milk of a cow who's just given birth.
Gastro Obscura
Bled Cream Cake
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Bled Cream Cake

The decadent pastry almost outshines the Slovenian lake it's named for.
Gastro Obscura
Smörgåstårta
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Smörgåstårta

Meet Sweden's savory “sandwich cake.”
Gastro Obscura
Marabou M Peanut
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Marabou M Peanut

These chocolate-covered peanuts got M&M's banned in Sweden.
Gastro Obscura
Sfogliatella
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Sfogliatella

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.
Gastro Obscura
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Historians debate whether this dish actually originated with Italian sex workers.
Gastro Obscura
Struffoli
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Struffoli

These Neapolitan Christmas sweets double as decorations.
Gastro Obscura
Mozartkugel
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Mozartkugel

Like the famed composer himself, this Mozart-homage bonbon originated in Salzburg, Austria.
Gastro Obscura
Julmust
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Julmust

This Swedish holiday soda outsells Coca-Cola during the Christmas season.
Gastro Obscura