Lauren Levesque's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places edited in Dedham, Massachusetts
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Kratom Tea
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Kratom Tea

This Southeast Asian leaf can wake you up, knock you out, and subdue heroin withdrawal.
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Hala Fruit
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Fruits & Vegetables

Hala Fruit

It looks like an exploding planet and tastes like sugarcane.
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Maca
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Maca

The Andean root once fueled Inca warriors.
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Ayahuasca
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Ayahuasca

One vine unlocks the powers of a psychedelic shrub.
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Kava
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Sweets

Kava

The South Pacific's shrub-based drink causes relaxation, euphoria, and a tingling sensation.
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Balut
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Meats & Animal Products

Balut

In the Philippines, fertilized duck eggs are savory snacks.
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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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Zarajos
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Prepared Foods

Zarajos

In Cuenca, chefs transform offal into succulent tapas.
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Escamoles
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Meats & Animal Products

Escamoles

The eggs of "the farty ant" have earned a reputation as the caviar of the desert.
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Suri Grubs
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Meats & Animal Products

Suri Grubs

Palm weevil larvae make succulent street snacks in the Amazon.
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Orbitz
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Drinks

Orbitz

This drink hasn't been produced since the late nineties, but still has a cult following.
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Alheira
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Prepared Foods

Alheira

This sausage saved Jews' lives in Inquisition-era Portugal.
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Blaa Bread
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Prepared Foods

Blaa Bread

This adaption of French refugee bread is now a protected Irish specialty.
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Grass Jelly
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Ingredients & Condiments

Grass Jelly

Once a treatment for heat stroke, the herbal gel now flavors desserts.
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Lapis Legit
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Sweets

Lapis Legit

This Dutch-Indonesian cake contains up to 30 layers.
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Brunost
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Meats & Animal Products

Brunost

This “brown cheese” tastes like caramel.
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Grasshopper
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Drinks

Grasshopper

This bright green cocktail doubles as dessert.
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Birch Beer
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Drinks

Birch Beer

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.
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Fog Beer at Atrapaniebla Brewery
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Drinks

Fog Beer at Atrapaniebla Brewery

In the Atacama Desert, brewers trap fog moisture to make crisp ales.
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Blood Pancakes
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Prepared Foods

Blood Pancakes

Scandinavians use blood to make dense, dark, savory flapjacks.
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Dutch Soused Herring
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Prepared Foods

Dutch Soused Herring

No one eats pickled herring like the Dutch.
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Spruce Beer
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Spruce Beer

This Christmas tree elixir kept Vikings and Captain Cook alive.
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Stargazy Pie
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Prepared Foods

Stargazy Pie

A traditional Cornish pie that—ARE THOSE FISH HEADS COMING OUT OF THE TOP?!
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Moose Milk
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Drinks

Moose Milk

Eggnog gone wild, brought to you by the Canadian Military.
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