The briny “asparagus of the sea” grows along coasts around the world.

These pungent fermented soybeans are coated in probiotic slime.

This flat, silver spoon holds an exalted place in the mystery and ritual of absinthe drinking.

These old-school metal tea-glass holders are a fixture on Russian trains.

Savory meat jelly with a dollop of spicy mustard is a customary New Year's dish in Russia.

The spiky, fruit cup-flavored orb made an appearance on “Star Trek.”

A bloody good candy bar.

Usually, the only heat that gets close to this raw pork fat is a sprinkle of pepper.

A wartime rice scarcity made this versatile pancake a Japanese staple.

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

The Kichwa begin every day with tea and dream interpretation.

Osaka's most famous dish is an octopus-stuffed fried dough ball.

Boil away this plant's poisonous hairs, and you're left with a tasty, spinach-like leaf.

The most sobering salad of the Russian Civil War.

Russian Mardi Gras features blinis, fistfights, and burning effigies.

Devoted fans pay thousands for bricks of this fermented tea.

A fruit so foul, shamans use it to scare evil spirits.

This beloved Russian dessert is the brainchild of Soviet-era housewives with meat grinders.

These detailed, dainty confections are made by hand with minimal tools.

In the 19th century, tin miners ate these handheld pies and left their crusts to appease mischievous, mine-dwelling spirits.

These savory pastries come from Lithuania's Karaim minority.

This dessert is roasted over a fire and looks like a tree.

The marshmallow-based candy is named for a delicacy just out of the ancient Greeks' reach.

The dessert that's also a meal.