olivetwist's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Drunken Cheese
Gastro Obscura
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Meats & Animal Products

Drunken Cheese

The aging process of this formaggio begins in a barrel of wine.
Gastro Obscura
’Nduja
Gastro Obscura
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Ingredients & Condiments

’Nduja

The fiery Calabrian meat spread also goes by "red Nutella" and "poor man's Viagra."
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Licorice Root
Gastro Obscura
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Fruits & Vegetables

Licorice Root

The washed and dried root of the licorice plant was once a popular natural “candy.”
Gastro Obscura
Carta di Musica
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Prepared Foods

Carta di Musica

Bread so thin, you can read music through the dough.
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Lorighittas
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Prepared Foods

Lorighittas

Making a pound of this pretty pasta can take an entire day.
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Luxardo Maraschino Cherries
Gastro Obscura
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Ingredients & Condiments

Luxardo Maraschino Cherries

Real maraschinos were born more than a century ago in an Italian distillery.
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Eucalittino
Gastro Obscura
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Drinks

Eucalittino

Outside Rome, a tranquil abbey turns eucalyptus into liqueur.
Gastro Obscura
Montebore
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Meats & Animal Products

Montebore

By the 21st century, one lone woman held the recipe for what might have been da Vinci’s cheese of choice.
Gastro Obscura
Pizza Fritta
Gastro Obscura
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Prepared Foods

Pizza Fritta

Folding and deep-frying pies is a beloved Neapolitan tradition.
Gastro Obscura
Graffe
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Sweets

Graffe

During Carnival, Neapolitans fill up on these fluffy potato doughnuts.
Gastro Obscura
Pizza Ebraica
Gastro Obscura
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Sweets

Pizza Ebraica

This cookie is found only in Rome's Jewish quarter.
Gastro Obscura
Chestnut Beer
Gastro Obscura
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Drinks

Chestnut Beer

The ultimate in nutty brews.
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Sanguinaccio Dolce
Gastro Obscura
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Sweets

Sanguinaccio Dolce

Italians make a bloody delicious chocolate pudding.
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Prickly Pear Liqueur
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Drinks

Prickly Pear Liqueur

This jewel-toned Sicilian and Maltese specialty is so sweet, it’s hard to believe it comes from a spiky cactus.
Gastro Obscura
Pizza Montanara
Gastro Obscura
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Prepared Foods

Pizza Montanara

Its deep-fried crust is part of a longstanding Neapolitan tradition.
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Sfogliatella
Gastro Obscura
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Sweets

Sfogliatella

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.
Gastro Obscura
Strawberry Tree Fruit
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Strawberry Tree Fruit

The lychee-looking fruit appears in everything from jam and liqueur to the Aeneid and Madrid's flag.
Gastro Obscura
Caciocavallo of the Migrant
Gastro Obscura
Story
Meats & Animal Products

Caciocavallo of the Migrant

To circumvent a meat ban, Italian immigrants hid their soppressata in balls of cheese.
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