skcrabtree's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Licorice Root
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Fruits & Vegetables

Licorice Root

The washed and dried root of the licorice plant was once a popular natural “candy.”
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Garum
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Ingredients & Condiments

Garum

In ancient Rome, this fermented fish sauce sparked a booming industry.
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Thorrablot
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Food Festivals

Thorrablot

This midwinter food festival honors Iceland's pagan history.
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Thorláksmessa
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Thorláksmessa

To honor Iceland's patron saint, feast on fermented skate.
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World Oyster Opening Championship
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Food Festivals

World Oyster Opening Championship

Welcome to the olympics of oyster shucking.
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Sturm
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Drinks

Sturm

Fizzy, fruity, and still fermenting, this almost-wine is a celebrated part of Austria's harvest season.
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Moose Tongue
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Prepared Foods

Moose Tongue

A Lapland delicacy, this tender meat gets drizzled in sweet lingonberry syrup.
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Luxardo Maraschino Cherries
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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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Marzipan Easter Lamb
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Sweets

Marzipan Easter Lamb

This sweet symbolic figurine is a Sicilian holiday tradition.
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Barraquito
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Drinks

Barraquito

This Canary Islands' specialty upgrades coffee with layers of condensed milk and liqueur.
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Scandinavian Egg Coffee
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Drinks

Scandinavian Egg Coffee

When faced with less-than-optimal ingredients, Swedes and Norwegians once clarified their brews with eggs.
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Tulip Vodka
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Drinks

Tulip Vodka

Flower bulbs are the main ingredient of this quintessentially Dutch spirit.
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Giant Paella
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Food Festivals

Giant Paella

Outdoor festivals in Valencia call for traditional fare made in gargantuan pans.
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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.
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Ice Wine
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Drinks

Ice Wine

Pressed from frozen grapes, this prized wine was a sweet accident.
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Shirouo no Odorigui
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Meats & Animal Products

Shirouo no Odorigui

These live fish are said to "dance" down diners' throats.
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Engkala
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Fruits & Vegetables

Engkala

This creamy, bright pink fruit is known as the "Borneo avocado."
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Butterfly Pea Flower
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Ingredients & Condiments

Butterfly Pea Flower

With a squeeze of lemon, this plant can turn any drink into a color-changing mood ring.
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Sannakji
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Meats & Animal Products

Sannakji

These severed octopus tentacles wriggle on your plate.
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Jiānbǐng
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Prepared Foods

Jiānbǐng

Every morning, Chinese vendors sling savory, crispy crepes to lines of patient fans.
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Fugu
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Meats & Animal Products

Fugu

The toxic pufferfish steals hearts, despite its ability to stop them.
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Pineapple Bun
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Sweets

Pineapple Bun

This sweet treat is so beloved in Hong Kong, it inspired an animated movie.
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Kuwini Mango
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Fruits & Vegetables

Kuwini Mango

Venture beyond the usual sour-sweet varieties with this funky, savory fruit.
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Tuna Eye
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Meats & Animal Products

Tuna Eye

Japanese pubs serve the delicacy sautéed, braised, or in a cocktail known as “tuna’s tears.”
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