Wondrous food to explore and enjoy

Gastro Obscura

Read 2124 Gastro Stories

colorful consumables

What Does a Galaxy Taste Like?

Exploring how flavor chemists, or "flavorists," create imaginative—and imaginary—flavors.

Make Nowruz Magic With Samanu

Eat the spring.

One Man’s Lifelong Quest to Create a Lettuce Cigarette

To help people quit smoking, Puzant Torigian put his life savings (and lungs) on the line.

For Nova Scotians, Local Maple Syrup Is a Disappearing Pleasure

Sweet with notes of pine and ocean, the unique delight is under threat.

A Guide to the Peppers of the World

Which came first: the pepper, or the pepper?

In Defense of Turkish Delight

This traditional sweet is actually pretty delightful.

Meet the Feminist Resistance Fighter Who Created the Modern Kitchen

Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky left an indelible mark on Austria, architecture, and how we cook.

February 26, 2025

Midcentury America's Most Scandalous Salad

According to Betty Crocker, Candle Salad was even “better than a real candle.”

February 24, 2025

The Artist Who Turned Dublin's Pubs Into Galleries

Harry Kernoff found inspiration and camaraderie in the city's watering holes.

February 20, 2025

ao wants to know

What Did the Ancient Egyptians Eat? AO Wants to Know.

Egyptian archaeologist Mennat-Allah El Dorry digs deep into the diets of the past.

February 20, 2025

A Guide to the Cardamoms of the World

The Cardamom Expanded Universe is bigger than you think.

February 17, 2025

Australia’s Dazzling Native Ingredients

Warrigal, murnong, and quandong, oh my!

February 10, 2025

scientists at work

How a UC Davis Research Center Is Changing the World of Coffee

That’s that UC espresso.

February 5, 2025

The Quest to Save the World’s Rarest Pasta

For 300 years, only a handful of women in Sardinia possessed the skill to create “threads of God.”

February 3, 2025

forgotten foods

The Magic of Moldovan Black Cake

Dark, sweet, and spongy, babă neagră is a forgotten treat worth reviving.

January 29, 2025

How Danish Cookies Became Hong Kong’s Favorite Lunar New Year Snack

It's not a family gathering without “blue tin cookies.”

January 28, 2025

The Surprising Origins and Alternatives to Tomato Ketchup

Ketchup is more of a category than a singular sauce.

January 27, 2025

cooking with fire

Our Favorite Flaming Cocktail Recipes

Warm up this January with Blue Blazers and Hot Ale Flips.

January 20, 2025