Wondrous food to explore and enjoy

Gastro Obscura

Read 2154 Gastro Stories

The Chocolate-Brewing Witches of Colonial Latin America

The Inquisition persecuted women who used cacao to entice lovers and spurn enemies.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura

January 27, 2020

Eat Like a 1970s Radical With 'The People's Philadelphia Cookbook'

The 1976 book included contributions from the Black Power and Gay Liberation movements.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura

January 24, 2020

Remembering the 'Kiwi Queen' Who Revolutionized American Produce Aisles

Frieda Caplan defied gender norms to take Americans from peas and potatoes to kumquats and quinces.

Luke Fater, Atlas Obscura

January 23, 2020

A Japanese Sculptor's Tribute to Wild Rice Covers an Australian Floodplain

Mitsuaki Tanabe's untimely death spurred his son to finish his last work.

Selena Takigawa Hoy, Atlas Obscura

January 22, 2020

moveable feasts

In Texas, Gas Station Restaurants Serve Roast Duck and Momos

Fueling up doesn't need to mean Doritos and hot dogs.

Priya Krishna, Atlas Obscura

January 21, 2020

disappearing world

The Language Used Only by Lake Kivu's Fishermen

As they paddle out each night, they sing in a disappearing language.

Leah Feiger, Atlas Obscura

January 20, 2020

In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes

Gangs and mafiosos have a long history with food crime.

Mark Hay, Atlas Obscura

January 17, 2020

For Sale: 500 Pounds of 20-Year-Old Cheddar

Even at $209 a pound, it’s expected to sell out shortly.

Luke Fater, Atlas Obscura

January 16, 2020

Meet the Rocket Scientist Who's Also a Whole Hog Pitmaster

Dr. Howard Conyers is preserving a community tradition.

Debra Freeman, Atlas Obscura

January 15, 2020

How Aboriginal Hunting and 'Cool Burns' Prevent Australian Wildfires

The current crisis has pushed the country to consider cultural burning.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura

January 14, 2020

gastro obscura profiles

The Chef Restoring Appalachia's World-Class Food Culture

A coal fortune is fueling the revival of a cuisine it nearly destroyed.

Eric J. Wallace, Atlas Obscura

January 10, 2020

environmental disasters

Invasive Catfish Are Rewriting Chesapeake Bay Cuisine

An unloved invader has found its way onto menus across the region.

Luke Fater, Atlas Obscura

January 9, 2020

How a Japanese Family Jumpstarted Rice Farming, Deep in the Heart of Texas

It was eventually stifled by nativism and border anxiety.

Isaac Schultz, Atlas Obscura

January 8, 2020

Easter Island's Monoliths Made the Crops Grow

By quarrying rock for the statues, the people of Rapa Nui fertilized the soil.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura

January 8, 2020

The Elite Sake Brewer on Route 66

In the Arizona desert, Atsuo Sakurai found the freedom to make something great.

Abbie Gripman, Atlas Obscura

January 7, 2020

cooking with fire

Found: The Charred Remains of a 170,000-Year-Old Meal in a South African Cave

It doesn't look like much, but it's a key step in the development of human diets.

Isaac Schultz, Atlas Obscura

January 7, 2020

A Day at Yakapalooza, the Premier Event for the Yak-Curious

More Americans are turning to these shaggy-haired animals for their meat, milk, and hides.

Oliver Whang, Atlas Obscura

January 7, 2020

Around the World in Rare and Beautiful Apples

From the sweet to the offbeat.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

January 6, 2020