Wondrous food to explore and enjoy

Gastro Obscura

Read 2154 Gastro Stories

The Victorian 'Drink Maps' Wielded by Anti-Booze Crusaders

Author Kris Butler reveals how Temperance advocates mapped bars to discourage their spread.

Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura

September 11, 2024

Gastro Obscura's 10 Essential Places to Eat and Drink in Portugal

Transcendently flaky pastéis de nata, superb tinned fish, and fragrant fortified wines await.

Austin Bush, Atlas Obscura

September 6, 2024

Why Voltaire Drank Bull’s Blood

Bull’s blood isn’t poisonous; so why did people think it was for centuries?

Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura

September 5, 2024

Why Swiss Christians Once Nibbled on the Mother of Christ

Schabmadonnen are part of a long tradition of edible relics.

Emma Cieslik, Atlas Obscura

September 4, 2024

The Ancient, Astonishing History of Yerba Mate

From centuries-old sacred rituals to energy drinks, one psychoactive plant has spread throughout the globe.

Diana Hubbell, Atlas Obscura

August 30, 2024

How Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans Connect a Community to Its Roots

“It’s not just preserving seeds, it’s preserving our culture, our history, our way of life.”

Sarah Lohman, Atlas Obscura

August 29, 2024

The Strange Allure of Blue Food

When nature’s rarest color shows up in food, it elicits a range of reactions.

Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura

August 26, 2024

The Beautiful Art of Greece's 'Embroidered' Bread

A museum outside of Athens preserves this fading custom.

Yana Frigelis, Atlas Obscura

August 22, 2024

historical recipes

The Unlikely Popularity of Grape-Nuts Ice Cream

This simple flavor has a cross-cultural and cross-generational appeal.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

August 21, 2024

imaginary world

What's on the Menu in Your Fantasy World?

Meet three worldbuilders who bring their magical settings to life through food.

Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura

August 13, 2024

delicious diaspora

A Cookbook That Celebrates Indian American Ingenuity

When life gives you Bisquick, make gulab jamun.

Sam O'Brien, Atlas Obscura

How Sharing Recipes Brings Fans Together

Making fictional food can be both a creative and communal activity.

Elizabeth Minkel, Atlas Obscura

The Biggest Sports Rivalries This Year Are Between National Foods

Kielbasa vs. Fondue: Choose your fighter.

Diana Hubbell, Atlas Obscura

harvest rituals and celebrations

The Indigenous Communities Preserving the Ancient Art of Roasting Agave

Now more famous as a distilling ingredient, agave has been a traditional food in Southern California for millennia.

Sarah Lohman, Atlas Obscura

Can Thunderstorms Spoil Milk?

The answer eluded scientists for centuries.

Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura

invasive species

Open Your Mind to This Polarizing Invasive Herb

Fish mint’s culinary applications are vast; which is good, because it’s taking over North America.

Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura

Remembering the World’s First ‘Cold-Storage Banquet’

At the turn of the 20th century, the concept of a refrigerated feast was terrifying.

Diana Hubbell, Atlas Obscura

In Colorado, Chefs Are Taking Farm-to-Table to a Whole New Level

It isn’t just a trend, it’s a way of life—and the key to some truly transcendent dining experiences.