Wondrous food to explore and enjoy

Gastro Obscura

Read 2154 Gastro Stories

The Livestock Living at the End of the World

Things get hairy when you plop pigs on a subantarctic island.

Abbey Perreault, Atlas Obscura

Australia's Growing Camel Meat Trade Reveals a Hidden History of Early Muslim Migrants

Afghan cameleers helped settle Australia's interior.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura

The Coolest Coffee Maker of the 19th Century Was a Tabletop Train

Only the very wealthy could afford these delicate contraptions.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

These Dairy Devils Are Making Cheese From Celebrities' Bacteria

Aged, ripe, and not for consumption.

Rohini Chaki, Atlas Obscura

gastro obscura profiles

The Intrepid Herb Hunters Who Scour Alpine Mountains and Meadows for Top Chefs

Slovenia's most celebrated restaurants rely on their foraging.

Noah Charney, Atlas Obscura

Italian Vineyards Are Glowing From the Light of Hundreds of Torches

It's a beautiful, if imperfect, antidote to crop-damaging cold.

Matthew Taub, Atlas Obscura

This British Colonial Report Offers a Rare Glimpse Into India's Historic Cannabis Cuisine

And a description of some very stoned canines.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura

Britain's Iconic Brown Betty Teapot Gets a Redesign

A new version of the humble teapot reintroduces features from the past.

Frances Ambler, Atlas Obscura

How an Ancient Indian Art Utilizes Mathematics, Mythology, and Rice

Computer scientists have studied these “pictorial prayers.”

Rohini Chaki, Atlas Obscura

Ancient Chinese Buildings Are Held Together With Rice, Sugar, and Blood

Edible additives in mortar served both practical and philosophical purposes.

plumcot, Atlas Obscura

Skull-Shaped Beer Steins Were Once Popular Graduation Gifts

They were part of a broader wave of adventurous stein-craft.

Matthew Taub, Atlas Obscura

How Lesbian Potlucks Nourished the LGBTQ Movement

Now a queer stereotype, the lesbian potluck has radical roots.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura

When Wine and Sauce Labels Were Glorious Works of Art

The wealthy once labeled their ketchup, soy sauce, and champagne with style.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

To Cope With a Wartime Banana Ban, British Home Cooks Made 'Mock Bananas'

They weren't appealing.

Rohini Chaki, Atlas Obscura

How North Carolinians Learned to Love Their Green Oysters

The seasonal delicacy was discarded for decades.

Jennifer Rice, Atlas Obscura

deserts & desserts

Exit Interview: I Was the Director of Research and Development at a Candy Company

His proudest achievement? Putting your face on an M&M.

Alex Mayyasi, Atlas Obscura

relics of the 1920s

How a Candy Craze Almost Wiped Out the Barrel Cactus

Fake legends and Southwest imagery sold crystalized cactus to Americans.

Tal McThenia, Atlas Obscura

The Girl Who Jumped Out of a Pie and Into a Gilded Age Morality Tale

Susie Johnson sparked America's obsession with erotic cake dancing.

Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura