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Gastro Obscura

Read 2154 Gastro Stories

Decoding (Most of) an 18th-Century 'Riddle Menu'

Our readers offer up their answers and theories.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

October 26, 2018

How Curry Became a Japanese Naval Tradition

Ships and submarines have their own unique recipes.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

October 25, 2018

The Parasite That Forces Bees to Dig Their Own Graves

It's a growing threat to our food supply.

Lindsay Patterson, Atlas Obscura

October 24, 2018

Ancient Greek Funerals Were Decked Out in Celery

It was a powerful symbol of death—and victory.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

October 23, 2018

What Food or Drink Would You Want People to Leave at Your Grave?

You know, in case being dead turns out to make you hungry.

Eric Grundhauser, Atlas Obscura

October 22, 2018

Your Stories of Blissful Foods Made in Monasteries

Holy cheeses, wines, and cakes abound.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

October 22, 2018

How Fish and Chips Migrated to Great Britain

The fried fish was introduced by Jews fleeing religious persecution.

Abbey Perreault, Atlas Obscura

October 19, 2018

how the sausage gets made

Living Off the Land in the Arctic Circle

In Lapland, chefs and residents hunt and gather to make bear soup, lingonberry syrup, and reindeer.

Eileen Cho, Atlas Obscura

October 19, 2018

Tell Us How You Overcame Your Biggest Food Fear

What happened when you finally tasted something you'd previously been repulsed by?

Eric Grundhauser, Atlas Obscura

October 18, 2018

Why Scientists Are Studying ‘Ricequakes’ in a Tube of Rice Krispies

They even resemble Antarctica's mysterious icequakes.

Abbey Perreault, Atlas Obscura

October 16, 2018

The Pyrotechnic Ice-Cream Parades of the Nobel Prize Banquet

Once, there was even an official ice cream.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

October 16, 2018

Why Scientists Are Studying the Dining Habits of Manta Rays

These filter feeders might be a ray of hope amidst microplastic pollution.

Abbey Perreault, Atlas Obscura

October 15, 2018

Margarine Once Contained a Whole Lot More Whale

And helped launch a corporation now worth more than $40 billion.

Sarah Laskow, Atlas Obscura

October 11, 2018

A Visit to the World's Only Sourdough Library

Step inside Karl De Smedt's singular collection of starters.

Lizzie Philip, Atlas Obscura

October 11, 2018

The ‘Wine Archive’ That Quietly Improves the World’s Wine

A collection of more than 7,000 grapevine varieties is a boon to vintners and scientists.

Eric J. Wallace, Atlas Obscura

October 11, 2018

Temple Wall Recipes Reveal a Wealth of Unexplored Culinary History

Medieval epigraphs carved in stone offer a unique glance at South Indian cuisine.

Abbey Perreault, Atlas Obscura

October 10, 2018

California’s Almond Harvest Has Created a Golden Opportunity for Bee Thieves

Hives have never been more valuable.

Byard Duncan, Atlas Obscura

October 10, 2018

Help Atlas Obscura Solve a Curious 18th-Century Riddle Menu

No one was really eating "quintessence of Toes" back then.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

October 9, 2018