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Gastro Obscura

Read 2154 Gastro Stories

The Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries

Yaupon tea, a botanical cousin to yerba maté, is now almost unknown.

Ben Richmond, Atlas Obscura

The Quiet Rescue of America’s Forgotten Fruit

One man is responsible for roughly half of the country's stone fruit collection.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

What's in Your Royal Dansk Cookie Tin?

Tell us about all the non-cookies you keep or have found in the blue containers.

Paula Mejia, Atlas Obscura

The Long, Strange History of Medicinal Turpentine

Drinking it was thought to cure nearly everything. (But you shouldn't try it.)

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

new year nibbles

The Los Angeles Bakery Keeping Mochi in Temples and Traditions

Brian Kito wants to protect mochi’s status as more than a standard sweet.

Richard Foss, Atlas Obscura

The Grocery Stocker Who Makes Hypnotic Vegetable Designs

Scallions, radishes, and endives form artistic works.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

6 Ice Creams That Make Everything Else Seem Vanilla

From garlic to cheese, these unusual flavors are regional favorites.

Rachel Rummel, Atlas Obscura

The Blogger Quietly Preserving Maryland’s Culinary History

Kara Mae Harris hopes to archive every local cookbook.

Kristina Gaddy, Atlas Obscura

14 Unusual Cookbooks That Were Still Fit to Print

The collections of Gastro Obscura readers feature cannibalism, bugs, and Dracula.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

Remembering When 'The New York Times' Explained Pizza

No "pizzas" here, only "pizze."

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

How Two Italians Achieved a 200-Year-Old Dream of Virginian Wine

Since Thomas Jefferson first tried, growing European vines had always failed.

Eric J. Wallace, Atlas Obscura

The Dying Art of Fishing for Shrimp on Horseback

In Oostduinkerke, Belgium, horses plow the ocean instead of the fields.

Natasha Frost, Atlas Obscura

Alfred Hitchcock’s Contentious Relationship With Dinner Parties

Sometimes the food was all blue.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

When Stephen Hawking Threw a Cocktail Party for Time Travelers

No one showed up.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

The Mystery of New England's Gray Corned Beef

The specialty is usually pink, but it looks different around Boston.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

The Chef Cooking Up Invasive Species

Asian carp are a problem, but they're also dinner.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

Decoding the Design History of Your Coffee Cup Lid

It's a modern marvel.

Anika Burgess, Atlas Obscura

Tell Us About Your Most Unusual Cookbook

Do you have an offbeat cookbook in your collection? Gastro Obscura wants to see it.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura