Foods ilyakats Has Tried

There's a legend that this Latvian herbal liqueur saved an ailing Catherine the Great.

Economists use this cheesy bread as a metric for cost of living between Georgian cities.

Savory meat jelly with a dollop of spicy mustard is a customary New Year's dish in Russia.

The most sobering salad of the Russian Civil War.

The dessert that's also a meal.

Soviet cafeterias whipped up this chocolate “potato” to use leftovers.

This gooey, sweet treat was a Soviet staple.

This traditional dessert commemorates the country's sweet taste of victory over the French emperor in 1812.

Usually, the only heat that gets close to this raw pork fat is a sprinkle of pepper.

This alcoholic drink has medicinal properties (and sometimes contains turtle penis).

These old-school metal tea-glass holders are a fixture on Russian trains.

Pink or green syrup turns a historic German ale into a tart, sweet delight.

In medieval Germany, drinkers followed a star to local lager.

The fiery fruit brandy of the Balkans.

You can find authentic versions of this sour Slavic brew at street stalls and monasteries.

Only a few breweries still make smoky beer in this classic German style.

The hot dog chain’s charming “bi-dent” picks up potatoes with ease.

A brewery consulted drinking vessels found in the ancient king’s tomb to recreate a 2,700-year-old elixir.