Foods JLowdown Has Tried

This flat, silver spoon holds an exalted place in the mystery and ritual of absinthe drinking.

A Spanish ritual meant to inject effervescence into a flat drink.

Before refrigeration, mixing fruit with sugar and vinegar extended its shelf life and made for a tasty drink.

This Okinawan specialty resembles a Japanese take on Taco Bell.

This cotton candy-like garnish is made of dried, candied meat.

For Italian-Americans, Christmas Eve is all about the seafood.

This New Year's luck-bringer has a controversial contemporary taste.

Detroit's signature soda shake blends Vernors ginger ale with vanilla ice cream.

The Detroit favorite is one of the oldest sodas in the United States.

A crispy cookie from South Carolina, first introduced during the slave trade.

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.

A World War I sugar shortage led an inventor to make a very cherry soda that looks like wine.

The story of South Carolina's sweet-hot soda begins with a chance discovery during the Revolutionary War.

A pharmaceutical company developed this beverage as drinkable IV solution.

Vermont's version of soft serve celebrates their local dairy and maple industries.

These Japanese sweets demonstrate the ephemeral beauty of the seasons.

Artichokes form the backbone of this vegetal liqueur.

To make the perfect matcha, start with the perfect whisk.

These Neapolitan Christmas sweets double as decorations.

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.

The unique style born out of the California Gold Rush blends the crispness of a lager with the flavor of an ale.

Most sushi fans have never tried this rare rhizome.

Make like a 19th-century Belgian miner and cool off with this refreshing ale.

Japan's traditional temple cuisine features meals that are nutritionally and visually balanced.