Foods Loec Has Tried

The streets of Palermo are filled with the smell of succulent, sizzling lamb intestines.

Sicilian nuns once hung these sugary "fruits" from tree branches.

Folding and deep-frying pies is a beloved Neapolitan tradition.

Created in Rome's Jewish ghetto, the fried artichokes herald spring.

Atop every serving of Dutch “war fries,” a pile of spicy, savory condiments do battle.

In Lisbon, tiny, standing-room-only bars specialize in this sour cherry liqueur.

Grown in the volcanic soil around Mt. Vesuvius, these tomatoes are one of only a couple varieties used in authentic Neapolitan pizza.

A sandwich so decadent, it was once inappropriate for women to order one.

These expensive and dangerous-to-harvest barnacles were once confused for goose eggs.

As fine as the marble it's cured in, this pig fat salumi is a Tuscan masterpiece.

Most people have never tasted the real thing.

Baloney's predecessor is sweet, delicately spiced, and bigger than your head.

The seductively delicious Easter cake once made an entire convent neglect its prayers.

The fiery Calabrian meat spread also goes by "red Nutella" and "poor man's Viagra."

A citrusy cream soda with a hint of rust outsells Coca-Cola in Scotland.

Venetians celebrate the end of a 16th-century plague with sweet and sour sardines.

The secret to this sandwich is the cow’s fourth stomach.

Artichokes form the backbone of this vegetal liqueur.

The same grass that feeds massive European bison adds notes of vanilla and lavender to this unique Polish vodka.

The washed and dried root of the licorice plant was once a popular natural “candy.”

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

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

These Neapolitan Christmas sweets double as decorations.

Like the famed composer himself, this Mozart-homage bonbon originated in Salzburg, Austria.