Mark Hay's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

Mark Hay

Brooklyn based. History buff. Food is the avenue by which I engage with the world around me. I may or may not have become a freelancer solely because I hate putting on pants in the morning.

markehay.com

2017
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Inside Greenland's Misunderstood Winter Delicacy

Kiviaq, a mainstay on many "weird foods" lists, is an incredible feat of fermentation and cultural touchstone.

The Strange Endurance of Consuming Human Blood for Our Health

From draining slain gladiators to modern-day "sangs," people have long looked to blood as a panacea.

October 31, 2022

The Mystery of the Puffer Fish Helmets of Kiribati

This ceremonial headwear was a cultural touchstone before it became a colonial curiosity.

How the Rage for Sage Threatens Native American Traditions and Recipes

In Southern California, the popularity of white sage threatens its survival.

relics of the 1920s

When the Government Banned PBR, Pabst Made Cheese Instead

Selling dairy products helped the brewery survive Prohibition.

In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes

Gangs and mafiosos have a long history with food crime.

January 17, 2020

Scottish Singles Used to Spend Halloween Picking Kale

The leafy green once foretold the future.

October 23, 2019

How Peru’s Inca Kola Triumphed Over Coke

Appeals to patriotism helped it become the country’s signature flavor.

August 13, 2019

Before Jell-O, Colorful Gelatin Desserts Were Haute Cuisine

Celebrity chefs served molded jelly dishes to monarchs and royalty.

The Hidden History of the Nutmeg Island That Was Traded for Manhattan

Dutch colonists committed genocide to secure a spice monopoly. But there's more to the story.

February 28, 2019

How Survivors of Stalinism Created a New Korean-Fusion Cuisine

When the Koryo Saram were forcibly relocated, they forged new identities.

September 10, 2018

In Istanbul, Drinking Coffee in Public Was Once Punishable by Death

Rulers throughout Europe and the Middle East once tried to ban the black brew.

Why Eating Insects Is an American Tradition

Both Native Americans and colonists enjoyed fried cicadas, grasshopper flour, and insect fruitcakes.

How Alaska’s Roadkill Gets a Second Life as Dinner

A unique system turns moose killed in collisions into meals.

January 16, 2018

The Conqueror Who Longed for Melons

Many Indian dishes can be traced back, indirectly, to a 16th-century, food-obsessed ruler named Babur.

November 15, 2017