Foods NycterisBerna Has Tried

In Chile's central Araucanía region, the indigenous Mapuche community still makes this smoky spice blend.

This retro sandwich filling was once a convenient, comforting funeral food.

These pink cookies are destined to be dunked in champagne.

This Canadian favorite is relatively unknown elsewhere.

Senegal's popular spring rolls tell a story of war, love, and colonialism.

Historians debate whether this dish actually originated with Italian sex workers.

At some New Orleans weddings, bridesmaids predict their futures with these hidden charms.

"Monk's Head" cheese requires a special shaver.

The sweet potato donuts are an integral part of the Afro-Peruvian community.

Peru's strikingly beautiful mashed potato casserole.

Growing this sweet, tropical fruit sometimes requires careful hand-pollination with a paint brush.

These giant, volcano-shaped barnacles house sweet, crablike meat.

Locals joke that you should be able to “float a horseshoe” on the thick brew.

As Brazil's forests of Araucaria angustifolia dwindle, so do the harvests of their delicious seeds.

A wartime rice scarcity made this versatile pancake a Japanese staple.

For a brief seasonal window in Spain, snails go from dreaded pests to coveted tapas.

Cold mornings in the Andean Highlands are best met with a steaming cup of this sweet, purple drink.

The fiery fruit brandy of the Balkans.

This cosmic-colored flavor is a Midwestern mystery.

This butterscotch-flavored fruit has a way with desserts.

This hearty kelp has been feeding Chileans for at least 14,000 years.

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

A New Year's Eve tradition of scarfing down 12 grapes for good luck.

Chile’s clambake may be the world's oldest recipe.