Foods Ryan Haupt Has Tried

Iceland's fermented, dried shark smells like urine and can taste like strong cheese.

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

Eating these unpredictable tapas is a game of spicy-pepper roulette.

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

Only two silent monks know all 130 plants that go into this herbal liqueur.

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

The lye-soaked fish recipe created by Vikings is now a holiday favorite at Midwestern church dinners.

Spread this fat-poached meat on a crusty French loaf.

The aroma of this mulled wine has been compared to “a warmed-up bowl of Froot Loops.”

Devoted fans pay thousands for bricks of this fermented tea.

Brewers freeze their beer to make this high-octane, sweet style.

Artichokes form the backbone of this vegetal liqueur.

Anyone for a shot of “Black Death”?

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

Real maraschinos were born more than a century ago in an Italian distillery.

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

This Swedish holiday soda outsells Coca-Cola during the Christmas season.

These saffron buns are eaten on Lucia Day in Sweden.

Pressed from frozen grapes, this prized wine was a sweet accident.

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

This signature pepper has been a hot commodity since the Maya era.

The Mexican fungal delicacy that makes corn taste like a mushroom.

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

The cornmeal patty that Rhode Islanders eat morning, noon, and night.