AO Member

Sam O'Brien

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2017

Hi! I'm a senior editor at Gastro Obscura, covering food, history, and culture. My work has won the James Beard Award for Dining & Travel, been nominated for the IACP Award in Feature Writing, and been featured in "The Best American Food Writing." My favorite subjects involve the intersection of food, death, and folklore. I love exploring the world, seeking out new pies and tacos, befriending dogs, and wandering through cemeteries.

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Foods Sam O'Brien Has Tried

104

Foods I've tried

Foods this traveler has tried.

Ptasie Mleczko with coconut, but still no actual bird's milk.

Sweets

Bird Milk Chocolate

The marshmallow-based candy is named for a delicacy just out of the ancient Greeks' reach.

The making of a Fluffernutter.

Prepared Foods

The Fluffernutter

A completely delicious, nearly nutrient-free sandwich beloved by generations of New Englanders.

"The kid's got moxie!"

Drinks

Moxie

This cure-all-turned-soda once outsold Coca-Cola.

A set of picklebacks with extra pickle flavor.

Drinks

Pickleback

A bar sharing a basement with a pickle place led to an unusual drink.

Boylan's Birch Beer

Drinks

Birch Beer

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

Even spice giant McCormick is in on the steak spice game.

Ingredients & Condiments

Montreal Steak Spice

Pastrami fans will find the taste of this Canadian spice blend very familiar.

Kava

Sweets

Kava

The South Pacific's shrub-based drink causes relaxation, euphoria, and a tingling sensation.

Kratom tea with powder and whisk in the background.

Gastro

Kratom Tea

This Southeast Asian leaf can wake you up, knock you out, and subdue heroin withdrawal.