Sam OBrien's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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funeral food

Recreating an Ancient Roman Dinner of Death

To investigate the legend of Emperor Domitian's Black Banquet, we made our own macabre feast.
November 29, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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turkey

This Turkey Church Is Just One Way People Celebrate the Humble Bird

The ceremonial significance of the turkey goes back much further than Thanksgiving.
November 11, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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forgotten foods

Foraging for America's Forgotten Fruit

A guide to finding, prepping, and enjoying the pawpaw.
September 23, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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delicious diaspora

A Cookbook That Celebrates Indian American Ingenuity

When life gives you Bisquick, make gulab jamun.
August 9, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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story

Introducing Gastro Obscura's "Feast"

Explore nine extraordinary culinary destinations around the world.
July 1, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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hot springs

A Gastro Obscura Guide to São Miguel

A magical island where the pineapples are perfect, the tea is purple, and the stew is cooked with volcanic heat.
July 1, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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lunar new year

5 Recipes to Make for Lunar New Year

Welcome the Year of the Dragon with fortune-telling soups, lucky goldfish dumplings, and more.
February 9, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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holiday

How to Eat or Drink Your Christmas Tree

Don't just throw out your tree; use it to spruce up your cocktails, stews, and more.
January 8, 2024
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year in wonder 2023

Our Favorite Ghost Stories of 2023

From haunted grocery stores to ancient demons on TikTok, it was a great year for supernatural exploration.
January 4, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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funeral food

The Family Recipes That Live On in Cemeteries

Around the world, recipe gravestones tell stories of love, grief, and remembrance.
October 31, 2023
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vampires

The Truth Behind Poland's 'Anti-Vampire' Graves

Can recent excavations answer questions about death and demonology in the 1600s?
August 14, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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ancient foods

How to Trace Food History With Ancient Leftovers

The Penn Museum's new exhibit showcases the art of edible archaeology.
June 30, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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road trip

The Retro Lover's Guide to Road-Tripping

Inside one man's quest to visit the last vestiges of roadside Americana.
May 26, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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beltane

Why 18th-Century Scots Performed Mock Human Sacrifices Over Cake

This May Day, make Beltane bannock, a simple snack with a long history of superstition and divination.
May 1, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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funeral food

The Surprisingly Sacred Roots of Chocolate

Among the Maya, cacao has served as a powerful symbol from womb to tomb.
February 14, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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playing with your food

Celebrating Scotland's Bard? Break Out the Haggis.

Every January 25, Scotland pays tribute to its most famous poet and an offal-y delicious dish.
January 23, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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year in wonder 2022

A Year in Food Art, From the Beautiful to the Bizarre

In 2022, we covered the world’s most creative cuisine.
December 30, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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year in wonder 2022

Our Favorite Recipes of 2022

From boozy fruit preserves to tomato soup cake, we're looking back at a year of culinary curiosity.
December 12, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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funeral food

A Cookbook for Dining With the Dead

Learn to make amaranth skulls, “buried” tamales, and other regional Día de Muertos recipes.
October 28, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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utopias

The Curious Connection Between Food and Cults

From Fruitlands to NXIVM, food has served as the core of Utopia and a tool of control.
October 24, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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curious kitchenware

4 of History's Most Epic Punch Bowls

If your party doesn't feature enough alcohol to float a rowboat, you're doing it wrong.
October 3, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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fair food

How a Big Block of Butter Becomes a Masterpiece

Inside the centuries-old art of transforming butter into dragons, cows, and princesses.
September 12, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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amish

The Death of Pennsylvania’s Forgotten Funeral Pie

The sweet-yet-somber treat was the star of extravagant 19th-century funeral feasts.
August 22, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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hot air balloon

A Hot-Air Balloon Restaurant and Other Stories of Food on-the-Go

Five highlights from Gastro Obscura's "Moveable Feasts" series.
August 1, 2022