Foods Samantha Chong Has Tried

From postwar dessert to sweet slice of Canadian identity.

A dark soda with a dark history.

This pancake pays tribute to one of Japan's favorite fish.

The Japanese soda still comes in a marble-stoppered bottle from the 19th century.

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

Peru's purple drink made from purple corn.

With a squeeze of lemon, this plant can turn any drink into a color-changing mood ring.

The hot dog chain’s charming “bi-dent” picks up potatoes with ease.

This staple sandwich of Brooklyn delis has become a symbol of gentrification.

These portable pancake sheets have a crispy, hollow side and a sweet, doughy side.

This herb gives cocktails another kind of buzz.

A cake as dark as a city hiding from enemy bombers.

Every morning, Chinese vendors sling savory, crispy crepes to lines of patient fans.

Once a treatment for heat stroke, the herbal gel now flavors desserts.

This Dutch-Indonesian cake contains up to 30 layers.

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

It's expensive, it's gelatinous, it's made from swiftlet spit.

This dessert is roasted over a fire and looks like a tree.

This condiment proves that what the world considers delicious is (nearly) universal.

A relic from the era of highly specialized cutlery.

South Korea's oldest alcoholic beverage is making a comeback.

Osaka's most famous dish is an octopus-stuffed fried dough ball.

A ritual that showcases the beauty of the present moment.

This Mexican candy reimagines a spaghetti dinner with spicy-sour gummy noodles and tamarind sauce.