Foods Samir S. Patel Has Tried

This savory-sweet pairing is a classic school lunch.

Once made by monks, this candy spends 15 days rolling in sugar syrup to get its pearly-white shell.

These holiday cakes link Christmas to the Norse god of lightning.

Finns treat this rich, baked cheese like bread.

One fantasy food's journey from sci-fi vegan steak to silver screen cannibalism to actual meal replacement.

Roadside vendors in the Deep South soften fresh goobers with bubbling brine.

In the city of Celaya, goat's milk caramel tops everything from ice cream to cereal.

French Canadians find “nun’s farts” addictively delicious.

Quench your thirst with the refreshing taste of celery soda.

This slightly sweet dessert is a staple in some Black American Muslim communities.

The Peruvian pepper tastes like spicy citrus.

A melt-in-your-mouth mixture of raw beef, butter, and spices.

When life gives you lemons, this tropical fruit makes 'em taste like lemonade.

The traditional way to send a stream of wine straight to your mouth.

Anyone for a shot of “Black Death”?

The washed and dried root of the licorice plant was once a popular natural “candy.”

Produced since 1847, these classic New England candies almost disappeared in 2018.

These dangling decorations of lemon and chili peppers are meant to ward off a goddess of misfortune.

A brewery consulted drinking vessels found in the ancient king’s tomb to recreate a 2,700-year-old elixir.

Fiji's signature coconut condiment makes creamy, spicy ceviche.

This traditional Southern pairing captures sweet and salty in a single bottle.

This drink hasn't been produced since the late nineties, but still has a cult following.

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

A bitter liqueur that traces the history of a Hungarian-Jewish family.