Fantastic Feasts and Where to Eat Them

Moderation is key to a good life, but decadent excess is key to a great feast. And what is life without elaborate multi-course meals? Feasts aren’t just about indulgence, though. They’re also a window into how people around the world celebrate milestones. From birth to death to the return of mythical kings, these 10 feasts show how different cultures foster community over food.

In Japan, Buddhist temple chefs cook up delicate meat-free dishes that nurture the soul, while in Thailand, hosts at the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple serve a fruity feast that nurtures nearby monkeys. Nerds in Scotland can rejoice over a haggis bash celebrating the noted poet Robert Burns, while science buffs can tuck into an exact replica of Marie Curie’s Nobel dinner in Stockholm.

So go ahead: Throw caution to the wind and dig into a 36-course wazwan. Do, however, use caution when chugging Georgian wine out of a ram’s horn. Epic indulgence is all about pacing yourself.