russellnelson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Oakland, California
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Switchel
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Switchel

Colonial Gatorade made from vinegar and molasses is back in style.
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The Zombie
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Drinks

The Zombie

Donn Beach only wrote the recipe for his famously potent cocktail in secret code.
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Hangtown Fry
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Prepared Foods

Hangtown Fry

This bacon-and-oyster omelet was a status symbol during the California Gold Rush.
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Grasshopper
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Drinks

Grasshopper

This bright green cocktail doubles as dessert.
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Bonito Flakes
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Meats & Animal Products

Bonito Flakes

Some fish can dance.
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Gooseneck Barnacles
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Meats & Animal Products

Gooseneck Barnacles

These expensive and dangerous-to-harvest barnacles were once confused for goose eggs.
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Shoofly Pie
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Sweets

Shoofly Pie

Mornings in Amish country once called for pie-cake and coffee.
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Pulque
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Pulque

Tequila's ancient, fermented cousin is making a comeback in Mexico City.
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Bird's Nest Soup
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Prepared Foods

Bird's Nest Soup

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

A ritual that showcases the beauty of the present moment.
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King Cake
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Sweets

King Cake

The Carnival cake comes with a hidden baby Jesus inside.
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Palm Springs Date Shakes
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Drinks

Palm Springs Date Shakes

The prosperous Southern California date industry produces delicious milkshakes.
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Swizzle Sticks
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Swizzle Sticks

These natural cocktail stirrers sprout from the Caribbean swizzlestick tree.
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Garlic Ice Cream
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Sweets

Garlic Ice Cream

In Gilroy, California, garlic flavors everything, including desserts.
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Angulas
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Prepared Foods

Angulas

What look like noodles are actually delicious baby eels.
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Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
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Ingredients & Condiments

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Most people have never tasted the real thing.
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Floating Island
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Sweets

Floating Island

The 17th-century dessert plants an isle of meringue in a sea of custard.
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Dutch Baby
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Prepared Foods

Dutch Baby

Fluffy, crispy, and large enough to share, it's no ordinary pancake.
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Mortadella
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Meats & Animal Products

Mortadella

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

To release steam, Victorian bakers placed whimsical ceramics in their pastries.
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Green Chartreuse
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Drinks

Green Chartreuse

Only two silent monks know all 130 plants that go into this herbal liqueur.
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Nattō
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Prepared Foods

Nattō

These pungent fermented soybeans are coated in probiotic slime.
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Kopstootje
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Kopstootje

The Dutch drinking ritual begins with a glass of genever and ends with a “little head-butt.”
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Lutefisk
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Lutefisk

The lye-soaked fish recipe created by Vikings is now a holiday favorite at Midwestern church dinners.
Gastro Obscura