russellnelson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Oakland, California
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Places visited in Berkeley, California
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Places visited in Reykjavik, Iceland
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Places visited in Hobart, Australia
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Places visited in Palo Alto, California
Nanaimo Bar
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Sweets

Nanaimo Bar

From postwar dessert to sweet slice of Canadian identity.
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Pylsur
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Prepared Foods

Pylsur

Icelanders make a very, very good dog.
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Hverabrauð
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Prepared Foods

Hverabrauð

Iceland's thick, chewy "hot spring bread" is just like regular rye bread, with one big difference.
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Hákarl
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Prepared Foods

Hákarl

Iceland's fermented, dried shark smells like urine and can taste like strong cheese.
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Ketchup Chips
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Prepared Foods

Ketchup Chips

This Canadian favorite is relatively unknown elsewhere.
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Purén White Strawberry
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Fruits & Vegetables

Purén White Strawberry

This rare berry grows only in two Chilean towns.
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White Kiawe Honey
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Ingredients & Condiments

White Kiawe Honey

This pristine honey with a cool menthol aftertaste is produced by honeybees that feast on a Hawaiian mesquite forest.
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Maggi Seasoning
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Ingredients & Condiments

Maggi Seasoning

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

Burgoo

It’s only fitting that a racehorse named after this Kentucky stew won the state’s signature Derby.
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Ham Salad
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Prepared Foods

Ham Salad

This retro sandwich filling was once a convenient, comforting funeral food.
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Sourdough Starter
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Ingredients & Condiments

Sourdough Starter

A century-old organism creates some of the world's best bread.
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Pickleback
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Drinks

Pickleback

A bar sharing a basement with a pickle place led to an unusual drink.
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Shit on a Shingle
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Prepared Foods

Shit on a Shingle

This is what happens when soldiers pick a new name for meat on bread.
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Ramos Gin Fizz
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Drinks

Ramos Gin Fizz

Turning this cocktail into a fluffy cloud is easy—just hire someone to shake it for 12 minutes straight. 
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The Original McDonald's French Fry
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Prepared Foods

The Original McDonald's French Fry

The beef fat–fried version that first caught Ray Kroc's eye is now extinct.
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Senate Bean Soup
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Prepared Foods

Senate Bean Soup

A bland but storied soup is always on the menu in the U.S. Senate.
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Adjaruli Khachapuri
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Prepared Foods

Adjaruli Khachapuri

Economists use this cheesy bread as a metric for cost of living between Georgian cities.
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Yule Log Cake
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Sweets

Yule Log Cake

These holiday cakes link Christmas to the Norse god of lightning.
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Pawpaw
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Fruits & Vegetables

Pawpaw

The oldest fruit native to North America is probably the least known.
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It's It
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Sweets

It's It

This classic San Franciscan ice cream sandwich is it, isn't it?
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Clambake
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Clambake

An ancient cooking method still produces delicious, beachside feasts.
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Clarified Milk Punch
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Drinks

Clarified Milk Punch

Just so we’re clear, there is actually milk in this old English punch.
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Halo-Halo
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Sweets

Halo-Halo

A sundae with a surprising mix of flavors that reflect Filipino history.
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Buddha's Hand
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Fruits & Vegetables

Buddha's Hand

Smells like lavender, tastes like lemon rind, looks like a gnarled claw fresh from your nightmares. 
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