cnkollbocker's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Merquén
Gastro Obscura
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Ingredients & Condiments

Merquén

In Chile's central Araucanía region, the indigenous Mapuche community still makes this smoky spice blend.
Gastro Obscura
Boiled Cider
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Ingredients & Condiments

Boiled Cider

Popular in colonial New England, this “apple molasses” is now made by only a handful of commercial producers.
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Real Wasabi
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Ingredients & Condiments

Real Wasabi

Most sushi fans have never tried this rare rhizome.
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Sharkskin Wasabi Grater
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Sharkskin Wasabi Grater

Traditional sushi chefs produce optimal condiments with this ancient tool.
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Fresh Hop Beer
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Drinks

Fresh Hop Beer

These seasonal brews gets made with an ephemeral ingredient.
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Red-Eye Gravy
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Ingredients & Condiments

Red-Eye Gravy

Once described as a “divine elixir,” this Southern sauce typically gets its spunk from coffee.
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Wassailing
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Wassailing

This wintertime serenade for apple trees also involves firing rifles and drinking cider.
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Cochayuyo
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Fruits & Vegetables

Cochayuyo

This hearty kelp has been feeding Chileans for at least 14,000 years.
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Boston Baked Beans
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Sweets

Boston Baked Beans

In the 1920s, confectioners thought the public wanted candy that looked like legumes—and they were right.
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Ramune
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Drinks

Ramune

The Japanese soda still comes in a marble-stoppered bottle from the 19th century.
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Cured Tuna Heart
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Meats & Animal Products

Cured Tuna Heart

In Sardinia, pasta gets a savory sprinkling of the dried and grated organ.
Gastro Obscura