jlausbon's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Calçot
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Calçot

The Catalan green onion has its own festival.
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Fried Sea Anemone
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Prepared Foods

Fried Sea Anemone

On the Andalusian coast, once-deadly tentacles become crispy delicacies.
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Licorice Root
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Fruits & Vegetables

Licorice Root

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

Staffordshire Oatcakes

The portable breakfast food might've originated with British soldiers returning from India.
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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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Salep
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Drinks

Salep

A flour made from orchid roots makes for a popular Turkish drink.
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Medlars
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Fruits & Vegetables

Medlars

The anus-shaped fruit tastes like cinnamon applesauce.
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Wattleseed
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Ingredients & Condiments

Wattleseed

This chocolate-flavored superfood falls from the Australian Acacia bush.
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Pikopiko
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Fruits & Vegetables

Pikopiko

These tightly coiled ferns also serve as a Māori symbol for unity.
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Jamaican Irish Moss Drink
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Drinks

Jamaican Irish Moss Drink

Drinking algae has never been sexier.
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Ackee
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Fruits & Vegetables

Ackee

Jamaica's national fruit is poisonous and resembles scrambled eggs.
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Teaberry Ice Cream
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Sweets

Teaberry Ice Cream

This Pennsylvania specialty sometimes looks like Pepto-Bismol and smells like Bengay.
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Kava
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Sweets

Kava

The South Pacific's shrub-based drink causes relaxation, euphoria, and a tingling sensation.
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Jeppson's Malört
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Drinks

Jeppson's Malört

One of the world's least-loved liquors calls Chicago home.
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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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Monstera Deliciosa
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Fruits & Vegetables

Monstera Deliciosa

This fruit either burns your throat or tastes like a tropical medley.
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Ice Cream Potato
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Sweets

Ice Cream Potato

In Idaho, even sundaes pay tribute to the state's beloved tuber.
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Geoduck
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Meats & Animal Products

Geoduck

This phallic, giant clam is the culinary crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest.
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Root Beer Plant
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Ingredients & Condiments

Root Beer Plant

These sacred leaves taste like peppery soda.
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Chocolate Daisy
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Ingredients & Condiments

Chocolate Daisy

This wildflower releases a cocoa fragrance each morning.
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Muktuk
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Meats & Animal Products

Muktuk

In Inuit cultures, using the whole whale is an act of respect, including consuming its blubber and skin.
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Acadian Summer Savory
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Fruits & Vegetables

Acadian Summer Savory

This Canadian variety of a classic Mediterranean herb gives Acadian cuisine its signature fragrance.
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Pheasant Salad Sandwich
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Prepared Foods

Pheasant Salad Sandwich

South Dakota's unique contribution to World War II soldiers.
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Pacific Razor Clams
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Meats & Animal Products

Pacific Razor Clams

It takes patience and skill to harvest these delicious bivalves.
Gastro Obscura