lmaciver's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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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Beaujolais Nouveau
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Drinks

Beaujolais Nouveau

When the clock strikes midnight on the third Thursday of November, fans gather to celebrate the release of this fresh, fruity wine.
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Hangikjöt
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Prepared Foods

Hangikjöt

With no trees left to burn, Icelanders turned to sheep dung for meat-smoking.
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Ovos Moles de Aveiro
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Sweets

Ovos Moles de Aveiro

These seashell-shaped, yolk-filled candies are a symbol of Portugal's canal-lined city.
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Scrumpy
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Drinks

Scrumpy

This rustic cider's name derives from an English term for fruit thievery.
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Mozartkugel
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Sweets

Mozartkugel

Like the famed composer himself, this Mozart-homage bonbon originated in Salzburg, Austria.
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Crowdie
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Meats & Animal Products

Crowdie

This ancient, spreadable cheese is disappearing from Scottish cuisine.
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The Christmas Pickle
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The Christmas Pickle

The holiday tradition of hiding an ornamental veggie.
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Russian Napoleon Cake
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Sweets

Russian Napoleon Cake

This traditional dessert commemorates the country's sweet taste of victory over the French emperor in 1812.
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Butter Molds
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Butter Molds

These intricate stamps are relics from a time when dairy farmers beautifully branded their products.
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Cranachan
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Sweets

Cranachan

A now-archaic Scottish breakfast paved the way for this popular dessert.
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Springerle
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Sweets

Springerle

These Bavarian cookies are also intricate works of art.
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Lussekatter
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Sweets

Lussekatter

These saffron buns are eaten on Lucia Day in Sweden.
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Eton Mess
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Sweets

Eton Mess

This summery parfait has mingled with British royals and literary elites.
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Cornish Pasty
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Prepared Foods

Cornish Pasty

In the 19th century, tin miners ate these handheld pies and left their crusts to appease mischievous, mine-dwelling spirits.
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Mopane Worms
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Meats & Animal Products

Mopane Worms

Depending on how they're prepared, these caterpillars can taste like everything from tea to a well-done steak.
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Tvøst og Spik
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Prepared Foods

Tvøst og Spik

A Faroese dish that includes pilot whale meat and blubber, this traditional food requires weeks of preparation.
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Skerpikjøt
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Meats & Animal Products

Skerpikjøt

Without salt or refrigeration, early residents of the Faroe Islands preserved their mutton with the cold wind.
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Hamam Mahshi
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Meats & Animal Products

Hamam Mahshi

Egyptian pigeons are raised in special towers, then stuffed and eaten.
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Kitfo
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Prepared Foods

Kitfo

A melt-in-your-mouth mixture of raw beef, butter, and spices.
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Enset
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Fruits & Vegetables

Enset

Some bread goes in the oven for an hour; some goes underground for two years.
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Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
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Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

The birthplace of coffee celebrates community with a sensory feast.
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T’ej
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Drinks

T’ej

Ethiopian honey wine is sweet, funky, and perfect with injera.
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