Gastro Obscura brings you weird foods and more

You might have heard about Atlas Obscura, the self-described “definitive guide to the world’s wondrous and curious places.” Their articles about unique and undiscovered places have been  responsible for more clicks than I care to admit from my social media feeds. Now there’s even more to love about the quirky site, as they have launched a companion website called Gastro Obscura, which is all about food.

The new site features three catagories of delights: Food & Drink, Places, and Stories. Under the first category you can browse over 250 “wondrous” foods, ranging from exotic tropical fruits to cocktails made with a red-hot poker to kransekake, the Norwegian holiday tower of cakes.

Places introduces you to the world’s largest pecan (in Texas, naturally) and the world’s oldest grape-producing vine, which is located in Slovenia. The vine has survived four centuries of turmoil and even has its own anthem. Or you can learn about the National Cookie Cutter Museum in Joplin, Missouri and the world’s largest cashew tree in Brazil, which covers over two acres. 

There are currently over 380 articles under Stories, about anything food-related that you could imagine. Discover a grocery list sketched by Michelangelo, learn about Heinz’s decades-long attempt to convince Australians to buy ketchup, or find out how pumpkin pie sparked a culture war.

If you are currently snowed in on the East Coast of the U.S., Gastro Obscura provides a good way to pass the time. Even if you aren’t facing the “bomb cyclone” weather event, you might find yourself spending hours on the site perusing the fascinating articles. Thanks to EYB Member sir_ken_g for alerting us to this new resource.

Photo of Kransekake from Sweet Paul Magazine