A Food Adventurer’s Guide
Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras
Fans of the website Atlas Obscura, a guide to the world’s many bizarre and hidden wonders, will love this huge collection of food novelties. While in theory, you can eat or drink everything in this collection, many are definitely unappealing. Sure, there’s a survey of world dumplings, plenty of pastry and unique fruits. But there is also a lot of, shall we say “acquired tastes”, such as spit-fermented liquor, maggot-ridden cheese, blood candy, cola pickles and urine-fermented fish. Many of these regional specialties are tied to festivals or religious holidays. Maybe you’ll want to head to Australia for the Melon Fest, South Carolina’s for the Cornmeal Mush Entrapment Competition (how much cornmeal can YOU stuff in your shorts?) or Indonesia for the Worm Courtship Festival. A collection for any self-proclaimed gourmand with tons of information and just as many fascinating (though often unappetizing) photos.