pzaccaria's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Leaderboard Highlights
pzaccaria's activity rankings
1st
Places visited in Innsbruck, Austria
1st
Places visited in Varna, Bulgaria
1st
Places visited in L'Aquila, Italy
2nd
Places edited in Chisinau, Moldova
5th
Places edited in Moldova
Giant Paella
Gastro Obscura
Story
Food Festivals

Giant Paella

Outdoor festivals in Valencia call for traditional fare made in gargantuan pans.
Gastro Obscura
Lussekatter
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Lussekatter

These saffron buns are eaten on Lucia Day in Sweden.
Gastro Obscura
Plastic Chutney
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Plastic Chutney

Don’t be fooled by the name of this Bengali relish.
Gastro Obscura
Chestnut Beer
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Chestnut Beer

The ultimate in nutty brews.
Gastro Obscura
Alkermes
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Alkermes

Once an insect-dyed health tonic, this liqueur now adds a scarlet tint to Italian pastries.
Gastro Obscura
Kofola
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Kofola

The sweet-and-sour soda almost disappeared with the collapse of communist rule in then-Czechoslovakia.
Gastro Obscura
Tarkhuna
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Tarkhuna

Tarragon provides the herbal kick to this neon-green Georgian soda.
Gastro Obscura
Spaghettieis
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Spaghettieis

This German sundae masquerades as an Italian dinner.
Gastro Obscura
Sanguinaccio Dolce
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Sanguinaccio Dolce

Italians make a bloody delicious chocolate pudding.
Gastro Obscura
Licorice Root
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Licorice Root

The washed and dried root of the licorice plant was once a popular natural “candy.”
Gastro Obscura
Tête de Moine
Gastro Obscura
Story
Meats & Animal Products

Tête de Moine

"Monk's Head" cheese requires a special shaver.
Gastro Obscura
Pizza Fritta
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Pizza Fritta

Folding and deep-frying pies is a beloved Neapolitan tradition.
Gastro Obscura
Strawberry Tree Fruit
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Strawberry Tree Fruit

The lychee-looking fruit appears in everything from jam and liqueur to the Aeneid and Madrid's flag.
Gastro Obscura
Adjaruli Khachapuri
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Adjaruli Khachapuri

Economists use this cheesy bread as a metric for cost of living between Georgian cities.
Gastro Obscura
Kalakukko
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Kalakukko

Finally, an edible carrying case for fish.
Gastro Obscura
Mortadella
Gastro Obscura
Story
Meats & Animal Products

Mortadella

Baloney's predecessor is sweet, delicately spiced, and bigger than your head.
Gastro Obscura
’Nduja
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

’Nduja

The fiery Calabrian meat spread also goes by "red Nutella" and "poor man's Viagra."
Gastro Obscura
Irn-Bru
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Irn-Bru

A citrusy cream soda with a hint of rust outsells Coca-Cola in Scotland.
Gastro Obscura
Saint Agatha's Breasts
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Saint Agatha's Breasts

This ricotta and marzipan pastry honors the Sicilian saint's most noteworthy body part.
Gastro Obscura
Sarde in Saor
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Sarde in Saor

Venetians celebrate the end of a 16th-century plague with sweet and sour sardines.
Gastro Obscura
Caracoles
Gastro Obscura
Story
Meats & Animal Products

Caracoles

For a brief seasonal window in Spain, snails go from dreaded pests to coveted tapas.
Gastro Obscura
Cynar
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Cynar

Artichokes form the backbone of this vegetal liqueur.
Gastro Obscura
Kvass
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Kvass

You can find authentic versions of this sour Slavic brew at street stalls and monasteries.
Gastro Obscura
Salmiakki Koskenkorva
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Salmiakki Koskenkorva

This Finnish licorice liqueur is as black as ink and as salty as seawater.
Gastro Obscura