nolamike's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Twelve Grapes
Gastro Obscura
Story

Twelve Grapes

A New Year's Eve tradition of scarfing down 12 grapes for good luck.
Gastro Obscura
Green Chartreuse
Gastro Obscura
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Drinks

Green Chartreuse

Only two silent monks know all 130 plants that go into this herbal liqueur.
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The Original McDonald's French Fry
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Story
Prepared Foods

The Original McDonald's French Fry

The beef fat–fried version that first caught Ray Kroc's eye is now extinct.
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Necco Wafers
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Story
Sweets

Necco Wafers

Produced since 1847, these classic New England candies almost disappeared in 2018.
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Southern Butter Rolls
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Story
Sweets

Southern Butter Rolls

The sweet, spiraled pastries were once a staple on cold days in the American South.
Gastro Obscura
Montreal Steak Spice
Gastro Obscura
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Ingredients & Condiments

Montreal Steak Spice

Pastrami fans will find the taste of this Canadian spice blend very familiar.
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Fish House Punch
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Drinks

Fish House Punch

This Philadelphia cocktail was invented at a fishing club that once declared itself a sovereign state.
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Birch Beer
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Drinks

Birch Beer

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.
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Ham Salad
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Prepared Foods

Ham Salad

This retro sandwich filling was once a convenient, comforting funeral food.
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Burgoo
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Prepared Foods

Burgoo

It’s only fitting that a racehorse named after this Kentucky stew won the state’s signature Derby.
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Barbecued Mutton
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Prepared Foods

Barbecued Mutton

The slow-smoked sheep is a Western Kentucky specialty.
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Mellow Corn Whiskey
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Drinks

Mellow Corn Whiskey

Long relegated to moonshine jars, aged corn whiskey is finally getting respect outside Kentucky.
Gastro Obscura
Kentucky Beer Cheese
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Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Kentucky Beer Cheese

A match made in heaven (and also Kentucky).
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Chatham Artillery Punch
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Drinks

Chatham Artillery Punch

"As a vanquisher of men its equal has never been found."
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Carolina Gold
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Ingredients & Condiments

Carolina Gold

This varietal of rice is so good that it's compared to ice cream.
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White BBQ Sauce
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Story
Ingredients & Condiments

White BBQ Sauce

In Alabama, smoked meat gets dressed up in white.
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Hoppin' John
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Hoppin' John

This New Year's luck-bringer has a controversial contemporary taste.
Gastro Obscura
Red-Eye Gravy
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Red-Eye Gravy

Once described as a “divine elixir,” this Southern sauce typically gets its spunk from coffee.
Gastro Obscura
Chitlins
Gastro Obscura
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Prepared Foods

Chitlins

These entrails identified safe venues for Black musicians during the Jim Crow era.
Gastro Obscura
Boiled Green Peanuts
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Story
Prepared Foods

Boiled Green Peanuts

Roadside vendors in the Deep South soften fresh goobers with bubbling brine.
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Koolickles
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Prepared Foods

Koolickles

Dill pickles soaked in Kool-Aid? Oh, yeah!
Gastro Obscura
Jeppson's Malört
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Jeppson's Malört

One of the world's least-loved liquors calls Chicago home.
Gastro Obscura
Viet-Cajun Crawfish
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Viet-Cajun Crawfish

In Houston, Vietnamese chefs offer a unique take on the “mud bug.”
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Texas Kolaches
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Texas Kolaches

This tasty Czech pastry is now a Texan tradition.
Gastro Obscura