sylvia's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Lucca, Italy
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Places visited in Palestrina, Italy
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Places visited in Sirmione, Italy
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Places visited in Cuatrociénegas, Mexico
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Places visited in Portici, Italy
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Places visited in Cienfuegos, Cuba
Ginjinha
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Ginjinha

In Lisbon, tiny, standing-room-only bars specialize in this sour cherry liqueur.
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Cynar
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Drinks

Cynar

Artichokes form the backbone of this vegetal liqueur.
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Castagne del Prete
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Sweets

Castagne del Prete

To do Christmas right, Italians turn to heavenly chestnuts.
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Sanguinaccio Dolce
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Story
Sweets

Sanguinaccio Dolce

Italians make a bloody delicious chocolate pudding.
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Brioche con Gelato
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Story
Sweets

Brioche con Gelato

Some Sicilians start their day with this decadent combination.
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Carciofi alla Giudia
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Story
Prepared Foods

Carciofi alla Giudia

Created in Rome's Jewish ghetto, the fried artichokes herald spring.
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Canelazo
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Story
Drinks

Canelazo

A sweet, warm cocktail to chase away the chill of Andean nights.
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Big-Bottomed Ants
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Story
Meats & Animal Products

Big-Bottomed Ants

Catch these fiercely guarded queens for a crunchy, caviar-flavored snack.
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Alkermes
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Alkermes

Once an insect-dyed health tonic, this liqueur now adds a scarlet tint to Italian pastries.
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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
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Prepared Foods

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Historians debate whether this dish actually originated with Italian sex workers.
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Lampredotto
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Prepared Foods

Lampredotto

The secret to this sandwich is the cow’s fourth stomach.
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Licorice Root
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Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Licorice Root

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

Mortadella

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

’Nduja

The fiery Calabrian meat spread also goes by "red Nutella" and "poor man's Viagra."
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Frutta Martorana
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Sweets

Frutta Martorana

Sicilian nuns once hung these sugary "fruits" from tree branches.
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Struffoli
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Story
Sweets

Struffoli

These Neapolitan Christmas sweets double as decorations.
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Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
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Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Most people have never tasted the real thing.
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Cassata Siciliana
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Cassata Siciliana

The seductively delicious Easter cake once made an entire convent neglect its prayers.
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Sfogliatella
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Story
Sweets

Sfogliatella

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.
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Atol de Elote
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Story
Drinks

Atol de Elote

It's delicious, unless a pregnant woman or anyone in a bad mood stirs it.
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Guatemalan Fiambre
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Story
Prepared Foods

Guatemalan Fiambre

This 50-ingredient salad is for both the living and the dead.
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Chapulines
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Story
Meats & Animal Products

Chapulines

Deep-fried grasshoppers make a tangy, crispy taco filling.
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Pulque
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Story

Pulque

Tequila's ancient, fermented cousin is making a comeback in Mexico City.
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Cuy
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Cuy

The guinea pig is both food and pet in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
Gastro Obscura