Did you know there were ice cream forks in nineteenth-century England? What about cocaine-laced Bordeaux, created in 1859 by Paris based, Italian scientist Paolo Mantegazza? In Asia’s Taiwan, a “meaty, herbal, and complexly delicious” block of sticky rice is combined with pig’s blood, peanut flour, and cilantro to create a cake known as “zhu xie gao.” While we’re on the topic of blood, the Sami people in Scandinavia use the substance from cows, pigs, or reindeer to make pancakes. They are so popular in fact, that the frozen breakfast food are sold at grocery stores.
A quick google search might yield much of this information, but Atlas Obscura authors Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras have compiled it all into a beautiful, eye-popping new book called Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide. Their work not only provides insights into food customs from around the globe, but also offers historical context and fun photos and artwork.
With holidays soon approaching, this is an ideal gift for the foodie in your life. With such delicious information, it might be a great addition to your own bookshelf.
Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide will be released Monday, October 12th. Order it here