Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide - Hardcover

by Cecily Wong (Author), Dylan Thuras (Author), Atlas Obscura (Author)

A New York Times bestseller, turn to the hidden curiosities of food, which becomes a gateway to fascinating stories about human history, science, art, and tradition--all organized by country, lavishly illustrated, and full of surprises.

Created by the ever-curious minds behind Atlas Obscura, this breathtaking guide transforms our sense of what people around the world eat and drink. Covering all seven continents, Gastro Obscura serves up a loaded plate of incredible ingredients, food adventures, and edible wonders. Ready for a beer made from fog in Chile? Sardinia's "Threads of God" pasta? Egypt's 2000-year-old egg ovens?

But far more than a menu of curious minds delicacies and unexpected dishes, Gastro Obscura reveals food's central place in our lives as well as our bellies, touching on history-trace the network of ancient Roman fish sauce factories.

• History--trace the network of ancient Roman fish sauce factories.
• Culture--picture four million women gathering to make rice pudding.
• Travel--scale China's sacred Mount Hua to reach a tea house.
• Festivals--feed wild macaques pyramid of fruit at Thailand's Monkey Buffet Festival.
• And hidden gems that might be right around the corner, like the vending machine in Texas dispensing full sized pecan pies.

"Like a great tapas meal, Gastro Obscura is deep yet snackable, and full of surprises. This is the book for anyone interested in eating, adventure and the human condition." --Tom Colicchio, chef and activist

"This exquisite guide kept me at the breakfast table until dinner time." --Kyle Maclachlan, actor and vintner

Author Biography

Cecily Wong is a writer at Atlas Obscura, and the author of the novel Diamond Head, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, recipient of an Elle Readers' Prize, and voted a best debut of the Brooklyn Book Festival. She lives in New York. Dylan Thuras is the cofounder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, as well as a co-author of Atlas Obscura and The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid. He lives in Rosendale, NY.