And it is now serving up the best of it in a lavishly illustrated food-lover’s gift of nearly 500 dishes, ingredients, traditions, and experiences. Packed with all sorts of information, it takes us on a journey around the world, highlighting some of the most fascinating culinary adventures possible. The Amashi language and songs bind together with the rhythms of paddling the boats, settings the nets and pulling them in.

What impressed me was how much ingenuity that had when they made ice cream in the desert and the use of geothermal energy to make bread. A] casual and fun and yet intelligent treatment of what essentially is a food encyclopedia on the world and its cuisines. This book was a magnificently fascinating foray into the world of obscure eats, many of which take a lot of adjusting to in terms of wrapping your head around the mechanics of them!

As someone who plans what and where she’s going to eat, as a priority when planning any trip, this seemed like just my cup of tea.

Anyone from foodies to history buffs will enjoy it whether reading it from cover to cover or just flipping through at leisure. Eating may be the most immersive, visceral travel experience,” wrote Wong and Thuras in the book’s introduction. There’s an element of focus that the food theme provides that gives Gastro Obscura a little more purpose than the original book (which has admittedly sat on our bookshelf, mostly unread, since being gifted to my partner a couple of years ago). It requires an engagement of every sense, from the sound of dishes clattering in an alleyway kitchen, to the smell of garlic hitting hot oil, to the joy of seeing a plate of food before you as you sit, utensil in hand, about to taste. It's generously illustrated with color photos and drawings, and each food includes a "how to try it" blurb for those who want to sample that particular oddity.As much as this book brings the world history of food to your table, there are so many things to explore about the land, people and the ingredients that make food so important in our lives. It is a great gift for the adventurous foodie, with a penchant for the weird and wonderful, and an interest in bizarre historical tidbits.

I came away better informed of different cultures and traditions and felt more of a participant of the world. Each entry has "How To Try It" guidance for finding the dish (in its place of origin or online) or making it at home. This compendium is a must-have for those who like their pickles brined in Kool-Aid or crave the chewy texture of Inuit blubber cubes.Cleverly written by Atlas Obscura cofounder Dylan Thuras and coauthor Cecily Wong, the hefty 440-page hardcover — meaty with details, peppered with revelations, salted with humor and sweetened with good cheer — is served with colorful photos, illustrations and layouts. For the traveler or foodie, this coffee table book can transport them around the world with wonderful stories and photos that will leave their stomachs grumbling—all without ever leaving the couch. And hidden gems that might be right around the corner, like the vending machine in Texas dispensing full sized pecan pies.