Andrew Coletti's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Gastro Obscura
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ingredients

A Guide to the Peppers of the World

Which came first: the pepper, or the pepper?
March 10, 2025
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ao wants to know

What Makes Heritage Livestock So Important? AO Wants to Know.

Jeannette Beranger is on a mission to save America’s rarest farm animals from extinction.
March 6, 2025
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new species

A Devilish New Species Discovered in Big Bend National Park

This tiny, fuzzy sunflower relative has been hiding in plain sight—it represents the first new genus identified in a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years.
March 4, 2025
Gastro Obscura
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ao wants to know

What Did the Ancient Egyptians Eat? AO Wants to Know.

Egyptian archaeologist Mennat-Allah El Dorry digs deep into the diets of the past.
February 20, 2025
Gastro Obscura
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ingredients

A Guide to the Cardamoms of the World

The Cardamom Expanded Universe is bigger than you think.
February 17, 2025
Gastro Obscura
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farms

Australia’s Dazzling Native Ingredients

Warrigal, murnong, and quandong, oh my!
February 10, 2025
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ao wants to know

How Can You Spot an Inaccurate Dinosaur? AO Wants to Know.

Steven Bellettini fact-checks our assumptions about prehistoric life.
February 6, 2025
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scandal

Atlas Obscura’s Juiciest Pope Drama

Lost body parts, dirty paintings, and an ill-fated elephant.
January 30, 2025
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invasive species

What Makes an Animal a Pest? AO Wants to Know.

Animal-human conflict expert Bethany Brookshire explains why we put cats before rats.
January 24, 2025
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trolls

The Real-Life Origins of Taboo Fairy Romance

Long before <em>A Court of Thorns and Roses,</em> 17th-century Swedish courts investigated supernatural love.
December 17, 2024
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genetics

The Story of the Aurochs Is More Complicated Than We Thought

New research helps us understand how cattle spread across the world.
December 12, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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booze

The Booze-Soaked Lives of Wild Animals

Not only is alcohol consumed widely in nature, it may have played a role in human evolution.
December 3, 2024
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1920s

Before Moo Deng, There Was ‘William Johnson Hippopotamus’

During the Roaring ’20s, the American National Zoo welcomed the first pygmy hippo superstar.
November 25, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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elections

7 Candidates for Your Election Day Menu

Election season means fundraiser foods, satirical sweets, and campaign trail cuisine.
November 1, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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holiday

'Diwalloween' Means Lights, Sweets, and Spooky Treats

How do you celebrate two feasts in one?
October 28, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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dracula

Banishing Evil With Edible Plants

All-natural monster repellent for spooky season might lurk in your kitchen.
October 14, 2024
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dracula

Was ‘Dracula’ the Biggest Flying Creature Ever?

In prehistoric Transylvania, a giant darkened the skies.
October 3, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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pretzel

How Chain Restaurants Use Smells to Entice Us

When it comes to marketing food, scent can be as important as flavor.
September 26, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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organs

Does Our Stomach Define Who We Are?

In her new book, Elsa Richardson explores how the gut has been viewed across history.
September 20, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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temperance

The Victorian 'Drink Maps' Wielded by Anti-Booze Crusaders

Author Kris Butler reveals how Temperance advocates mapped bars to discourage their spread.
September 11, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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blood food

Why Voltaire Drank Bull’s Blood

Bull’s blood isn’t poisonous; so why did people think it was for centuries?
September 5, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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chemistry

The Strange Allure of Blue Food

When nature’s rarest color shows up in food, it elicits a range of reactions.
August 26, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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imaginary world

What's on the Menu in Your Fantasy World?

Meet three worldbuilders who bring their magical settings to life through food.
August 13, 2024
Gastro Obscura
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bacteria

Can Thunderstorms Spoil Milk?

The answer eluded scientists for centuries.
July 30, 2024