Sam OBrien's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

Sam OBrien

Hi! I'm a senior editor at Gastro Obscura, covering food, history, and culture. My favorite subjects involve the intersection of food, death, and folklore. I love exploring the world, seeking out new pies and tacos, befriending dogs, and wandering through cemeteries.

2017
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5 Recipes to Make for Lunar New Year

Welcome the Year of the Dragon with fortune-telling soups, lucky goldfish dumplings, and more.

February 9, 2024

How to Eat or Drink Your Christmas Tree

Don't just throw out your tree; use it to spruce up your cocktails, stews, and more.

January 8, 2024

year in wonder 2023

Our Favorite Ghost Stories of 2023

From haunted grocery stores to ancient demons on TikTok, it was a great year for supernatural exploration.

January 4, 2024

The Family Recipes That Live On in Cemeteries

Around the world, recipe gravestones tell stories of love, grief, and remembrance.

October 31, 2023

The Truth Behind Poland's 'Anti-Vampire' Graves

Can recent excavations answer questions about death and demonology in the 1600s?

August 14, 2023

How to Trace Food History With Ancient Leftovers

The Penn Museum's new exhibit showcases the art of edible archaeology.

The Retro Lover's Guide to Road-Tripping

Inside one man's quest to visit the last vestiges of roadside Americana.

Why 18th-Century Scots Performed Mock Human Sacrifices Over Cake

This May Day, make Beltane bannock, a simple snack with a long history of superstition and divination.

The Surprisingly Sacred Roots of Chocolate

Among the Maya, cacao has served as a powerful symbol from womb to tomb.

February 14, 2023

playing with your food

Celebrating Scotland's Bard? Break Out the Haggis.

Every January 25, Scotland pays tribute to its most famous poet and an offal-y delicious dish.

January 23, 2023

year in wonder 2022

A Year in Food Art, From the Beautiful to the Bizarre

In 2022, we covered the world’s most creative cuisine.

December 30, 2022

year in wonder 2022

Our Favorite Recipes of 2022

From boozy fruit preserves to tomato soup cake, we're looking back at a year of culinary curiosity.

December 12, 2022

A Cookbook for Dining With the Dead

Learn to make amaranth skulls, “buried” tamales, and other regional Día de Muertos recipes.

October 28, 2022

The Curious Connection Between Food and Cults

From Fruitlands to NXIVM, food has served as the core of Utopia and a tool of control.

October 24, 2022

curious kitchenware

4 of History's Most Epic Punch Bowls

If your party doesn't feature enough alcohol to float a rowboat, you're doing it wrong.

October 3, 2022

How a Big Block of Butter Becomes a Masterpiece

Inside the centuries-old art of transforming butter into dragons, cows, and princesses.

September 12, 2022

The Death of Pennsylvania’s Forgotten Funeral Pie

The sweet-yet-somber treat was the star of extravagant 19th-century funeral feasts.

August 22, 2022

hot air balloon

A Hot-Air Balloon Restaurant and Other Stories of Food on-the-Go

Five highlights from Gastro Obscura's "Moveable Feasts" series.

How to Turn a Volcano Into an Oven

From hot-springs stew to lava-baked pizza, a tour of the world's most amazing volcanically-cooked meals.

The Forgotten Cookbooks That Fueled Women’s Suffrage

From “pie for a doubting husband” to “spaghetti a la suffragette,” these recipes came with a side of activism.

5 Forgotten Pies Worth Making for Pi Day

Pie hard with a vengeance.

historical recipes

Gastro Obscura’s Favorite Cookbook Stories of 2021

A look back at some special recipe collections and the communities that produced them.

December 30, 2021

charles dickens

Drink Like Dickens With the Author's Punch Recipe

With flair and fire, he turned mixology into a performance.

December 21, 2021

historical recipes

The Wild and Weird History of Eggnog

The cozy cocktail has fueled prison parties and West Point riots.

December 21, 2021