This thick, jet-black soup is an amazingly fragrant and nutty Chinese dessert.

A Finnish treat that's sweet, dark, and herbal.

In the Congo, the cassava plant is also treasured for its leaves.

A very non-vegan dish inspired this vegan chocolate.

In Lisbon, tiny, standing-room-only bars specialize in this sour cherry liqueur.

After the giant food fight is over, fire trucks are needed to hose down the sauce-filled streets.

The town of Lambayeque, Peru, specializes in a seven-layered sweet named for Hollywood's towering ape.

Kool-Aid and pickles make this Southwestern snow cone an unforgettable flavor bomb.

This flat, silver spoon holds an exalted place in the mystery and ritual of absinthe drinking.

Raw, steamed, or fried, these satchels of fish semen are creamy delicacies.

This savory-sweet pairing is a classic school lunch.

A unique take on Szechuan dumplings is now a Montreal specialty.

Korean hodu kwaja is normally stuffed with red bean paste, but one bakery in Toronto slips in a delicious surprise.

Every July, a seaside town pays homage to its local mollusks with eating contests, a marine-themed parade, and plenty of fresh seafood.

You can find authentic versions of this sour Slavic brew at street stalls and monasteries.

A spirit that toasts a time when proofing your liquor meant setting it aflame.

This Southern church group favorite isn't Slavic at all.

This tofu alternative replaces soybeans with sesame and kudzu.

Monks make this stunning, ephemeral art from yak butter and mineral pigments.

These sweet hands come with stories of triumph and brutality.

The sweet, spiraled pastries were once a staple on cold days in the American South.

These saffron buns are eaten on Lucia Day in Sweden.

A few Baltimore bakeries still serve this cheesecake named after 19th-century cottage cheese.

The sweet-and-sour soda almost disappeared with the collapse of communist rule in then-Czechoslovakia.