A pizzeria that uses an active volcano as an oven in Guatemala. A soup that’s been simmering for half a century in Thailand. A café in a cemetery in Germany. Since Gastro Obscura launched, our community has shared some truly wild, wondrous places from all corners of the globe—1,000 of them, in fact. 

It wasn’t easy picking our favorites, but we hope the ones on this list inspire you to travel far and wide. You’ll find a most unusual assortment of vending machines, serving everything from freshly baked pecan pies to barbecue to heirloom apples. There are frozen treats ranging from kelewele (Ghanaian-style caramelized plantains) ice cream to “snoballs” made with a blizzard of shaved ice. Plus, check out the custardy bean pies, pickle-topped pizzas, frozen bananas, and more.

While a few of these places are ones that are near and dear to our editors’ hearts from their own travels, the vast majority were sent in by you, our readers. We can’t wait to see what culinary delights the future holds.