From Michelle, a little something to get the tummy rumbling. This is the Omnivore's Hundred list of foods the gastronomic Andrew Wheeler thinks everyone should try at least once in their lives.
The rules of the meme: bold those you have tried, strikethrough those you wouldn't eat on a bet.
I have a few things I wouldn't eat and a few that I'm not sure about because I don't really know what they are. I'm not the most adventurous eater (though I was suprised at how many things on this list I've tried).
1. Venison (otherwise known as "free-range beef" at our house. My father in law and Craig (to a lesser extent) hunt so we eat various kinds of game.)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (this may be the cheese Craig tried to poison me with on New Year's. Evil).
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese (My grandfather loved head cheese, and the smell of my grandmother cooking it makes my stomach turn. I may have tasted it as a child but am repressing that memory).
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (not a whole one, and never again--too hot. They’re good cooked though).
27. Dulce de leche (my mom always made it for almost-stale cake, though I suppose it would be the french version)
28. Oysters
29. Baklava (I prefer Loukoumades for Greek dessert)
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi (didn’t know until I looked it up; my next door neighbours are Indian and brought us this drink to celebrate Eid.)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin (just a bite, didn’t like it)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs (but I’ve seen kids on a survival camp catch their own frogs and eat the legs; they were hungry!)
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (Bambi; it was freshly hit by my FIL’s truck).
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (or something similar).
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam (well Klik, the Canadian spam)
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Definitely one of the more interesting memes I've seen in a while.
Posted by: Melissa A. | August 19, 2008 at 10:14 AM
i did this one too! now i need lunch, lol
Posted by: minnie | August 19, 2008 at 12:30 PM
I'm not sure what some of those things are, but I agree with you about the black pudding. I also wouldn't eat haggis, or anything from the insect family. Ever. I'm surprised at how many of these things I have eaten, including snake, many of the seafoods, and most of the Asian dishes. I consider myself a picky eater, easily disgusted, and I specifically don't like seafood and Asian food. Huh.
Posted by: Suzanne V. (Yarnhog) | August 19, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Well - quite surprised but I have had a lot on that list !!
Posted by: SamLaTricoteuse | August 19, 2008 at 12:49 PM
well I guess I need to try Crocodile, cause thats the only one I haven't tried. Not saying I liked all those foods but is important to try them all.
Posted by: denny Mcmillan | August 19, 2008 at 01:31 PM
Is the Hostess fruit pie there for context?
I'm wondering why anyone would want to eat kaolin. Here's an MSDS (-->PDF):
http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Kaolin-9927200
Posted by: j. | August 19, 2008 at 02:25 PM
Um, you are aware that legally food manufacturers are allowed to have a VERY low percentage of insects in food? Chances are that at some point in one's life insect consumption has occurred regardless of one's awareness. (and there is always the eating bugs while you sleep thing)
Posted by: Kathryn | August 19, 2008 at 09:46 PM
We need to get you a heirloom tomato. Mmmm.
Posted by: claudia | August 19, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Fun! Here's mine: http://www.katwithak.com/archives/001141.html
Posted by: Kat with a K | August 20, 2008 at 10:29 AM
I'm sure there are huge numbers of things on that list that I would never eat given I've been a vegetarian since '92. Before then I ate Venison (both roadkill and non-roadkill) and rabbit, but it's hard to keep eating stuff like that when your father tells you that you're eating Rudolph and Thumper.
Posted by: Seanna Lea | August 20, 2008 at 12:38 PM
I can't believe you've never had an heirloom tomato; mind you I've never had a hostess fruit pie or spam. And thank you for making me feel like less of a freak for admitting I'd eat certain types of roadkill ;)
Posted by: not an artist | August 22, 2008 at 09:39 PM
I feel so unworldly! What the bleep are these?
3. Huevos rancheros
14. Aloo gobi
27. Dulce de leche
30. Bagna cauda
33. Salted lassi
43. Phaal
46. Fugu
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst (as in a curry sausage?)
65. Durian
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
74. Gjetost, or brunost
76. Baijiu
79. Lapsang souchong
83. Pocky (or something similar).
93. Rose harissa
95. Mole poblano (as in the animal?)
Posted by: Laura | August 26, 2008 at 04:28 AM