The Omnivore’s Hundred
This is a little game the food bloggers are playing. What the heck.
As stolen from Chocolate and Zucchini:
“The Omnivore’s Hundred is an eclectic and entirely subjective list of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his life.
He offered this list as the starting point for a game, along the following rules:
1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4. Optional extra: post a comment on Very Good Taste, linking to your results.”
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare (believe it or not, I never have. I really oughtta.)
5. Crocodile (No, but yes to alligator)
6. Black pudding (gross, but just to say I’ve done it)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Phở
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (Ah, the horrid wines of the Amana colonies)
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
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (I like hot things, but that’s just silly)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (I’ve had them both independently but never together)
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (I’ll pass on the cigar, thanks)
37. Clotted cream tea (we had this every day on our honeymoon)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat (I had goat in Portugal but it wasn’t curried)
42. Whole insects (Insect Horror Film Festival represent!)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk (I’ve had plenty of goat cheese, but never a glass of goat’s milk)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/€80/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel (the tastiest of the sushis)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (again: believe it or not, I’ve never had it.)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (I don’t actually know. I’m going to embolden because I’ve had lots of homebrew by people who probably want to sneak in extra alky)
59. Poutine (I wanted to try it in Montreal but never got around to it.)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads (mmm…brains…)
63. Kaolin (this is not food, silly)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian (seen it, never tried it)
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain (mm…Puerto Rico…)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (I don’t know what that is. I mean I know what absinthe is, but I don’t know if Louche is a special kind or what.)
74. Gjetost, or brunost (just as gross as it looks)
75. Roadkill (Not food! Seriously.)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (I don’t know for sure how many stars the Achatz-era Trio had or Berasategui, but I had tasting menus at both and I think they count.)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (Krishna? I assume they mean rabbit.)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam (I’ve bought it but never consumed it)
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor (no, but I seriously need to get myself some)
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
It looks like I have 65 yes and 35 no. That’s not bad. I’m young yet. I could still have stuffed intestines one day.
Ok, I have no idea what half of that food even is, so I am even more impressed by your bolds. About #67 – those really should be all on their own. Sure fried dough and sugar, but totally not the same. Actually I am not sure what an elephant’s ear is, but churros are not like beignets and funnel cakes.
I thought that too, Collette. I hate funnel cakes (but I’ve had them, so I guess I should bold), but beignets are fantastic! Churros are a little heavy but good once every ten years or so.
I’m appalled to say that there are two things I’ve had that you haven’t — a Big Mac and Spam. You’re not missing anything on either count. But, oh, the memory I have of eating the Spam sandwich my Mom made in the parking lot after a seeming endless journey to Silver Dollar City. A picnic, they called it. This is parental code for “way cheaper than the food they sell inside the park.” I just remember asking, “but what is it”. and not really getting much of an answer. I have heard from several people, however, that the Spam Museum is a great diversion.
so out of curiosity, why didn’t you try the durian? i assume it was with some connection to my family that you saw it.
Uh, could I embolden #58 if I drink 4% ABV beer, but I drink twice as much of it?
I saw sweetbreads being used on an episode of Iron Chef America, and seeing them and knowing what they were was hell of gross. Though it was the curry episode, I might make an exception for anything if it’s curried.
Liz: actually, I saw it at a produce vendor in Chinatown in San Francisco, but I wouldn’t have known what it was if Elton hadn’t said, “Whoa, durian.” He then said it was gross, so I didn’t feel too compelled to buy any.
Mike: do you find that your mom is way more generous with her grandkids than with you? I’m just guessing, but I’d bet that there’s no way your girls would be subjected to Spam sandwiches if they went on a trip to Silver Dollar City with the grandparents.
Oh yes, the grandkids get almost everything they want. Staying overnight bring french toast, homemade pancakes, you name it. And all the cold cereals we could never have. I guess it’s ok; they’re still not getting Reece’s Puffs at home. The general treatment is night and day; the grandkids do things at their house that make them giggle with delight. When one of use pulled that crap about 30 years ago, we were soundly beaten.
Plus, they cooler places — like Chicago and get treated to the special lunch at the American Girl store.
You need to immediately go out to a Thai restaurant and order Tom Yom – particularly on a cold Iowa day. Greatest soup ever.
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