Thursday, August 21, 2008

Lynn referred to this, and dragonknitter actually did it, so here's my version.

The Omnivore's Hundred is a list of foods the gastronomic Andrew Wheeler thinks everyone should try at least once in their lives. (on his website he has wikipedia links for the unfamiliar things, if you don't know what they are).

The rules of the meme: bold those you have tried, strikethrough those you wouldn't eat on a bet.

And because I can't resist, I'll have to add comments here and there.


1. Venison Venison sausage is delicious; roast venison is OK. I might not be so likely to eat it now, though, what with the concerns about Chronic Wasting Disease. (Same with elk.)

2. Nettle tea

3. Huevos rancheros (I'd eat it on a bet, but it's not something I've ever felt moved to order in a restaurant. That's too much stuff too early in the morning for my digestion)

4. Steak tartare (only if I knew the cow it came from and the chef who prepared it.)

5. Crocodile

6. Black pudding (Sorry, the thought of congealed blood turns my stomach)

7. Cheese fondue. Mmmm, cheese!

8. Carp

9. Borscht(I plan to try this this fall, given the fact that I now like certain beet dishes)

10. Baba ghanoush

11. Calamari Mmmm, squid! I knew someone who used this as a "test food" - if he could take a woman out on a date, order calimari, and she didn't recoil in horror when she found out what it was, he considered that to be a promising sign.

12. Pho

13. PB&J sandwich Though I prefer plain peanut butter.

14. Aloo gobi (Probably not; cauliflower and I are not friends)

15. Hot dog from a street cart

16. Epoisses Yes, it's cheese, but it's supposedly pungent, so no.

17. Black truffle Fungus allergies.

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes Migraines from alcohol.

19. Steamed pork buns. Years ago, at a Chinese buffet.

20. Pistachio ice cream (Sounds good to me.)

21. Heirloom tomatoes Yes, please.

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Foie gras (I'd eat it maybe once, but it doesn't seem like something I'd like.)

24. Rice and beans

25. Brawn, or head cheese No, because I know how it's prepared.

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper Issues with hot foods.

27. Dulce de leche

28. Oysters. No: issues with raw-ness, and also, after dissecting a clam in college biology, I think of all the little livers and gonads and things inside the unfortunate critters.

29. Baklava. I regret that there is no Greek Orthodox church near me now; the one in Akron used to do weekly "gyros lunches" (good homemade gyros for cheap) and they had wonderful pastries at Christmastime.

30. Bagna cauda

31. Wasabi peas I've eaten them but wouldn't again.)

32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl

33. Salted lassi (I might. It does not contain anything known to be repulsive to me)

34. Sauerkraut My mom made our own when I was a child. I like red cabbage
better but sauerkraut is OK by me.

35. Root beer float

36. Cognac with a fat cigar No alcohol, and definitely no tobacco.

37. Clotted cream tea

38. Vodka jelly (sounds repulsive...is this like a jello shot?)

39. Gumbo

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects. No. I can't. Sorry. I know I'm being very mono-cultural here but I just can't do it.

43. Phaal "Hottest form of curry"? I don't think I could take it.

44. Goat’s milk Not something I'd want again. It makes good fudge though.

45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more. The alcohol thing, again.

46. Fugu. Something that could kill me if prepared wrong? I won't eat poke salad either.

47. Chicken tikka masala

48. Eel

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut Never hot n fresh, though.

50. Sea urchin (Mmmmmmaybe. I don't know)

51. Prickly pear. And they make lovely jelly.

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer (Fresh cheese? Sounds OK by me)

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I'd eat it on a bet but it's not something I'd ever really want).

56. Spaetzle Mmmm, yes. I've even MADE spaetzle.

57. Dirty gin martini

58. Beer above 8% ABV

59. Poutine (Actually, I'd kind of like to try it. Once.)

60. Carob chips They are really not as bad as some people make them out to be. The secret is not to try to pretend they are chocolate but to appreciate them as a flavor in their own right.

61. S’mores Mmmmm. Yes please.

62. Sweetbreads. There's a poem about these, I think by Ogden Nash. I have no desire to eat the thymus of a calf.

63. Kaolin (I've taken Kaopectate so I guess you could technically say "yes" to this for me, but it's not something I'd eat intentionally.)

64. Currywurst

65. Durian . It's supposed to smell terrible. I don't think I could get past the smell.

66. Frogs’ legs. Yes indeedy. When I interviewed for my current job, they took me out to dinner at this steakhouse. One of the men - now one of my colleagues - ordered these to pass around. I figured, "Well, I might as well show them I'm game" and tried one. They're really not something I would ever eat again.

67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake

68. Haggis. Sorry, even with my Scots heritage, I can't do that.

69. Fried plantain

70. Chitterlings, or andouillette. No. Knowing where it comes from makes it impossible for me to eat it.

71. Gazpacho

72. Caviar and blini

73. Louche absinthe

74. Gjetost, or brunost )Not yet, but I would love to try some. I've just never seen it for sale.)

75. Roadkill (probably not, though I do know people who have "salvaged" deer that got hit and most of it was still OK.)

76. Baijiu (Sounds like "white lightnin'" but with a prettier name.)

77. Hostess Fruit Pie. Yes, alas.

78. Snail. "Visceral mass." No thank you.

79. Lapsang souchong

80. Bellini (Oh, heck. That one sounds good enough that I'd probably be willing to risk the migraine.)

81. Tom yum (Nothing in that sounds like it would offend me, I've just never had the chance to try it.)

82. Eggs Benedict

83. Pocky

84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant

85. Kobe beef

86. Hare

87. Goulash

88. Flowers Candied violets.

89. Horse (I am striking this out because I would not eat it willingly. If it were "eat horse or starve," OK. But not willingly. I read too many "horse books" as a child to be comfortable with eating ol' Sugarfoot.)

90. Criollo chocolate

91. Spam

92. Soft shell crab

93. Rose harissa Probably too hot for me.

94. Catfish. Meh. Not a fan.

95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox

97. Lobster Thermidor

98. Polenta

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

100. Snake (Yeah, I'd try it. Probably tastes like chicken.)

Yes, I am extremely picky and there are many things I would never even consider trying. But I'm actually surprised by the number of things on that list I HAVE eaten.

1 comment:

dragon knitter said...

i have a theory. the reason why everything tastes like chicken is because poached chicken is the blandest thing you can eat, lol.