Omnivore's hundred

Very Good Taste* has a blog post with 100 items that every omnivore ought to have tasted at least once.

*You ought to browse over to VGT and sample the writing. There's an acerbic wit at work on VGT who is quite entertaining to read.


The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

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 here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison - N. American jerky and Swedish reindeer
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros - I live in Southern California, do you need to ask?
4. Steak tartare - I'm not counting Osso bucco, which I have had.
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp - don't know. I think yes.
9. Borscht - delicious
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses - I'm nearly sure I have, but then I've had so many stinky cheeses
17. Black truffle - I'm not counting truffle oil or the microscopic bits in some restaurant preparations
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - it's wine, of course I've had some.
19. Steamed pork buns - a staple of Dim Sum here in S. Ca.
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'm not going to strike this out because I've had grilled habanero peppers and enjoyed them, but so far this is the closest to a strikeout
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda - I think I'll put this on my try soon list. Some preparations sound healthy.
31. Wasabi peas - didn't like them
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi - not my favorite
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - I'm not sure how "fat" my cigar was
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat - I've had it stewed and BBQd, but never curried.
42. Whole insects - chapulines! deep fried silk worm pupae probably don't count.
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - don't I wish
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi - I'll have to look this one up
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini - I prefer my martinis traditional
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine - another I needed to look up.
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin - Huh? The clay? (later: I read the FAQ and now recall a news article about pregnant women eating this.)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
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 - I think I should try some
74. Gjetost, or brunost - Mark may have brought some back from Norway.
75. Roadkill - only if it was fresh. A deer wouldn't be too offensive.
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
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare - I'm assuming rabbit = hare which might be presumptuous since sheep != mutton
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse - I won't count that antelope
90. Criollo chocolate
91. 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

(PS. There is a FAQ for the list over here)