VGT Omnivores hundred

[jenn]

I found this when reading one of my favorite food blogs--Chocolate&Zucchini. Here are his instructions:
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.

If you go to the original site---www.verygoodtaste.co.uk in a recent post, he answers all sorts of questions on how he came up with the list, why it is largely eurocentric etc.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison---done it
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros---done it
4. Steak tartare---done it
5. Crocodile---are not crocodiles endangered? I've done alligator. tastes like a chicken flavored scallop
6. Black pudding--done it. breakfast once in europe.
7. Cheese fondue---done it
8. Carp---done it
9. Borscht---done it
10. Baba ghanoush---done it
11. Calamari---done it
12. Pho---done it
13. PB&J sandwich---done it
14. Aloo gobi---done it
15. Hot dog from a street cart-----done it-done it
16. Epoisses---done it
17. Black truffle---done it
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes---done it
19. Steamed pork buns---done it
20. Pistachio ice cream---done it
21. Heirloom tomatoes---done it
22. Fresh wild berries---done it
23. Foie gras---done it
24. Rice and beans---done it
25. Brawn, or head cheese---not sure about this, might have as there is a Swedish dish similar
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche---done it
28. Oysters---done it
29. Baklava---done it
30. Bagna cauda---done it
31. Wasabi peas---done it
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl---done it
33. Salted lassi---done it
34. Sauerkraut---done it
35. Root beer float---done it
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea---done it
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O---done it
39. Gumbo---done it
40. Oxtail--if terrine and soup count, then I've done it
41. Curried goat---done it
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal---not sure what this is?
44. Goat’s milk---done it
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu--never had the chance but like #45, probably a bit dear for me.
47. Chicken tikka masala---done it
48. Eel---done it
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut---done it
50. Sea urchin---done it
51. Prickly pear---done it
52. Umeboshi---done it
53. Abalone--hmmm, not into endangered things
54. Paneer---done it
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal---i have tasted a big mac back in my college days. but not a full meal. half credit?
56. Spaetzle---done it
57. Dirty gin martini---done it
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips---done it
61. S’mores---done it
62. Sweetbreads---done it
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst---done it. forgot about that trip to germany.......
65. Durian---done it
66. Frogs’ legs---done it
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake---done it
68. Haggis---done it
69. Fried plantain---done it
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette---if the breakfast soup we accidentaly ordered in Beijing counts, that is to say, if it doesn't have to be chitterlings a particular way, then I've done it.
71. Gazpacho---done it
72. Caviar and blini---done it
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost--done it
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu---done it
77. Hostess Fruit Pie---done it
78. Snail---done it
79. Lapsang souchong---done it
80. Bellini---done it
81. Tom yum---done it
82. Eggs Benedict---done it
83. Pocky---done it
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef---done it
86. Hare---done it
87. Goulash
88. Flowers---done it
89. Horse---done it
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam---done it
92. Soft shell crab---done it
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish---done it
95. Mole poblano---done it
96. Bagel and lox---done it
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta---done it
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee---done it
100. Snake---done it

Any rate, now I've gone through the list and marked everything I had eatten and find myself sort of disappointed at how "ordinary" I thought some of his choices were. I'm thinking of making my own must eat sort of list. What do you think?

[goodhealthgourmet]

re: 43 - phaal [or phall] is an extremely hot indian curry. it's typically the hottest variety you can order at an indian restaurant.

[Robert Lauriston]

Yeah, that seems awfully ordinary to me after eating spleen, lung, dried lamb's testicles, ant eggs, pork blood gelato, and cold natto.

2. Nettle tea - eaten lots of nettles in pasta and soup but never heard of tea
43. Phaal - never heard of it before, sounds great
46. Fugu - haven't yet been anywhere it's served, Bourdain made it sound boring
59. Poutine - would eat it if I could ever find any
63. Kaolin - isn't this a mineral some pregnant women get cravings for? a "pica"?
75. Roadkill
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - not very appealing
85. Kobe beef - twice been at sushi bars where they ran out earlier in the evening
93. Rose harissa - first I've heard of it

The only item I wouldn't consider eating is clam chowder in a bread bowl.

I wouldn't eat a Big Mac again. Unless the alternative was cold natto.

[Sam Fujisaka]

What I haven’t had:

2. Nettle tea, 5. Crocodile, 30. Bagna cauda, 31. Wasabi peas, 32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (seafood allergy), 38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O, 43. Phaal, 46. Fugu, 49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut, 63. Kaolin, 73. Louche absinthe, 74. Gjetost, or brunost, 75. Roadkill, 76. Baijiu, 83. Pocky, 84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant, 92. Soft shell crab (seafood allergy), 97. Lobster Thermidor (seafood allergy).

What I've had, but is not included on the list: sparrow, rat, dog, lung, capybara, squirrel, sun dried pig fat, pulque, yak butter tea, piranha, civet cat coffee, ants, vegemite, marmite, dinaguan, chicken feet, balut, emadashi, manisoba, sukuma wiki, ...

[Ruth Lafler]

What I haven't had:

2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros---don’t like eggs
5. Crocodile
8. Carp — not sure
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper — I’m not that macho
28. Oysters---does taking a nibble and going “blech” count?
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
35. Root beer float — I don’t like carbonated drinks
41. Curried goat — not sure
44. Goat’s milk — not in liquid form
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
50. Sea urchin
57. Dirty gin martini — I’m allergic to gin
58. Beer above 8% ABV — don’t like beer
59. Poutine — dying to try it!
63. Kaolin — maybe
68. Haggis
72. Caviar and blini — caviar and blini separately, but not together
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu---what?
78. Snail — I feel about snails the way arachnophobes feel about spiders, I won’t touch them, even to eat
82. Eggs Benedict — see Huevos Rancheros
85. Kobe beef — I assume American Wagyu doesn’t count
89. Horse
93. Rose harissa
97. Lobster Thermidor
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee — don’t drink coffee
100. Snake

Of those, which would I never consider eating? I guess that would be mostly the ones I've tried variations of and not liked: beer, coffee, eggs, root beer. I don't like a lot of seafood, so expensive seafood (sea urchin, lobster, fugu) is just a waste of time and money. I struggle with innards, so haggis would be pretty far down my list of things I would eat. And then there are those snails!

[shantihhh]

I have eaten all but 4 or 5 (those proceeded with *) plus a lot of others listed at the end.

1. Venison (and boar, elk, antelope, bear, etc)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak Tartare
5. Crocodile (and aligator)
6. Black pudding-yes and also Boudin Noir
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari - also octipus and cuttle fish-very good!
12. Pho - In Vietnam and also I make it
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower w/curry) & many Indian dishes in India and I cook many
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses-in France
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes-I grow dozens every year
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper-also roasted Habanaros
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut-home cured/fermented is best
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail--makes awesome soup
41. Curried goat-I often make it
42. Whole insects-grasshoppers, grubs, etc. in Thailand more than once-hey I'll eat anything with chiles
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk - yes and also sheep's milk
45. Malt whiskey from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
*46. Fugu-NO_NO_NO
47. Chicken tikka masala and hundreds of Indian dishes all over India, and I cook many at home
48. Eel - (yes, in sushi and Chinese Claypot in China)
*49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin-but I am not fond of it
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi-use them in chawan mushi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer-even make my own
*55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal-no thanks
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV-at Oktoberfest in Munich!
*59. Poutine - nasty cheese stuff they put on fries in Canada-looks awful
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62.Sweetbreads-love them, hate to prepare them
*63. Kaolin-moto don't eat dirt
64. Currywurst
65. Durian - I love it fresh in Thailand, also the ice cream
66. Frog legs-love the chopped whole frog stir-fry with chiles and basil in Chiang Mai, Thailand
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis-had some awesome haggis in a pub in Scotland
69. Fried Plantain - in Puerto Rico, at Cuban restaurants and at home
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette (very good little French sausages I make)
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
*73. Louche absinthe-too espensive and rare
74. Gjetost, or brunos
75. Roadkill-maybe not sure as "mystery meat" in China well one never knows
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie-yes when I was young
78. Escargot or Snails - yes many times also sea snails
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum - tom yum krung - I make it often for the last 25 years
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky-in Japan, but also available here
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant-Paris
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare - very different from rabbit, it is wild and all dark meat,
87. Goulash
88. Flowers-I grow many edible flowers, nasturiums are our favourite
89. Horse-in France at Le Cheval restaurants, also when I was little my dad had me try it from a can-dog horse mea-very good meat sort of sweet like bear meat
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam - disgusting stuff
92. Soft shell crab - a favourite treat!
93. Rose harissa (I make harissa, but have only bought the rose harissa made with rose petals)
94. Catfish-we often have catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (rice paddy black snake and rattlesnake)

I could add another 50 "interesting" things and most I have eaten like duck tongues, cgicken feet, jelly fish, intestine large and small Chinese salads, Chinese fried baby birds, sea cucumber which I hate, lights, sheep's eyes, fish eyes, the Japanese little live fish swimming in a bowl-no thanks, Rocky Mountain Oysters, armadillo, cuy, Anticuchos, brains of all sorts, ants, bees, iguna, Thousand Year Old Eggs, Preserved Eggs, tendon soup, shrimp including shells and heads and feet, conch, turtle, chicken blood, pork blood, etc.

Also things I would not try like snake blood and bile, bats, tarantulas, balut , monkey brains, rats, and dozens of things I have passed up in my travels.