The VGT Omnivore's 100

I was dicking around the Internet (as I am wont to do) and came across Very Good Taste’s Omnivore’s One Hundred (I first found it on this site). It’s an admittedly arbitrary list of foods that a “good omnivore” should taste at least once in her life.

The 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) My additional step: put an asterisk by ones you want to try.

What’s fun is the memories that arise as you go over the list. And you learn a lot.

1. Venison – tastes like corned beef
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare -
5. *Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue – I can’t help but feel that fondues are inevitably dangerous. Either you’re all going to get each other’s infections, or someone’s going to get burned by molten cheese.
8. Carp
9.* Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari – I’ve only had it once, and at an excellent restaurant. I doubt it’s as good at Olive Garden or someplace like that.
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich – I’ve definitely had more than my share of these.
14. *Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart – Never eaten one, but I love the way hotdog carts smell when I go downtown.
16. Epoisses – I had to Wikipedia this. It’s unpasteurized cheese from France.
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes – not yet, but I’ve got a bottle of cranberry wine in the pantry.
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries – I ate a wild strawberry and got scolded for it.
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese – I used to work at a deli. When I saw this stuff for the first time, I turned to my co-worker and asked, horrified, “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?” It provided much amusement.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters – On a cracker with hot sauce. It tasted like a cracker with hot sauce, so not too bad.
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda – Had to look this up, too. It’s a hot dip from Italy made with garlic, anchovies, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
31. Wasabi peas – These will put you in intimate touch with your sinuses.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl – I’ve had both of these, but not at the same time. I’m counting it anyway.
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar – Jim loves the stuff; to me it’s a little cough-syrupy.
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O – I’m guessing this is a Jell-O shot.
39. Gumbo – A family friend makes this every so often for food competitions. It’s amazing.
40. *Oxtail
41. *Curried goat
42. Whole insects – I ate a cricket for a school assignment. I was trying to convince people that world hunger could be eliminated if we started eating insects on a large scale. It tasted like nutty hamburger.
43. Phaal – This is a hot-ass curry dish.
44. Goat’s milk – does goat cheese count?
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 – This was another life, people.
50. Sea urchin
51. *Prickly pear – I had a chance to have these and went for a salad instead. Dang eating disorder.
52. Umeboshi – sour, salty, pickled fruit from Japan. Based on that description, I’m striking them out.
53. Abalone
54. *Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini - I hate olives.
58. Beer above 8% ABV – woohoo fruit lambics!
59. Poutine – this dish consists of French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds, and yes, I have tried it. It was DISGUSTING, and not just because it is an ultimate fear food.
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads – tried Jim’s. Actually pretty good, though the texture was a bit odd.
63. Kaolin – no desire to eat clay.
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. *Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – Beignets – oh my god, beignets. Like an orgasm of fluffy, melt-in-your mouth dough.
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho – I’d rather have salsa
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost – Norwegian whey cheese.
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu – clear beverage distilled from sorghum or rice. It’s about 40-60% ABV. Jim should know about this.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie – there are some fear foods I’m okay with avoiding.
78. *Snail
79. Lapsang souchong – Smoky-tasting black tea.
80. *Bellini – cocktail made with sparkling wine and peach puree. I think I need to try this.
81. Tom yum – tasty-sounding spicy Thai soup made with prawns, mushrooms, chili peppers, and lemongrass
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. *Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse – fuck no, I love horses. Plus I’ve read accounts saying that it’s really disgusting.
90. Criollo chocolate – rare and expensive type of chocolate made from a specific species of bean.
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. *Rose harissa – spicy chili pepper sauce from North Africa.
94. Catfish
95. *Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox – I’ve had both, but not at the same time.
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. *Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake