In lieu of the Kalo Mina meme that has been MIA since the start of summer, Andrew from Very Good Taste compiled 100 things he believes, “every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life.” It’s not meant to be a list of the world’s best foods, and he calls the list, The Omnivore’s Hundred. I found it via Lulu at Mama’s Taverna.

I’m not going to tag anyone, but anyone reading this is free to join in to ease the transition from summer to fall. For me, it’s an attempt to ease back into writing, now that my 3G was fixed by a genius named Graf, the heat has cooled, and my social calendar is (temporarily) empty.

The rules are:

1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, along with these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4. Optional: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking your results.

* Anything in green contains a link to a description, in case you’ve never heard of it.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea (Very weedy)
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare (I agree with Lulu, I prefer carpaccio)
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding (Once and never again)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp (My dad loved fish and had these as pets)
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Kalamari (I love the leggy things just as much )
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (In India)
15. Hot dog from a street cart (How could I live in NYC and not have one?)
16. Epoisses (I miss French cheese shops!)
17. Black truffle (Mmm, mmm)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (pear, apricot, plum)
19. Steamed pork buns (Dim sum is some good stuff)
20. Pistachio ice cream (Even better with toasted pistachio nuts)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries (I’ll be too late for blueberry picking in Sweden this year)
23. Foie gras (Nothing special to me)
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese (My dad loved this, but to me it’s bleck)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche (Cajeta is similar and wonderful on ice cream balls rolled in toasted coconut)
28. Oysters (Raw or fried)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda (In Italy; delish)
31. Wasabi peas (It’s especially fiery if you get one with a lot of wasabi)
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (I’m from SF for gosh sakes! Boudin is best)
33. Salted lassi (In India)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (You’re killing me)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (I don’t smoke, though I like cognac)
37. Clotted cream tea (Wonderful; I like raspberry with mine)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (Woo hoo!)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (Delicious as soup)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (Don’t ask)
43. Phaal (Worse than vindaloo; my eyes were burning)
44. Goat’s milk (Preferably as cheese)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (In Scotland; I only had a glass purchased for me by lovable football hooligans)
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin (I spit out the 1st one because the texture was slimy, my boyfriend got me another because he thought I liked it, and he and the chef watched me until I swallowed the 2nd. I then confessed)
51. Prickly pear (Try them in a margarita)
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone (Must be very fresh and served correctly)
54. Paneer (In India)
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle (I make my own)
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (I recommend Chimay Bleue)
59. Poutine (Looks like a heart attack on a plate)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores (Great thing to do with leftover coals from a BBQ)
62. Sweetbreads (Common appetizer in Napa Valley)
63. Kaolin (I don’t eat clay on purpose. Sorry)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs (It goes better if you don’t look at it)
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (All four, all delicious)
68. Haggis (In Scotland and never again)
69. Fried plantain (I miss getting them fresh or packaged in Miami)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette (Once and not again)
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (In France)
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill (Critters smashed by vehicles sounds…urgh)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (You can get 3 for $1 in some shops and relive your childhood)
78. Snail (Must be disguised in puff pastry to eat)
79. Lapsang souchong (Get leaves, not bags)
80. Bellini (In Italy; but the CA version with white peaches is good too)
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-star Michelin restaurant (Good to do once)
85. Kobe beef (Overrated, but like butter if you can afford it)
86. Hare
87. Goulash (Great with #56 spaetzle and Langos)
88. Flowers
89. Horse (I tried ostrich, but I draw the line at a horse)
90. Criollo chocolate (It was a gift; no big whoop)
91. Spam (I blame my dad; to him, it was a breakfast meat)
92. Soft shell crab (Allergic to crab, but still tried it and it was fab)
93. Rose harissa (Similar to chipotle)
94. Catfish (Panfried, mmm, mmm. What are you doin’ to me!)
95. Mole poblano (Nothing like a good mole)
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor (Overrated, but good)
98. Polenta (Must be done right or it’s mush)
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee (It was a gift; no big whoop)
100. Snake (I already see too many of them on SKAI)

Conclusions:

– My parents did an excellent job teaching us to try, embrace and appreciate a diversity of foods since we were very young. Their aim was to raise international children who weren’t fussy eaters. They didn’t want us to be rude people who make faces, poke and smell their food before eating it, and prejudge new things;

– Being in the USA where everything is available certainly helped their mission;

– Sampling foods in-country during my travels was definitely worthwhile, but…

Once you’ve had the genuine thing, it’s difficult to settle for anything less. As a result, I prefer to eat nothing than eat something substandard because it’s a waste of money and calories.

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