Eighth of an Acre Bounty

Random thoughts and anecdotes on cooking, critters, gardening and life on our small city lot.

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Omnivores 100

August 22nd, 2008 · 19 Comments

So this has been going round the blogosphere lately and I figured I’d play along. Mostly to see exactly where I fall among a list of 100 food items not picked by me. The verdict? I do believe I am pretty low-rent all told. Items like Fugu, Michelin 3 star tasting menus and foie gras just don’t have a role in my everyday life (or even my not so everyday life). I have traveled quite a bit and been exposed to a lot of different cuisines (rarely passing up the opportunity to try something new). But overall a budget and in some cases my own food politics have limited my participation in the list below.

Going through this list caused me to get a bit more introspective on my own food history and philosphy. I love food and cooking, it is one of my biggest passions. But at base I realize I am more interested in food in its place rather then trying every newfangled product flown in from Timbuktu. A good example is Durian. I have read about it for years and wanted to try it. And here in the Pacific Northwest it isn’t very hard to find, usually prominently displayed at any number of Asian groceries, but I had never tried it until my trip to Cambodia this past Christmas where I went on a tasting spree of tropical fruits. And I am pretty convinced that my memory of walking through the open air market and picking out the perfect Durian, Mangosteen and passionfruit in Cambodia created a much better food memory and appreciation than if I had bought a 3 month old durian from a market here in Seattle. Food is so much about a sense of place and experience – to take everythign out of its ecological, social and contextual elements in some ways cheats the experience. Now to create my own list…

The rules:

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

MY OMNIVORE’S 100 (51 out of 100):

1. Venison

2. Nettle tea ( I really should try this, we have no shortage of nettles round here)

3. Huevos rancheros

4. Steak tartare

5. Crocodile

6. Black pudding

7. Cheese fondue

8. Carp

9. Borscht

10. Baba ghanoush

11. Calamari

12. Pho

13. PB&J sandwich

14. Aloo gobi

15. Hot dog from a street cart

16. Epoisses

17. Black truffle (I’d have a hard time paying for it, but if’n I found it in the woods…gobble)

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes

19. Steamed pork buns

20. Pistachio ice cream

21. Heirloom tomatoes

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Foie gras (I am torn on this, I have no doubt it is absolutely delicious. But at the same time the method of production and the elitist reputation and price turns me completely off.)

24. Rice and beans

25. Brawn or head cheese

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper

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

35. Root beer float

36. Cognac with a fat cigar

37. Clotted Cream Tea (hmm, now I am curious…)

38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O (I honestly can’t remember the experience :), but am sure at some point I have chewed jello shots)

39. Gumbo

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects (well, not intentionally prepared anyways. I am sure I have consumed stowaways)

43. Phaal

44. Goat’s milk (Goats cheese, goat yoghurt, bring it on – I love it)

45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more

46. Fugu

47. Chicken tikka masala

48. Eel

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (not dying to do this again, I don’t get the big fuss)

50. Sea urchin

51. Prickly pear

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (see item 49)

56. Spaetzle (plans to make this in the coming winter)

57. Dirty gin martini

58. Beer above 8% ABV

59. Poutine

60. Carob chips

61. S’mores

62. Sweetbreads

63. kaolin (intentionally…really? I’ll admit I have probably consumed some in one of my once a decade self administerd spa days. Licking my lips with a facial mask applied. But really, am I totally missing something?)

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 (in an underground bar in Prague, now there is a memory – stone walls and green liquor)

74. Gjetost or brunost (Ick, I have tried and tried and I really don’t like this stuff)

75. Roadkill

76. Baijiu

77. Hostess Fruit Pie

78. Snail

79. Lapsang Souchong

80. Bellini

81. Tom Yum

82. Eggs Benedict

83. Pocky

84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu

85. Kobe beef

86. Hare (I’m guessing rabbit doesn’t count, too pedestrian?)

87. Goulash

88. Flowers

89. Horse (Horse and noodles in KZ, greasy – who knew Horses had so much fat?)

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

Tags: Food Politics · General

19 responses so far ↓

  • 1 annie // Aug 23, 2008 at 5:59 am

    If you have ever taken Kaopectate (sp?) you have eaten kaolin. I think it may actually also be that white, powdery looking stuff on some chewing gum.

  • 2 maya // Aug 23, 2008 at 8:01 am

    Thanks Annie, now that makes sense. I guess I should go back and amend my list. Although when a person starts considering Kaopectate/Kaolin as a food group – they should probably hightail it to the doc! I always thought it was cornstarch on gum…no doubt it has vital minerals we need. Reminds me of the character Rebecca in 100 Years of Solitude.

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