The Omnivore’s 100: How Adventurous Are You?

Over the past few days, there has been a list of 100 food items floating around various bloggers’ sites.  Originally the brainchild of Andrew from Very Good Taste in the UK, the Omnivore’s 100 is a quick, fun and very unscientific look at people’s eating adventures.  As he says, “The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food – but a good omnivore should really try it all.”

The premise is very simple. 

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.uklinking to your results.

Besides seeing the results from fellow bloggers, I’m also on a listserv for the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), and I’ve been catching their results and comments about it as well, which have been an interesting read.  I think the highest score of things eaten that I’ve seen so far is 98 – wow!  Mine clocked in at a modest 54.  The first time I counted, it was 39, which totally bummed me out since I think I’m an adventurous eater that will try almosteverything once.  I felt better after recounting.  In a way, I was surprised by the number, but in a way, not.  A lot of the items are just not readily available in the States. (I didn’t go through and cross out the things I’d never try, since that would mean looking up more than a few).

So take a look and see how you fare.  I’d love to hear your number and ruminations!

54/100 My Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison (completely by accident, and won’t eat it by choice)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue (in the words of Rachael Ray, “yum-o!”)
8. Carp
9. Borscht

10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari (only acquired a taste for it a few years ago; when it’s done right, it just melts in your mouth)
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
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
24. Rice and beans (many times, many way, over and over)
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche (have a delicious recipe for Dulce de Leche brownies that we like)
28. Oysters (love them raw)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (great comfort food)
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognacwith a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
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
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer (although I love Indian food, I don’t love paneer; it’s a texture thing)
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores (Nicholashas been asking for them lately; S’mores Fudge on the list for the weekend)
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain (with a Cuban husband, it was bound to happen)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail (first time was on a cruise a few years ago)
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict (great Sunday breakfast)
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab (completely by accident, but tried it nonetheless)
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta (not a fan)
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Hungry for more results from food bloggers?  You can check them out here.  Happy reading!

A year ago today… a favorite summer recipe.
Two years ago today… cookies, catering and champagne grapes.
Three years ago today… the discovery of my favorite outdoor chairs ever.

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