The Omnivore’s Hundred

Fried Calamari from Menorca

The Omnivore’s Hundred is the latest meme on the Internet. It was started by Andrew Wheeler of the food blog Very Good Taste (no longer up). According to him, it’s a list of things “every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life.” By the way, he’s British, as you’ll be able to tell by some of the items on his list (clotted cream tea or black pudding anyone?).

As you’ll see in my version of the list below, surprisingly, I haven’t tried a good number of things, but then again, whole insects and kaolin never had any appeal to me. I think I still fared pretty well. I’m missing twenty-one items out of a hundred, but I’m sure I can get to those items within another month of blogging. 😉 By the way, take a look and let me know, by writing in the comments, if there is anything on the list you think should or shouldn’t be included? Personally, I would add xiaolongbao, chicken gizzards, Peking Duck, and porchetta. The Hostess Fruit Pie I would take off and kick out the door. Horridly crusted and filled with artificial sweetness, this is what gives American foods a bad name. Shame on you Hostess for perpetuating our bad reputation!

If you want to participate in The Omnivore’s Hundred also, you can do so by following Andrew’s instructions below:

1) Copy the 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 (no longer up) linking to your results.

THE OMNIVORE’S HUNDRED – BIONIC BITES

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
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
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
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 (I got Cohibas in Barcelona years ago. I should get extra credit for smoking a Cohiba, no?)
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
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
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
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
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (I had the pleasure of dining at Le Bernardin a few months ago, but I didn’t have the tasting menu since it required the participation of the entire table and my BF didn’t want to get it; he’s extremely picky. My selections from the regular menu were good but I can’t say I fell in love with the restaurant that day. I do think Eric Ripert is hot though. He was floating around the dining room all night.)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
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