The Omnivore’s Hundred is an eclectic and entirely subjective list of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his life.
He offered this list as the starting point for a game, along the following rules:
1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten (I’ve used icons instead, and added an asterisk for the items I’m particularly fond of).
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4. Optional extra: post a comment on Very Good Taste, linking to your results.
[Update: In response to the numerous questions his list raised, Andrew published an FAQ explaining the how, the why, and the wherefore.]
My list is below; I am missing 37 items, most of which I’d be happy to try if given the opportunity. There are a few that I wouldn’t rush to eat, but none that I couldn’t swallow if someone’s life, honor, and/or feelings were at stake.
And of course, if you don’t have a blog, you can still play along, with a good old pencil and some paper — care to share your results? And/or items you think should be added to, or removed from that list?
1. Venison*
2. Nettle tea (does nettle soup count?)
3. Huevos rancheros (eaten in El Paso, Texas)
4. Steak tartare* (my favorite brasserie dish)
5. Crocodile (I did, however, eat fried alligator in Key Largo, Florida)
6. Black pudding* (in the form of boudin noir, boudin antillais, or boudin de langue)
7. Cheese fondue (I even own a fondue pot)
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush*
11. Calamari*
12. Phở (usually eaten in the Belleville neighborhood in Paris)
13. PB&J sandwich (I had one during my first trip to the US when I was 15; I did not quite understand its appeal)
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (but I hope to hit Dogmatic Dogs sometime)
16. Epoisses*
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (I like plum wines from Alsace)
19. Steamed pork buns*
20. Pistachio ice cream* (I heart pistachio gelato)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries* (we pick wild strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries in the Vosges every summer)
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (I’m not sure I see the point)
27. Dulce de leche* (the real thing from Argentina, or its French cousin called confiture de lait)
28. Oysters
29. Baklava*
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas*
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (I had it on touristy Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco years ago; it wasn’t great)
33. Salted lassi (I’ve had rose or mango; I think I’d like the salted version)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (root beer tastes like cough syrup to me, so I’d rather not have it in my dessert)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (I can’t take much more than a sip and a puff, but hey)
37. Clotted cream tea*
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo (eaten in New Orleans)
40. Oxtail (mostly in terrine form)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (I would try them, but they’d have to be dead, and cooked)
43. Phaal (I’d try a forkful, but wouldn’t order it for myself)
44. Goat’s milk (I’m not a fan of milk in general, so I prefer it in yogurt or faisselle form)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/€80/$120 or more (I’d have a sip, but I don’t really like whisky, so it might be lost on me)
46. Fugu (I don’t think I’d take the risk)
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel* (I’ve only ever had it in sushi)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut* (they opened a branch in Mountain View, California when we lived there)
50. Sea urchin* (again, chiefly in sushi)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (I’ve recently bought a jar, but have yet to open it)
53. Abalone (caution: it’s overfished)
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I was a teenager once)
56. Spaetzle* (we buy fresh ones in Alsace, and I even made my own a few years ago)
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine (but if I ever make it to Montreal, I’ll try it)
60. Carob chips (I have an aversion to the taste of carob)
61. S’mores (well, I’ve had Michael Recchiuti’s fancy version)
62. Sweetbreads* (my favorite offal of all)
63. Kaolin (again, I’m not sure I see the point)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian (I’ve had durian-flavored tapioca pudding, but not the fruit itself)
66. Frogs’ legs* (recipe here)
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain*
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette* (oh yes)
71. Gazpacho*
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (I think I’d be so horrified I’d lose my appetite)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (not really interested)
78. Snail* (yum)
79. Lapsang souchong* (I love anything smoked, and tea is no exception)
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (I grew up eating its French twin, the mikado)
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 (I receive a lot of it, though)
92. Soft shell crab*
93. Rose harissa (I eat harissa frequently, but have never come across the rose variety)
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta*
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (just like #42, I would try it if it’s dead and cooked.)
* An asterisk marks the items I’m particularly fond of.
