Dude, I've eaten a LOT of stuff!

I stole this from Matt G, who I admire greatly (although he doesn't know it and has no clue who I am).

I didn't realize I've eaten so much stuff....

Feel free to play along!

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 here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results

1. Venison
2. Nettle teas
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (I ate alligator on more than one occasion. Does that count?
6. Black pudding (I grew up in England, and it's not as bad as everyone thinks it is. Rather nice, actually)
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 'Dirty Water Dog' from a street vendor in Manhattan. Nothing like it in the whole world)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine (my dad was an amateur winemaker. I've been drinking wine since I was 5 or 6)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries (right off the bush in the English countryside. Delish)
23. Foie Gras (yes, and it's yummy)
24. Rice and beans (when I was down south this summer I ate some butter beans and rice that were the BEST I'd ever eaten. EVER)
25. Brawn (my parents and grandparents were country folk who lived through WWII and WWI; they knew how to make something out of almost nothing. I recall walking into granny's kitchen when I was a kid and lifting the lid of a pot on the stove, only to see a whole hog's head simmering away in there. Ick)
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 (yes, with a group of high ranking AF fliers many years ago. They knew their cognac and tobacco....and has huge egos to boot)
37. Clotted cream tea (Matt, it's not what you think. It's a fresh scone, still warm from the oven, with real butter and some homemade jam on it, topped with a dollop of what we Brits call 'double cream', accompanied by a nice cup of tea. Anytime you and your fam want to have one, you let me know and I'll make some for you)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (of course. I went to college...)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (Oxtail soup....SOOOOOO good)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (only whilst riding a motorcycle whilst wearing a faceless helmet, and not intentionally)
43. Phaal (Tandoori, yes. Phaal, no. I like my tastebuds and mucous membranes)
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (see #68)
46. Fugu (no, and I'm tempted to say never)
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 (Dad made beer, too)
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads ( I wasn't impressed)
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis (yes, with tatties and neeps and a very expensive malt, every year on Burn's Night. I have Scottish kin)
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (yes!!!!!!!! I'm on the lookout for an absinthe spoon and glass, preferrable antique!)
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (yes. I have vivid memories of dad running over rabbits in the car whilst mum and I squealed in displeasure. I ate some stew once and vomited it back up when I found out what it was I was eating. I was only 3 or 4 and got my ass whupped for that one)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail (wild ones. We went out after a rain storm when we were living in Aix En Provence for a couple of months, picking up snails. They got put in a container of seasoned flour on the porch for a couple of days so they can clear any digested vegetation from their guts - and literally marinade themselves - and then put on a grill with a little garlic butter in their shells. Very yummy, but with a very distinct texture)
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (ick. Very stringy and gamey taste)
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


I think that growing up in England and being exposed to Asian and European cultures right on my doorstep really helped me develop a taste for different foods.

The question I have to ask myself is: if I've eaten and enjoyed all these foods in the past, why is my repatoire of recipes so limited now? I know the answer: family. Family with limited tastes.

I should try and find another person with a somewhat interesting tastes and see if we can't bounce some recipe ideas off each other. Anyone game...? If so, let me know!