…as featured on Reed’s Out of Ideas.

The basic premise is that it lists 100 not-so-usual foodstuffs, and you have to say whether you’ve eaten them. Oh, and:

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

Meme Rules

Here goes

1. Venison: yes, more than once. It’s not a favourite though as it tends to be dry, and I don’t want the kids complaining that I’ve eaten Rudolph.
2. Nettle Tea: nope. Never felt the urge.
3. Huevos rancheros: nope. Had to look it up to find out what it was.
4. Steak tartare: nope. While I wouldn’t say I’d never have this, I think the undercooked meat and raw egg is somewhat off-putting.
5. Crocodile: yes, as part of Christmas dinner one year, we had crocodile on skewers. It’s quite nice. A saltier, fishier version of chicken
6. Black pudding: yup. Goes lovely with a bacon sandwich.
7. Cheese Fondue: yup. Although I’m not massively a fan.
8. Carp: can’t remember having had it, but I’ve had quite a lot of fish, so it’s possible.
9. Borscht: ah yes, this is very nice. The only problem being that I thought I was pissing blood the following day, which was somewhat of a concern until I remembered exactly how much beetroot I’d had…
10. Baba ghanoush: nope. Had never heard of it either.
11. Calamari? Oh yes indeed. Just like one of the characters in one of the top gangster films, I’ll ‘ave the calamari.
12. Pho: no.
13. PB&J sandwich. I did have to look this one up, and then got confused by what is jam being described as jelly. But yes, I have had it. I was a student, after all.
14. Aloo Gobi: yeah, a few times. I prefer other Indian-style side dishes, but this one is okay.
15. Hot Dog From A Street Cart: yeah. I’ve even bought one from someone who I later suspected might have been the North-East equivalent of C.M.O.T. Dibbler.
16. Epoisses: nope. This would warrant a probably not as I don’t like strong cheese.
17. Black truffle: nope
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes: yes, I had a jolly nice elderberry wine at someone’s party once.
19. Steamed pork buns: no.
20. Pistachio ice cream. Yes. Yes. Yes. Lovely. Although Liquorice ice-cream is better.
21. Heirloom tomatoes: no. And having looked them up, and discovered that they are not, in fact, tomatoes that have been in the family for generations, I would be prepared to give them a go.
22. Fresh wild berries: well, yes. It’s half the fun of blackberrying.
23. Foie gras: no. Wouldn’t eat this on the grounds that I don’t like how they make it.
24. Rice and beans. Yup.
25. Brawn: no. It would be something I would tend to avoid, but I’d try it if someone cooked it for me.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper: nope. What d’you think I am, stupid? On the other hand, maybe you’ve got a point, as I’ve not ruled it out…
27. Dulce de leche: I would have said no until I looked this up…
28. Oysters: quite nice, but while I like oysters and mussels, they don’t like me.
29. Baklava: yes, a bit sweet/syrupy for me.
30. Bagna cauda: nope.
31. Wasabia peas: no
32. Clam Chowder in Soudough Bowl: no
33. Salted Lassi: no. Nor have I had sugared Littlest-Hobo, for that matter.
34. Sauerkraut: yes. Pickled cabbage. It’s not what I’d call exotic…
35. Root beer float: sadly, no. Mostly ‘cos places over here don’t sell root beer much, and I’ve never seen a place selling it as a float.
36. Cognac: Well, I’ve not eaten it. Although technically, I suppose I have, in chocolate truffles. But I’ve certainly had it.
37. Clotted Cream Tea: yes.
38. Vodka jelly: yes, although it’s really not worth the bother. Vodka ice cubes are much easier! Simply add them to your coke…
39. Gumbo: yes.
40. Oxtail: only in soup form, but I’m counting that.
41. Curried Goat: yes. Was quite pleasant, although I can’t really remember what the goat tasted like. But the curry was nice.
42. Whole Insects: yeah, well. I remember when at school eating an ant for a bet. So that counts as a yes. Although I’ve not actually eaten any of the insecty things that you are supposed to eat, I’d happily give them a go (but I’ll stay off the garden varieties)
43. Phaal: no. Only if it was a mild one, and that is kind of oxymoronic.
44. Goat’s Milk: yes. I went to a city farm, milked a goat, drank the milk. So yes.
45. Malt Whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more: yes. The Bruichladdich Flirtation was around £80 a bottle, which at the time would have been around $150.
46. Fugu (Pufferfish): No. I’d not say never, but I’d be wary…
47. Chicken Tikka Masala: ah, the classic British dish. Of course I have. Although as Indian-style cuisine goes, I’d rather have a Madras.
48. Eel: when I lived in London I decided I simply had to try a jellied eel. I seem to remember wishing I hadn’t bothered.
49. Sea-Urchin: Not as yet, no. Nor have I eaten any hermit crabs, starfish, or other rockpool creatures.
50. Kispy Kreme original glazed donut: no
51. Prickly pear: no
52. Umeboshi: no
53. Abalone: no
54. Paneer: yup. I think most recently in a restaurant called Heartbreak Soup, served with something described as “Lebanese Lamb”
55. McDonalds Big Mac Meal: ah, finally, one I don’t have to look up. Yes.
56. Spätzle: never even heard of it, let alone attempted to pronounce it to order.
57. Dirty Gin Martini: um, no. Not entirely surely what a ‘dirty gin’ is in this context, but I’ll assume ‘no’.
58. Beer above 8% ABV: of course. Anyone who frequents beer festivals will have to try some from time to time — Old Tom, Orkney Skullsplitter and the like. Indeed, I believe beers of this sort of strength are generally referred to as ‘barley wine’.
59. Poutine: no, but it sounds interesting.
60. Carob chips: no, but I would imagine they are disgusting.
61. S’mores: no, and I don’t think I could imagine eating one. For a start, it’s got a bloody stupid name, secondly it sounds rather gooey, and finally I think it would be horrendously sweet.
62. Sweetbreads. Yes. Not particularly exciting, but not unpleasant either.
63. Kaolin: I’m with Reed on this one — this is clay, isn’t it? As in, something you are likely to consume in small amounts in your diet, and something which may be found in medicine. So yes, but I’ve never sat down to a meal of it.
64. Currywurst: pork sausage with curry sauce. It doesn’t sound appetising, but I’d probably try it.
65. Durian: no
66. Frogs’ Legs: no
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake: a bit of an eclectic mix there, is it not? I believe I have had the first two — being French and Spanish respectively. The third… well, I hope it isn’t actual elephant ears…
68. Haggis: yeah, but more just to try.
69. Fried Plantain: at school. It’s basically just a big banana.
70. Chitterlings: nope.
71. Gazpacho: not sure. I think yes, but could be wrong.
72. Caviar and Blini: nope. I’ve never understood the fuss about caviar, either…
73. Louche absinthe: another drinky one. Absinthe with water. Yes, but I’ve never drank so much of it that I’ve hallucinated, seen the green absinthe fairy (Kylie!) and/or cut my ear off.
74. Gjetost or brunost: no. You know, I’m beginning to think I’ve hardly tried anything!
75. Roadkill: No, no, no. Of course, where we live this is only likely to be pigeon, hedgehog or maybe fox, and I’d not fancy eating any of them. If you could arrange for ducks to run in front of my car, I might be tempted though.
76. Baijiu: you know, I’m fairly sure I have. Whenever I’m in a restaurant I like to try the ‘local’ (you know what I mean) drinks, and have had several different rice wines from Japanese and Chinese restaurants, including some which appear to be paintstripper. I suspect this was that one.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie: somehow I’ve managed to survive quite successfully without one. I’m not even entirely sure what it is, although I’d guess at an individual serving of ultra-processed supar-sugared fruit-flavoured mix in some sort of pastry. But I might be wrong, not having had one.
78. Snails: no
79. Lapsang Souchong: no. I think you’ll find that as far as I am concerned it is Tetley make teabags, make tea.
80. Bellini: yes if you mean the drink, no if you mean the Brazilian World Cup Winner.
81. Tom Yum: yes, even though I normally think all those hot Thai soups are Tom Kha.
82. Eggs Benedict: yes, and frankly I don’t see what the fuss is about.
83. Pocky: Nope, never even heard of it.
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu: nope. I would have, only I think my Michelin stars must have got lost in the post.
85. Kobe Beef: no, and I’m not sure it’s worth the price.
86. Hare: no. But I have had rabbit…
87. Goulash: yes. The finest example of which I had at a pub in Keswick, on the way down to the lake. It’s called the Dog and Gun. Do go in for a bar meal if you’re in the Lake District. But make sure you’re hungry.
88. Flowers: like roses and stuff… erm… no.
89. Horse: no.
90. Criollo chocolate: dunno. If it’s something they sell in Hotel Chocolat, then I will have tried it. Otherwise probably not.
91. Spam: in fritters.
92. Soft-shell crab: no
93. Rose Harissa: as I have no idea what this is, probably not.
94. Catfish: nope.
95. Mole Poblano: having looked it up, I would imagine so, having eaten quite a wide variety of Mexican foods and sauces.
96. Bagel and Lox: again, sounds more complicated than it is.
97. Lobster Thermidor: would avoid it owing to the fact that me and shellfish don’t tend to get along. If it wasn’t for that, I would have liked to try it, though.
98. Polenta: yeah, as an accompaniment to various things.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee: not to be confused with civet-shit coffee. They are both expensive, and I have had neither, but would be willing to try either were it not for said expensiveness, and the fact that Nescafe Cap Colombie Instant Coffee does me nicely, thank you very much. You can’t beat instant coffee. It’s instant — as you’d expect — there’s no faffing about, no implements to clean, and as far as I can see tastes just as nice.
100. Snake: no.

That’s less than half of ‘em. Oh well, I bet if I looked at a list of ‘101 films to see before you die’, I’d only have seen a few of them as well.

…oh, and that’s another thing. Why “101 films to see/ places to go/ books to read before you die”? Should you be watching / visiting / reading differently once you’re dead? Or could we not just call this new genre something like “101 films that I think are quite good and would recommend to you”? It’s catchy!

…well, okay, maybe not that catchy.