The Food List Challenge on FB

[Frank Deis]

I don't know how many of you are on Facebook. I am not a great fan of FB but I do have an account and sometimes I find an activity there that I enjoy. A friend sent me the Food List Challenge, 100 Foods to Try before you Die (or something like that). Evidently most people have only eaten 20 of the 100 foods. I think the friend who sent it to me probably realized that I would score well, it turns out I've had 89% of the foods on the list. And of the 11 foods I hadn't eaten, there were things like some kind of brand name tart (a little unfair), a Vietnamese food (I think) that I never heard of, and Durian. Actually I have tasted durian because without realizing it I bought durian flavored moon cakes a while back. Probably that doesn't exactly count.

At any rate if you have access please try the Challenge and perhaps report back here on how you do??

And if you want send me a friend request.

[Jenise]

You're on.

[David M. Bueker]

I took it and came up with 82 out of 100. I did not pblish the result, as I don't like those Facebook apps that get access to all of my stuff.

[Robin Garr]

I took it and came up with 82 out of 100. I did not pblish the result, as I don't like those Facebook apps that get access to all of my stuff.

Yeah, I don't like them either ... I actually started trusting Facebook less in the early days when it became apparent how little they worry about the spammy apps and ads they seem to allow without question.

Still, I'll go take the test.

[Robin Garr]

access to all of my stuff.

By the way, I THINK you can allow the access, let it post the results, and then go immediately to your privacy settings and turn the access back off, but that post will still "stick." I might try that just for giggles.

[Frank Deis]

It seemed to me that this app was pretty circumspect about privacy -- normally when an app asks for that kind of access, I just bail out and don't continue with it. This one kept promising not to bother me about this or that and never asked those questions.

David got 82. I think you guys may surprise me, I may not be such an outlier on this board.

[Robin Garr]

The Food List Challenge. I've tried 93 of 100 foods on this list. How many have you tried?

No kangaroo. No fugu. No crickets. A couple of other rarities that I've either shunned or never had the opportunity to taste. On the whole, though, it's not as bizarre a list as it might have been. No balut, for instance.

[Jenise]

I've had fugu, AND I ate it's sperm sac (didn't know what it was at the time). That should count for at least two.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Wonder if Hoke is on facebook??

[Robin Garr]

It seemed to me that this app was pretty circumspect about privacy -- normally when an app asks for that kind of access, I just bail out and don't continue with it. This one kept promising not to bother me about this or that and never asked those questions.

I was impressed by that, also.

[Jenise]

85 here. Of the 15 remaining, about half are foods I've had the opportunity to try but passed on because of my aversion to dairy products, for instance and the others are things that haven't crossed my path at all, like Chitlins, Squirrel, curry wurst (in what part of the world is this a must?) and dandelion wine.

[Rahsaan]

curry wurst (in what part of the world is this a must?)

Berlin.

[Robin Garr]

85 here. Of the 15 remaining, about half are foods I've had the opportunity to try but passed on because of my aversion to dairy products, for instance and the others are things that haven't crossed my path at all, like Chitlins, Squirrel, curry wurst (in what part of the world is this a must?) and dandelion wine.

I've managed to avoid squirrel, but claimed chitlins on the basis of andouilettes, which is the same thing only acceptable due to being French and going great with Burgundy. As noted, curry wurst is German, and I've actually been subjected to dandelion wine as a judge at the Kentucky state fair.

[Frank Deis]

I had Currywurst when we were visiting an online friend near Munich, about 1990. We stopped at a little pub/restaurant out in the country, and I think I was intrigued to see it on the menu. I believe my friend said it was a dish from Berlin.

I don't think I claimed squirrel but my father used to occasionally shoot them, even though we lived in a pretty urban setting, and Mom would make Brunswick Stew, so I probably ate it without exactly knowing about it. Crickets -- there was a fad for candy with bugs in it, and after I took the test it occurred to me that I might well have eaten a cricket embedded in a caramel or something like that. Once again, not really knowing it. I didn't claim either squirrel or crickets though.

Back in my wine and beer making period, during grad school, I actually made my own dandelion wine and drank it, just out of curiosity because I had heard about it so often. Nothing to write home about.

Head cheese, and chitlins, trace back to my southern childhood.

I know I have had kangaroo, probably in a hamburger at Fuddruckers. They took pride in providing exotic meats. Our local Fuddruckers closed in the bad economy a year or two back.

Fugu I have had in East Coast Japanese restaurants where they serve the Atlantic blowfish, so it's not dangerous. So I probably sidestepped the intent of that question, but the answer is yes, I have had it. We actually ate blowfish at home because we'd catch them, puffer-fish, when we went out on my uncle's boat into the Chesapeake Bay. It is pretty delicious stuff, of course the standard of comparison "like chicken" works surprisingly well. When the Japanese eat the dangerous kind of fugu they usually have it as a very thinly sliced sashimi. I've only had it cooked.



I wish I had the list at hand...

[Robin Garr]

I wish I had the list at hand...

That is easily arranged.

Here it is, with a link to the quiz:

https://apps.facebook.com/foodlistchallenge/

1. Abalone
2. Absinthe
3. Alligator
4. Baba Ghanoush
5. Bagel and Lox
6. Baklava
7. Barbecue Ribs
8. Bellini
9. Bird's Nest Soup
10. Biscuits and Gravy
11. Black Pudding
12. Black Truffle
13. Borscht
14. Calamari
15. Carp
16. Caviar
17. Cheese Fondue
18. Chicken and Waffles
19. Chicken Tikka Masala
20. Chile Relleno
21. Chitlins
22. Churros
23. Clam Chowder
24. Cognac
25. Crab Cakes
26. Crickets
27. Currywurst
28. Dandelion Wine
29. Dulce De Leche
30. Durian
31. Eel
32. Eggs Benedict
33. Fish Tacos
34. Foie Gras
35. Fresh Spring Rolls
36. Fried Catfish
37. Fried Green Tomatoes
38. Fried Plantain
39. Frito Pie
40. Frogs’ Legs
41. Fugu
42. Funnel Cake
43. Gazpacho
44. Goat
45. Goat’s Milk
46. Goulash
47. Gumbo
48. Haggis
49. Head Cheese
50. Heirloom Tomatoes
51. Honeycomb
52. Hostess Fruit Pie
53. Huevos Rancheros
54. Jerk Chicken
55. Kangaroo
56. Key Lime Pie
57. Kobe Beef
58. Lassi
59. Lobster
60. Mimosa
61. MoonPie
62. Morel Mushrooms
63. Nettle Tea
64. Octopus
65. Oxtail Soup
66. Paella
67. Paneer
68. Pastrami on Rye
69. Pavlova
70. Phaal
71. Philly Cheese Steak
72. Pho
73. Pineapple and Cottage Cheese
74. Pistachio Ice Cream
75. Po’ Boy
76. Pocky
77. Polenta
78. Prickly Pear
79. Rabbit Stew
80. Raw Oysters
81. Root Beer Float
82. S’mores
83. Sauerkraut
84. Sea Urchin
85. Shark
86. Snail
87. Snake
88. Soft Shell Crab
89. Som Tam
90. Spaetzle
91. Spam
92. Squirrel
93. Steak Tartare
94. Sweet Potato Fries
95. Sweetbreads
96. Tom Yum
97. Umeboshi
98. Venison
99. Wasabi Peas
100. Zucchini Flowers

[Frank Deis]

Thanks Robin -- looking at that list, it is hard to imagine that there are lots of people who have only had 20 of those!!

Did anyone say yes to "Phaal"? I didn't know what it was:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phall

I have not had phaal but now that I looked it up I am sure I have had Som Tam, just didn't know the name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Som_tam

I said "no" to Hostess Fruit Pie. In fact that is probably something I have had. It just would have made no impression on me.

By your Chitterling logic, I -have- had a fruit pie, so I should have said "yes"?

[Robin Garr]

Did anyone say yes to "Phaal"? I didn't know what it was:

Frank, phaal was quite familiar to me from youthful (young adult) visits to London on the Fodor's $5-a-Day plan, wherein I would stay in cheap Indian-run B&B's and dine, mostly, in the little curry houses around Victoria Station. Phaal was quite familiar, widely reputed as the hottest form of (English) Indian curry, hotter even than vindaloo.

[Jenise]

Thanks Robin -- looking at that list, it is hard to imagine that there are lots of people who have only had 20 of those!!

I saw that one friend's wife had only had 45. And while I realize that it's pretty rare as a westerner to have actually eaten the poisonous kind of fugu as I have, I have a hard time imagining being so sheltered and unadventurous as to not being able to crack 50. That I didn't crack 90 is just because I have certain phobias. Blood pudding? It's been on my plate a few times. Did I eat it? No. Crickets? Yikes. A friend ordered cricket flatbread at Vij's in Vancouver, so again I've had the opportunity. Did I take it? No! Head cheese is pretty common, I thought. Always loved it as a kid, though I don't buy it myself these days. Love pickled pigs feet, too--now there's something that should be on that list. Pineapple and cottage cheese---I've eaten both but not together so I said no to that, but using Robin's reasoning then I'm now an 86.

[Rahsaan]

I saw that one friend's wife only scored 45. And while I realize that it's pretty rare as a westerner to have actually eaten the poisonous kind of fugu as I have, I have a hard time imagining being so sheltered and unadventurous as to not being able to crack 50.

I suppose that is kind of low. But it's a weird list with the inclusion of all those mediocre snack foods that are not necessary or even delicious, and somewhat arbitrary in terms of their cultural importance (why the silly Pocky sticks but not other junky snacks from around the world). And of course meat is a big hindrance for folks who don't eat meat.

My score is roughly 80. I can't remember exactly how many of the meat dishes I have actually tried just for kicks. But if it were dishes I have eaten regularly, it would be much lower.

[Lou Kessler]

I've tried 90, might even be a couple less but if I wasn't sure I just marked no.

[Mike Filigenzi]

88 of the 100 for me.

[Jenise]

But it's a weird list with the inclusion of all those mediocre snack foods that are not necessary or even delicious, and somewhat arbitrary in terms of their cultural importance (why the silly Pocky sticks but not other junky snacks from around the world). And of course meat is a big hindrance for folks who don't eat meat.

Agreed. The list IS pretty lame, especially the snack foods which, as you point out, several are geographical exclusives. It says more about a person's access than their well-roundedness and adventurousness to have tried, say, a Moon Pie or paired pineapple with cottage cheese.

I'm impressed that, being a vegetarian, you go as high as 80!

[Rahsaan]

I'm impressed that, being a vegetarian, you go as high as 80!

I'm only vegetarian because I was raised that way and can't really digest meat at this point. (I suppose I could work at slowly building up a tolerance, but I have other things to worry about). But given my interests in food I am curious and have tried tastes of lots of things, especially when traveling.

[Dale Williams]

I'm also an 88.

these were my "no" answers
9. Bird's Nest Soup
26. Crickets
27. Currywurst
28. Dandelion Wine
39. Frito Pie
41. Fugu
55. Kangaroo
63. Nettle Tea
69. Pavlova (this was served at a friend's 50th bday recently, but I don't eat desserts)
70. Phaal
76. Pocky (we've had in our house plenty of times, David's Japanese grandmother gives him, but again I dont' eat desserts)
78. Prickly Pear

other than the desserts, I'd try any of the others.
Some things on list (Hostess fruit pie, moon pie, ice cream, pineapple and cottage) are from childhood.