# How many of these foods have you tried? (100 things) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462 "2012-01-14T02:11:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/181 "2012-01-17T23:40:56Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > A lot of those don’t seem at all unusual to me, though obviously things like Irn Bru ([a fizzy drink made in Scotland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irn-Bru)) would be unusual outside the UK. What is it that makes Red Stripe beer unusual? I’m curious. Yup, anyone who hasn’t spent time in Scotland or the UK (I live in the U.S. but grew up “over there”) would find my additions quite prosaic. The same goes for Southern/US entries on that list - normal if you’ve spent time here, not if you haven’t. I added Red Stripe because I’ve had it in Jamaica (it’s an iconic Jamaican brand) but have not seen it outside of that country. Mind you, I haven’t looked for it…I think it’s sort of equivalent to Budweiser here. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/182 "2012-01-17T23:44:26Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I added Red Stripe because I’ve had it in Jamaica (it’s an iconic Jamaican brand) but have not seen it outside of that country. . It’s pretty common in the US. At least, I’ve never had any difficulty finding it in Chicago. It’s one of the more widely available imports, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/183 "2012-01-17T23:52:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s pretty common in the US. At least, I’ve never had any difficulty finding it in Chicago. It’s one of the more widely available imports, in my experience. Well - Pocky, sushi, sauerkraut and head cheese along with a dozen or more others - all ubiquitous items throughout the U.S. - are on the OP list too. Apparently “widely available” doesn’t = “most people have tried.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/184 "2012-01-18T00:00:27Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Yep. I said some thing similar very early on the discussion. There is a definite US bias to the options. Someone even admitted it, saying there was a lot of southern eating on the list. Weird list. Yes, there are a lot of Southern foods on the list but also a number of random Asian selections among others. You have to be a special kind of person to be well versed in all of of those styles. I got an 80. I haven’t had: 2. Absinthe 4. Baba Ghanoush 8. Bellini 9. Bird’s Nest Soup 11. Black Pudding 27. Currywurst 28. Dandelion Wine 29. Dulce De Leche 30. Durian 41. Fugu 48. Haggis 58. Lassi 65. Oxtail Soup 69. Pavlova 70. Phaal 76. Pocky 78. Prickly Pear 79. Rabbit Stew 89. Som Tam 90. Spaetzle 97. Umeboshi ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/185 "2012-01-18T00:07:53Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Well - Pocky, sushi, sauerkraut and head cheese along with a dozen or more others - all ubiquitous items throughout the U.S. - are on the OP list too. Not sure I would count pocky as ubiquitous. It’s only within the last few years that I’ve started noticing them being more widely available than just Asian supermarkets. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/186 "2012-01-18T00:18:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Not sure I would count pocky as ubiquitous. It’s only within the last few years that I’ve started noticing them being more widely available than just Asian supermarkets. I saw Pocky at a suburban SE Michigan (Grand Blanc) Wal-Mart today - so if it’s in white-bread, suburban Wal-Marts I’m counting it as ubiquitous. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/187 "2012-01-18T00:18:40Z")
36 to the best of my knowledge- my Dad used to have access to a major English zoo’s meat freezer, which contained some very interesting stuff, and I’m not wholly sure what he brought home somtimes…:eek: I’ve not been to the US, I’ve been veggie for 7 years and I’m 28, which cuts it down a bit. Crickets are on the list though 😃 1. Absinthe 2. Baklava 3. Barbecue Ribs 4. Black Pudding 5. Borscht 6. Calamari 7. Chicken Tikka Masala 8. Churros 9. Crickets 10. Currywurst 11. Fresh Spring Rolls 12. Fried Green Tomatoes 13. Fried Plantain 14. Goat 15. Goat’s Milk 16. Haggis 17. Heirloom Tomatoes 18. Honeycomb 19. Key Lime Pie 20. Lassi 21. Nettle Tea 22. Oxtail Soup 23. Paella 24. Paneer 25. Pavlova 26. Pineapple and Cottage Cheese 27. Pocky 28. Polenta 29. Prickly Pear 30. Rabbit Stew 31. Sauerkraut 32. Spam 33. Sweet Potato Fries 34. Tom Yum 35. Venison 36. Wasabi Peas ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/188 "2012-01-18T00:24:36Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Yup, anyone who hasn’t spent time in Scotland or the UK (I live in the U.S. but grew up “over there”) would find my additions quite prosaic. The same goes for Southern/US entries on that list - normal if you’ve spent time here, not if you haven’t. > > I added Red Stripe because I’ve had it in Jamaica (it’s an iconic Jamaican brand) but have not seen it outside of that country. Mind you, I haven’t looked for it…I think it’s sort of equivalent to Budweiser here. Oh, right, OK. I thought you were going to say the beer itself was unusual in some way. If we include unusual brands, then the list is going to get huuuge. Irn Bru counts though, I reckon, because it is a distinctive flavour. Did you like it? ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/189 "2012-01-18T00:37:09Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Oh, right, OK. I thought you were going to say the beer itself was unusual in some way. If we include unusual brands, then the list is going to get huuuge. Irn Bru counts though, I reckon, because it is a distinctive flavour. Did you like it? It’s been many years - but yes, I liked Irn Bru! Touted as a hangover cure at the time (1970s) and I used it as such. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/190 "2012-01-18T01:50:30Z")
99 My parents never took me camping, therefore I never had a s’more. OK, I’m lying. 🙂 I can’t take anything like this seriously… it has haggis on it. How can that be a “can’t miss” food? I stopped reading when I hit haggis… until I looked at the end of the list and found s’mores. Please ignore this post ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/191 "2012-01-18T02:02:44Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I can’t take anything like this seriously… it has haggis on it. How can that be a “can’t miss” food? Because haggis is delicious. If you’ve ever eaten a hot dog you’ve probably already consumed similar constituent ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/192 "2012-01-18T03:10:25Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Because haggis is delicious. If you’ve ever eaten a hot dog you’ve probably already consumed similar constituent ingredients. LOL! No doubt, haggis is delicious to some people. It has to be, or it wouldn’t be sold. But I’ll pass. Forever. You can have my serving at the next haggis picnic. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/193 "2012-01-18T03:23:27Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I saw Pocky at a suburban SE Michigan (Grand Blanc) Wal-Mart today - so if it’s in white-bread, suburban Wal-Marts I’m counting it as ubiquitous. Huh. Like I said, I guess they really must have become much more widely distributed than they once were. Five years ago or so, I couldn’t find them anywhere but Asian grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/194 "2012-01-18T05:52:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I have only seen currywurst in Germany. It’s pretty easy to make yourself at home, but I’ve never seen a preparation of it available anywhere but as streetfood in Deutschland. I don’t remember seeing it in the States, but I admit to not having looked all that hard for it. I had it at an Imbiss along the Elbe, and it was tasty, though not in my top 100 things to eat. Really not even among the top sausages—that’d be reserved for the hot smoked sausage from Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX. Or a smoked boudin from Pierson & Co. in Houston. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/195 "2012-01-18T06:01:39Z")
I had currywurst for the first time in Hamburg, the Christmas before last. I was so excited - had been hearing about it for years. It was a huge disappointment. The sausage was nothing special, and the curry sauce was beyond sweet, and pretty revolting. They did have, however, an amazing machine they used to slice the wurst - just pop the sausage in the top and hold a tray below; bingo, sliced wurst. That made up for it. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/196 "2012-01-18T06:35:05Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > If you want Durian, go to your nearest Asian Market (Ranch 99 here in California). Follow your nose to the produce section… I’d send you some, but I think it’s against the law. I’ve _had_ Durian, but it was hard to get hold of - our Asian population is chiefly Chinese and Indian, so no, it wasn’t in our markets (I looked). Eventually got hooked up by a speciality fruit importer (ditto for dragonfruit and Buddha’s Hand) - but then again, that’s the kind of person I meet because I actively go looking for this kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/197 "2012-01-18T08:01:36Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Oh, right, OK. I thought you were going to say the beer itself was unusual in some way. If we include unusual brands, then the list is going to get huuuge. Irn Bru counts though, I reckon, because it is a distinctive flavour. Did you like it? Well every country has its weirdo soft drinks. Sweden has the likes of Pommac and Sockerdricka (literally “sugar drink”, the most honest name ever?). I remember drinking some foul local concoction on Malta. So I guess I was just more amused and confused by the randomness of choosing Irn Bru. Anyway, it isn’t like it doesn’t have an international presence: [http://www.theambeciles.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/RussianIrnBru.jpg](http://www.theambeciles.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/RussianIrnBru.jpg) Oh and Red Stripe is foul stuff. Drank far too much of it in my youth due to their sponsorship of music events. But really quite foul. Would never choose to drink it these days. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/198 "2012-01-18T09:35:45Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > :dubious: > > Crickets? Kangaroo? Frito pie? I’ll be plenty happy if I never dine on these. You only live once. Come on… you would never know how great you’d feel until you try them. You can only predict how something or some place is going to be until you actual get in it. All the preparations don’t mean a lot until you actually experience things. NO? Life is there so you can acquire vast experiences and memories. Still, no? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/199 "2012-01-18T15:16:56Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I had currywurst for the first time in Hamburg, the Christmas before last. I was so excited - had been hearing about it for years. It was a huge disappointment. The sausage was nothing special, and the curry sauce was beyond sweet, and pretty revolting. Yeah, all it is is basically knockwurst (or similar. I hear bratwurst is used in Western Germany, but I’ve only had it with knockwurst or a similar sausage) served with a ketchup spiked with curry powder. There’s nothing really special about it, and were I to nominate a German sausage as must-try street food, it’d be the Thuringer Rostbratwurst. ---
**Author:** ![Aeris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Aeris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeris)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462/200 "2012-01-18T17:22:49Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Pocky are simple Japanese cookie confectionery and are absolutely huge in Asia - and are now making inroads into the UK at least, albeit under the name ‘Mikado’. > > They and their countless imitators are nothing more than crunchy cookie sticks with the ends dipped in chocolate, though there are now dozens of varieties available, dipped in lemon candy and something pink that I can only think must be Hello Kitty vomit. There’s also a savory version called Pretz which come in flavors such as “pizza” and “salad”. I LOVE POCKY!! I love the pink kind too. Strawberry. Yum. I have had 34 things on the list. I’m 24 so I guess that’s good. Weird list though. Pineapple and cottage cheese?! What’s with that? That’s a special food in some way? I don’t get it. A few of the ones I’m proud of: alligator, absinthe, and currywurst. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-these-foods-have-you-tried-100-things/609462.md?page=11)