100 foods to eat before you die

[nisaba]

A facebook app for foodies, stolen from facebook because I don't trust any apps there and there's no space for rambling. And where's the fun in that?

100 foods to eat before you die, compiled by someone on the internet. Foods I've tried in bold:

Comments

[steer]

Steak tartare doesn't require particular bravery, it's not a very extreme taste (not exactly bland but it's not like anyone would ever taste it and go "ooh, that's a strong taste").

Weirdly I had both spaetzle and steak tartare over the weekend (though I was only trying some of Caron's spaetzle). Spaetzle is good comfort food... to me it's sort of like macaroni cheese.

To my shame I've also eaten shark but I know better now and never would these days.

How have you never had pistachio ice-cream? It's lovely. Or key-lime pie for that matter.

You could probably do crab cakes and Tom Yum with a quick visit to a thai place -- both are lovely. (Crab cakes are not a strong "crab" taste). If you were lucky you could also get soft-shell crab too.

Sweetbreads, by the way, don't mean what some people think they mean... they refer to certain glands (thymus and another I forget), not usually testicles. They're pretty delicate tasting really.

I've only had dried Durian... like certain cheeses it really does taste much better than it smells but it's not amazing.

Because I'm the type who basically orders things on menus by habit if I don't know what it is or if I do but I've not had it, I guess I've noshed my way down about 2/3 or 3/4 of this list... of the ones I want to try, fugu is the top but it is super expensive... specially prepared porcupine fish contains a small dose of a toxin which is supposed to add to the taste (but alas is fatal if badly prepared in which case it contains a not-so-small dose of a toxin). It's ruinously expensive and can't legally be served in the EU unless you take steps to get round. More realistically I've never had kobe beef.

[nisaba]

It's a mental block with steak tartare. Raw beef. I've managed to bring my "eww raw meat!" reaction down to the point where I prefer a medium rare steak, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that extra step. Maybe one day.

I think I've had shark as it's commonly sold in Aussie fish and chip shops as "flake". I haven't had it for years though as I don't really like most fish.

I don't like nuts, so I've assumed I wouldn't like pistachio ice cream. Also, those places usually also sell my favourite mint choc chip which I almost never say no to.

I'm sure I've even ever seen a key lime pie. For weird American pies I've had pumpkin pie though, that was pretty good.

I didn't think sweetbreads were testicles, I thought they were random internals that mostly sound gross to a wuss like me.

Did dried durian smell less? I've heard it doesn't taste like it smells but with that stench I don't think I could physically bring myself close enough to the fruit to take a bite out to find out.

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to ordering, although I've been trying to make myself be more adventurous the last few years which has added a huge amount to the list. 10 years ago I doubt I could have ticked 10 of the things on it. Fugu sounds like something you should definitely not try at home! Kobe beef means a trip to Japan, both are things I want to do. If Australia is too far, maybe we should meet in Japan one day for steak!

[steer]

"eww raw meat!"

Heh... you OK with sushi?

commonly sold in Aussie fish and chip shops as "flake"

Ah... that's not so bad... most of the things sold as "flake" are not particularly endangered though some sawsharks can be.

I don't like nuts, so I've assumed I wouldn't like pistachio ice cream.

Pistachio ice cream tastes more like the "green" taste in the pistachio rather than the "nut" taste. It's worth trying.

I'm sure I've even ever seen a key lime pie.

How weird... I mean they're a very common desert in the UK. Tesco, waitrose, sainsbury all sell their own version. It's like coming across someone who's never seen strudel or a swiss roll.

I thought they were random internals

Which they pretty much are... but I've never really "got" why people are squicky about organs. I can sort of see it with external organs like eyeballs or tongue which you're used to seeing and look kind of icky when in place and working... but "yuck, how can you eat a thalmus, I much prefer to tuck into the body of muscle tissue, particularly the gluteus maximus but abdominals if I can't get that"... weird preference no?

(Tongue is actually pretty nice but a bit fatty tasting.)

Did dried durian smell less?

I've never smelled fresh Durian AFAIR... dried durian is pungent but only so much as one of the weirder cheeses from Borough market.

Kobe beef means a trip to Japan

I guess it depends how strict you're being. I saw Wagyu burger on the menu in a cheap east end burger joint yesterday and ASDA sells it.
http://iforswelshwagyu.co.uk/beer_massage.html

maybe we should meet in Japan one day for steak!

Now that *would* be cool.

[nisaba]

Sushi is even worse. Raw meat AND it's fish. I've managed to eat some really mild non-oily fish in recent years, but generally I really don't like the taste of fish.

I didn't know pistachios tasted "green". Curious. Ok I should give that a try,

Maybe I should say I've never even looked for a key lime pie? I'm not too bothered by lime (unless in margarita) or pie, and if I'm after a dessert I'll always pick something with chocolate. Seems a waste otherwise.

With sweetmeats, I'm not pretending there's any logic. A lump of liver looks gross to me in a way that a lump of raw chicken breast doesn't. Although handling raw meat did used to gross me out a bit when I was younger, but as a poor student with even less idea on how to cook veggies I had to overcome it or starve. Sometimes texture grosses me out though, I'm not a fan of porridge or semolina for that reason.

Sounds like dried durien is milder, It's been many years since I smelt it, my memory may have exaggerated it, but I recall the smell of a pile of fresh ones at a Thai market as like being hit in the face with a wall of rotting garbage.

This guy reckons, until very recently, the only real Kobe was in the Japanese province that Kobe is the capital of, and Wagyu just means "Japanese cow". So we'll just have to go to Japan! (oh noes etc...)

[steer]

Let me know how

This guy reckons, until very recently, the only real Kobe was in the Japanese province that Kobe is the capital of, and Wagyu just means "Japanese cow"

I read that article -- the situation is a bit different here in the UK I think though. The Wagyu cattle are from authentic bloodlines hence have the marbling that's important in the beef (and apaprently are likely to be more humanely reared than in Japan).

[nisaba]

I think it comes down to whether the term "Wagyu" is legally recognised and protected in local law. Unless it is, anyone can call any random piece of beef "Wagyu". Which isn't to say that some farmers, like the ones you linked to, aren't doing it properly, more that you can't trust that every instance of Wagyu is from a genuine Japanese breed. For example, this article suggests that Australia has rules, but with no enforcement a lot of people are flouting them.

I mean, Asda Wagyu? Do they think that's Japanese for horse? ;)

[steer]

Well aparently the ASDA stuff is actually not so bad :-)
http://your.asda.com/aislespy-farming/asda-wagyu-scoops-best-beef-product-at-national-awards

I guess in time it will be certified in the UK like Aberdeen Angus or Hereford.

[nisaba]

So Asda say! ;)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/nov/16/asda-wagyu-beef-raising-steaks
http://www.slow-life.co.uk/asdas-make-believe-wagyu-beef/

Sounds good for a supermarket steak, but not a patch on the real thing.

If it is certified I'm guessing Asda won't be able to call their steak wagyu any more, as it's not a pure breed.

And I'd definitely rather travel to Japan than Asda to try it ;)

[steer]

Their plan is to move to a purebreed set up if it takes off -- by which point it should be much easier as there are pure breed herds in Wales, Australia and so on with documented bloodlines. Not sure if it will take off... interesting though.