The Omnivore List: 100 Foods Any Good Omnivore Should Eat At Least Once

    The Omnivore List [1] was something put together by a British blogger recently. It states that there are 100 different food items that any good omnivore should eat at least once in their life. It seems a little odd that a Brit would be any kind of authority on the the subject of food, but whatever. I do agree with some of the items on the original list, but I think there is room for improvement... Living in the twenty first century we can skirt a few of the old 'peasant' foods. I'm talking about the butcher's leftover pie type of shit people had to eat back in the day when outhouses were all the rage. In an age of refrigeration and bioengineering, the world might be better of if people stopped eating crap like brains, haggis and pig's feet.

Trimming the Fat

    I approached this list as something that should be indulgent and not really a chore. When I think about eating a Big Mac, black pudding or sweetbreads, it's usually not happy thoughts that come to mind. Maybe it's just personal taste, and sure, you should try everything at least once. Unless, of course, you're allergic... I decided to alter the Omnivore List a little with some of the things I think it's import to eat. Well, important may be a little too strong, here are a few additions that will be fun to eat and give you a little perspective.

    One of the major differences in my list is that I've tried to be more specific in my suggestions. For example, I have Deer Jerky on my list instead of Venison. Venison is just deer meat, it's a little too vague for my liking.

I can has Krispy Kreme Cheezeburger

    My first substitute food would have to be the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger [2]. Any doughnut and beef patty will do really, but if you're going to go this far why not go for the ultimate in artery-clogging decadence? The doughnut hamburger fusion works by virtue of the transitive property, which is to say that doughnuts are good and hamburgers are good so therefore a doughnut hamburger will be good. Go ahead and try one, you might like it... if it doesn't kill you.

    Secondly, I'd remove the "hotdog from a street vendor" from the list. Hot dogs are good but everyone knows they are better when you get them at a ballpark. There are plenty of good street foods out there that are more deserving of a spot on the list, such as the kebab. Kebabs, Döners and Gyros are all the same thing. It's basically a warm lamb meat sandwich served with pita bread. Having not been to Asia, these are the pinnacle of street food in my opinion. Crepes aren't half bad either.

    Like I'd said before, all of the odd animals and animal parts are getting removed from my list. This pertains to stuff like oxtail, insects and roadkill that people haven't really needed to eat since they got a subscription to the Food Network. If you're still living in a third world country or if you're holed up on the Unabomber's estate, then you're welcome to come up with your own list of 100 roadkill dishes everyone should try.

    Finally I'd have to take wasabi peas off of the list. I think wasabi is best as a condiment. There are plenty of this little nitpicky changes I won't bother typing out here, but you can see them and their notes in the full list below.

My Omnivore List

1. Deer Jerky or Deer Nuggets
2. Turtle Cheesecake [3]
3. Huevos rancheros [4] or any true "Western" omelet
4. BBQ Pizza
5. Steak tartare [5] (Any raw steak will do)
6. Corndog
7. Crocodile or Alligator (I've never had croc but I've eaten alligator, it's like greasy chicken. It makes for pretty good fried nuggets)
8. Fondue, Cheese and Oil (Nothing beats communal cooking of skewered meats)
9. Fried Chicken Drumsticks
10. Kebab, Greek or Turkish (Bonus points if it's called a Döner or Gyro )
11. Inari [6]
12. Sourdough Bread
13. Calzone
14. Black Cherry Cream Soda [7]
15. Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips [8] (Bonus points for Sea Salt and/or Malt Vinegar)
16. Schweinshaxe [9]
17. French Fries
18. Tuna Salad
19. Fruit Roll-ups [10]
20. Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich [11]
21. Hot dog from a ball park, preferably during a baseball game
22. Pork Rinds
23. Lasagna
24. Knackwurst
25. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (This is a good one, I'd suggest trying Raspberry Wine, it goes well with cheesecake)
26. Fruit Pebbles [12]
27. Oatmeal & Butterscotch cookies
28. Mead [13] (Similar to the previous bullet, but with honey. Honey makes everything better)
29. Gourmet ice cream (including flavors such as French Vanilla, Cookie Dough and anything with butterscotch in it)
30. Jagermeister [14]
31. Gelato [15] (basically just soft and creamy Italian ice cream with fresh fruit in it)
32. Corn on the Cob, with just the right ammount of butter and salt
33. Fresh Bell Peppers
34. Hash Browns
35. Kettle Corn [16]
36. Doughnut Holes (bonus points for Bavaria cream
37. Funnel Cakes [17]
38. An Onion Blossom [18]
39. Baklava [19]
40. Pakora [20]
41. Wasabi
42. Schrimp
43. Prosecco [21]
44. Hot Potato Soup with chives and a pinch of salt and pepper
45. Sauerkraut [22]
46. Root beer float
47. Curried goat
48. Burnt Ends [23]
49. Egg Rolls
50. Fresh Apricots
51. Krispy Kreme Hamburger/Cheeseburger
52. Cauliflower
53. Tacos
54. Baked Ravioli
55. Buttered Brussel Sprouts
56. Waffles with powdered sugar and syrup
57. Fried Dill Pickles with Ranch Dressing
58. Buffalo Chicken Wings
59. Cornbread with butter and honey
60. Onion Rings
61. Hot Fudge Sundae
62. Green Beans with real bacon bits and fresh onions
63. Chai Tea
64. Spaetzle [24]
65. Crepes, sweet and/or savory
66. Fresh Peaches
67. Beer (Bonus points if it's from Germany or Belgium)
68. S’mores [25]
69. Spiced Rum
70. General Tso's Chicken
71. Fried Ice Cream [26]
72. Currywurst [27]
73. Durian [28] (I admit I haven't tried this but after watching Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern try it I think it's something I'd have to try at least once)
74. Nachos
75. Absinthe [29]
76. Hostess Fruit or Chocolate Pies, the handheld ones
77. Scrambled Eggs with salt and ketchup
78. Cinnamon Rolls with liberal amounts icing
79. Rabbit
80. Turkey Jerky
81. Duck a L'Orange [30]
82. Horse
83. Sweet and Sour Chicken/Pork
84. Reese's Pieces [31]
85. Spam
86. Smoked Salmon
87. Black Olives
88. Catfish
89. Apple Pie
90. Egg Nog
91. Tzatziki [32]
92. French Toast
93. Corned Beef and Hash [33]
94. Jerked Chicken [34]
95. Enchiladas (beef, chicken, cheese - it's all good)
96. Loose meat sandwich [35]
97. Gummi Bears
98. Fish Sticks and Tartar sauce
99. Hot Apple Cider
100. Bagels