100 Foods to Eat Before You Die

Drinking from a coconut cut fresh off a tree in Thailand.

I love food! And I love going on little food adventures, trying something I've never eaten or heard of before, so when I saw the facebook app listing 100 foods to eat before you die, I had to check it out. 

As I went through this list, I was surprised by how so many of the foods brought up very strong associations and memories for me. Here they are, with a bit of my commentary. I crossed off the ones I've eaten. (About half!)

1. Abalone (This always reminds me of the book Island of the Blue Dolphins. All I remember of that book is the main character gathering abalone all the time.)

2. Absinthe

3. Alligator 

4. Baba Ghanoush

5. Bagel & Lox

6. Baklava (Yuuuummmmmmm.)

7. BBQ Ribs

8. Bellini

9. Birds Nest Soup (Could have gotten this in Thailand and didn't. Dang.)

10. Biscuits & Gravy

11. Black Pudding (This is where I draw the line. I would never eat this.)

12. Black Truffle

13. Borscht

14. Calamari

15. Carp

16. Caviar

17. Cheese Fondue

18. Chicken & Waffles (People in Los Angeles love this. I am a bit underwhelmed by it.)

19. Chicken Tikka Masala

20. Chile Relleno (LOVE these.)

21. Chitlins

22. Churros

23. Clam Chowder (Had it in a bread bowl in San Francisco. Classic!)

24. Cognac

25. Crab Cakes

26. Crickets (Considered trying this in Thailand too. Don't regret my decision to not eat it!)

27. Currywurst

28. Dandelion Wine

29. Dulce de Leche (During her childhood in Argentina, my mom ate this all the time. When I was a child, she would often make it at home. Back then no one knew what dulce de leche was. My how times change.)

30. Durian

31. Eel

32. Eggs Benedict (I can't believe I've never had this!)

33. Fish Tacos

34. Foie Gras

35. Fresh Spring Rolls

36. Fried Catfish

37. Fried Green Tomatoes (Been wanting to try these too.)

38. Fried Plantain (Had this in Sierra Leone all the time. It was my favorite thing to eat there.)

39. Frito Pie

40. Frogs' Legs (Had this on a high school choir trip to New York City.)

41. Fugu (Between the steep price and the risk of death, I will probably never eat this. Check out the wiki article.)

42. Funnel Cake

43. Gazpacho

44. Goat (I just tried goat for the first time on our anniversary!)

45. Goat's Milk (hoping cheese made of goat's milk counts!)

46. Goulash

47. Gumbo

48. Haggis (This almost crosses the "I wouldn't try it" line.)

49. Head Cheese (Pretty sure this crosses the line.)

50. Heirloom Tomatoes (Now I just want to grow them.)

51. Honeycomb (So fun to chew it until you're left with just a ball of wax in your mouth. Still remember the first time I tried it at an 1800's style farm in Illinois.)

52. Hostess Fruit Pie (random!)

53. Huevos Rancheros

54. Jerk Chicken

55. Kangaroo

56. Key Lime Pie

57. Kobe Beef

58. Lassi

59. Lobster

60. Mimosa 

61. Moon Pie (This list is so random.)

62. Morel Mushrooms (Want!)

63. Nettle Tea

64. Octopus (Had it for the first time when I re-visited Portugal when I was 14. I loved it.)

65. Oxtail Soup

66. Paella

67. Paneer

68. Pastrami on Rye

69. Pavlova (Had to look this one up. Now I want it.)

70. Phaal

71. Philly Cheese Steak

72. Pho (Pho will always remind me of Los Angeles.)

73. Pineapple & Cottage Cheese

74. Pistachio Ice Cream

75. Po' Boy (Never heard of this before, but it sounds great!)

76. Pocky (Think I've had this... not too sure though.)

77. Polenta

78. Prickly Pear (I may have had this in Mexican food. Not sure.)

79. Rabbit Stew (Rabbit is delish! Common dish in Portugal where I was born.)

80. Raw Oysters

81. Root Beer Float (Love these.)

82. S'mores (Camping classic.)

83. Sauerkraut

84. Sea Urchin

85. Shark

86. Snail (May have had this, too. Don't remember.)

87. Snake

88. Soft Shell Crab

89. Som Tam

90. Spaetzle 

91. Spam (yuck.)

92. Squirrel (This makes me want to finish reading the Hunger Games series.)

93. Steak Tartare

94. Sweet Potato Fries

95. Sweetbreads

96. Tom Yum (Yay! Thai food!)

97. Umeboshi

98. Venison (My great aunt hunts. I remember eaten her venison chili in their home in the snowy woods of Minnesota.)

99. Wasabi Peas (I still remember popping a free sample from some market in Philadelphia into my mouth and regretting it.)

100. Zucchini Flowers (I've been wanting to try stuffed zucchini flowers for some time now. Perhaps I should plant zucchini just for the flowers...)

How many of these foods have you tried? What memories are attached to these foods for you? Which ones would you never try? Feel free to comment below. Don't be shy. : )