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I came across [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/50eats_index.shtml"]this[/url] mildly interesting survey (or maybe I'm just hungry ). Anyway according to a 2004 BBC Food poll, people voted for the following as things to sample before the grim reaper comes a knocking:

(if you click on the link above you get the original list and each entry has a little blurb on it)

1. Fresh fish
2. Lobster
3. Steak
4. Thai food
5. Chinese food
6. Ice cream
7. Pizza
8. Crab
9. Curry
10. Prawns
11. Moreton Bay Bugs
12. Clam chowder
13. Barbecues
14. Pancakes
15. Pasta
16. Mussels
17. Cheesecake
18. Lamb
19. Cream tea
20. Alligator
21. Oysters
22. Kangaroo
23. Chocolate
24. Sandwiches
25. Greek food
26. Burgers
27. Mexican food
28. Squid
29. American diner breakfast
30. Salmon
31. Venison
32. Guinea pig
33. Shark
34. Sushi
35. Paella
36. Barramundi
37. Reindeer
38. Kebab
39. Scallops
40. Australian meat pie
41. Mango
42. Durian fruit
43. Octopus
44. Ribs
45. Roast beef
46. Tapas
47. Jerk chicken/pork
48. Haggis
49. Caviar
50. Cornish Pasty


Clearly this is a very subjective and culturally specific list... but I'm not too sure about some of those...
And I've never really seen what is so special about caviar, beyond its exorbitant price

No. 47: Jerk Chicken/Pork ????

Are they saying the animals a Jerk? or has it been jerked around?









Or do they mean jerky?

Jerk chicken/pork is a way of preparing the meat in jerk sauce. My mother made some jerk foods before, but the only memorable one was a jerk steak she made years ago. For some reason, she decided to marinate the steak in the jerk sauce for way too long, so that when it finally came to eat it, no one could (even my father, who as a young adult used to have jalapeno pepper eating contests with friends, struggled to finish the steak). I seem to recall going through quite a few glasses of water that night (and I can't stand drinking water) just to finish half of the thing before I called it quits. Jerk foods tend to have a bit of spice to it, but this one surely took the prize.

To add to what Chim said, I believe jerked meat originates from Jamaica.

I really like it, but I prefer to avoid the suicidally hot varieties.
The best I ever had was in a little shack on a beach in Belize... The guys running it were Jamaican and they were cooking with the simplest of equipment. It was great!

Aside from Caviar, Prawns and Paella, I've had pretty much everything there at least once.

I've had three "near death" experiences. To be brutally honest, food was NOT one of my concerns in any of them. In fact, I tended to avoid eating for at least a day or two after each of them as well. Still, there are very few things that beat a good steak.

I have eaten a lot of that list too, but I haven't had:

*Moreton Bay Bugs
*Kangaroo
*Guinea pig
*Shark
*Barramundi
*Australian meat pie
*Durian fruit (the smell is just too off putting )

dragon wench wrote:I have eaten a lot of that list too, but I haven't had:

*Moreton Bay Bugs
*Kangaroo
*Guinea pig
*Shark
*Barramundi
*Australian meat pie
*Durian fruit (the smell is just too off putting )

Moreton Bay Bugs: Ok, but nothing too spectacular, not as good as lobster IMO
Guinea Pig: Haven't tried, could ask the neighbour's child if I can "borrow" one :mischief:
Shark: Have you had flake? same thing, infact any cheap generic "fish & chips" is shark (ie if it doesn't have bones its usually shark)
Barramundi: Again nothing to write home about, I reakon Dory is better
Australian Meat Pie: I didn't know it was any different to any other meat pie?
Durian Fruit: I don't even know what that is

Like Magrus I have definitely not thought about food when I've been close to death, but I assume the list means "things to eat during your life" rather than the fewminutes or hours before death?

The list is so culture specific so it's difficult to comment, but:

11. Moreton Bay Bugs - I don't recall eating this, but on the other hand I eat a lot of new food when I travel and I usually only remember it if it was extraordinary delicious (like the food in Chengdou) or awful (like the dried seal intestinies)

12. Clam chowder - I've had similar soups but I don't know if they were called exactly this.

20. Alligator - I've had crocodile, I guess it's very similar? Has somebody tried both?

32. Guinea pig - not tried, but the hubby says it nothing special, just like any meat.

36. Barramundi - again, I don't remember if I tried this down in Oz or not, I've been there 2 or 3 times so I might have encountred it.

40. Australian meat pie - same as above, and like Mr Snow I also wonder how it differes from other meat pies?

@Mr Snow: Durian fruit is a large, sweet fruit that is very common everywhere in Southeast Asia. It is quite tasty and it has a characteristic smell that some people think is disgusting but personally I'm not too bothered. It's nothing compared to Swedish fermented herring (Surstromming) or the Icelandic rotten shark (hakarl).

where's lefse? lefse is one of the 10 basic food groups!

:laugh: Not in my country. What is lefse?

its kinda hard to explain. btw yes it is in your country, i live in minnesota.(sure, that practically is a different country, but who cares) its sorta like a bread thats really thin. i cant figure out how to explain it, try lookin it up on google or the wikipedia. they can explain better than me.

Magrus wrote::laugh: Not in my country. What is lefse?

Norwegian naan.

what's naan?
edit: nevermind. i looked it up. that describes it pretty good.

wing wrote:its kinda hard to explain. btw yes it is in your country, i live in minnesota.(sure, that practically is a different country, but who cares) its sorta like a bread thats really thin. i cant figure out how to explain it, try lookin it up on google or the wikipedia. they can explain better than me.

Yeah....better than calling my two ex's that live there. *shudders* They never mentioned the stuff. Weird. They babbled like mad about everything else.

@Magrus and CE,
I'm pretty sure it means things to eat over the course of one's lifetime.

Hmm... Speaking of naan.. That really should be on the list as well. Really good freshly made naan can almost be to die for... Paired with a vindaloo or buttered chicken.. and it's bliss all over the tongue

dragon wench wrote:... and it's bliss all over the tongue

I'm not sure that's regulation verbiage DW.

I haven't had a lot of those items, but have had a lot of things that aren't on the list.

@wing, are you kidding? Minnesota is closer to Scandanavia than Denmark! I love it though. It's truly a gem of our nation. Espescially for a blue state.

1. Fresh fish- I'm not much of a fish guy. I like it, but unless I'm in the mood it's just another option for me.
2. Lobster- I've only really had Lobster in things. Never real lobsters. Odd, I live on the east coast of Florida. It's certainly easy to get.
3. Steak- In my opinion, Iowa has the best beef in the world. 100% corn fed beef is so yummy. I like Iowa Beef Steakhouse in Des Moines. Every dinner is $18 and included salad bar and a potato(baked, mashed, or fries). You get a $1 discount if you cook it yourself. You also get to pick the steak by hand. They have everything from chicken to pork chops to filet. It's an amazing place.
4. Thai food- I'd like to try it. I like a lot of similar things. There are some good places near my office, but there's always somewhere else I want to go.
5. Chinese food- This is a staple of mine.
6. Ice cream- about the only desert I eat
7. Pizza- I work one day a week at my buddies pizza place and I'm from the midwest. I live pizza. I make mine from scratch in a cast iron chicken fryer, It's about 5 inches deep.
8. Crab- I like it, but it's too much work if you don't buy it prepared.
9. Curry- I've never had a true curry because they're hard to get anywhere I've lived. I use that particular spice blend when my wife lets me get away with it though, and I'm partial to the chicken with curry sauce at a local chinese place.
10. Prawns- Never had them to my knowledge. I've eaten a lot of other shrimp type seafood though. I'm assuming they're similar.
11. Moreton Bay Bugs- those are some ugly buggers. I would try them, but I would probably just prefer crabs.
12. Clam chowder- I love chowder. CE, you have to get some real New England clam chowder next time you're in the states. I'm assuming you end up in Massachusetts occasionally. It's ubiquitous there.
13. Barbecues- I love barbecue of all sorts
14. Pancakes- I make them every sunday. I also used to cook for Cracker Barrel. I like their pancakes a lot.
15. Pasta- another staple of mine. I prefer my tomato sauce from scratch or the veal piccata I make. Preferably with farfalle or some other "chuncky" pasta.
16. Mussels- I really only like these with tomato sauce on pasta
17. Cheesecake- about the only other desert I like
18. Lamb- One of my faves. The Methodist Church stand I worked at as a kid at the 4-H fair(yeah, I know.. I'm real country) served Lamb-Burgers. Those are amazing.
19. Cream tea- This sort of thing is not done in Florida or Iowa so, I've never tried it.
20. Alligator- Yummy! I like gator tail battered and Fried. Espescially with swamp cabbage! (that's heart of palm for non-floridians)
21. Oysters- Only had them in stew. I love that though.
22. Kangaroo- I do eat at McDonald's occasionally. My dad always called it Mac & Don's House of Kangaroo. Other than that I haven't had it.
23. Chocolate- 70% cocoa or higher only, please.
24. Sandwiches- I love sandwiches of all varieties.
25. Greek food- I love greek food! Especially salads with extra kalamata olives, or a sloppy street vendor Gyro with onions, lettuce, and extra sauce.
26. Burgers- I managed hamburger places for years. I still love them.
27. Mexican food- Another fave of mine I usually get Arroz con Pollo or Chile Rellenos.
28. Squid- I love it fried with tomato sauces. A little spicy is good too.
29. American diner breakfast- Duh. Awful House rules!
30. Salmon- I eat it, but Im not a huge fan.
31. Venison- very good stuff. Makes a mean chili too.
32. Guinea pig- Uhh.. Is that even legal in the US? I'm sure it's a lot like rabbit, which I love.
33. Shark- never had it to my knowledge and most fish and chips in the US is haddock, pollock, or cod. I've had all of those.
34. Sushi- I'm not a huge fan, but I've had it half a dozen times. My wife likes it.
35. Paella- I don't know if I've ever had real Paella. I have has a lot of things like it and I like those.
36. Barramundi- never had it
37. Reindeer- what? SO not available here.
38. Kebab- Sure, who hasn't had this? Yummy stuff.
39. Scallops- I like em, but I'd rather have something with a little more texture like shrimp. A lot of times you get nasty fake ones that are cut out of rays. Those are no good.
40. Australian meat pie- I've never had this, and the closest thing that I have had is American Pot Pies. I like those!
41. Mango- I'm not a fan. I don't like many fruits or anything sweet really.
42. Durian fruit- never had it, but see above.
43. Octopus- never tried this, is it like squid?
44. Ribs- I prefer Country style pork ribs, from Iowa, boiled first, then charred on the grill, KC Masterpiece Hickory flavor on the side. I have a picture of my mother holding up a plate of Iowa ribs on my digital camera. It's one of my favorite foods.
45. Roast beef- I had this like two nights ago.
46. Tapas- I've always wanted to try some of these dishes. Never have though.
47. Jerk chicken/pork- I steer clear of jamaican food in general. The real deal is made with Habenero and I also steer clear of that even though I love spicy food.
48. Haggis- I just can't bring myself to eat this, daring as I usually am.
49. Caviar- never had the chance
50. Cornish Pasty- never had the chance

So yeah. Thanks to anyone with the patience to read all of that. Not too bad for an Iowa boy, right?

jopperm2 wrote: 12. Clam chowder- I love chowder. CE, you have to get some real New England clam chowder next time you're in the states. I'm assuming you end up in Massachusetts occasionally. It's ubiquitous there.

I certainly will! I have collaborators in California + the major cities on the north part of the east coast.

37. Reindeer- what? SO not available here.

Not? You mean the subtropical swamp areas are not crowded with lichens-eating reindeer? Maybe the alligators would like them? It's quite good though, especially with fresh, lightly fried Cantharellus cibarius (I don't know the English name for this delicious mushroom - chanterelle perhaps?) I had it last when I was on a hiking trip in Swedish Lapland in July.

38. Kebab- Sure, who hasn't had this? Yummy stuff.

I rarely care about what I eat as long as it's sufficiently nutritious, but there is this one kebab restaurant in Aqaba, Jordan which I will never forget...I feel dizzy just thinking about it. A pity it's not exactly around the corner from where I live.

43. Octopus- never tried this, is it like squid?

Very much so, yes, harder to chew though, more rubber-like.

49. Caviar- never had the chance

Long ago I had a bf/lover/something similar in Moscow. He had a lot of contact with foreigners, so he used to stuff his fridge full of Beluga caviar which at that time could be bought for a cheap price in Russia directly from the fishers (at the black market of course). Every time I was in his house, I used to eat tons of it, I just love it, with Russian blini and smetana. I Europe I would never eat it, because it's riciculously expensive. Here, it's better to eat roe from salmon or whitefish.

Moreton Bay Bugs? What the heck is that? Ive sampled alot of the things on the list and nothing really jumped out at me. During my years in the military I got to see alot of the world and taste some pretty exotic dishes. The one thing though that freaks everyone out when I tell them is from my year and a half in South Korea. I had dog. Of course they call it something different, Kagogi if memory serves correct. It wasnt too bad actually. The toughest part in eating it is getting over the mental image of my dog that was back home. I find myself pretty brave when it comes to sampling but there was quite a few things I just couldnt bring myself to try. There was live baby octopus on a stick and candied roaches. Ok maybe they werent roaches but they sure looked like it.

Boy, don't you love it when you type out a nice lengthy-ish post and then your web browser decides to crash on you? -.-

47. Jerk chicken/pork- I steer clear of jamaican food in general. The real deal is made with Habenero and I also steer clear of that even though I love spicy food.

Oh yeah, I can attest to the joys of the habenero. My parents first experienced it in Belize (somehow I think I missed out but got to live viariously through my parents' love of it since then ) and they *loved* it. Ever since then, my mother has been ordering habenero pepper sauce to put in foods she cooks, and she got seeds from somewhere and now has grown several habenero pepper plants (while they were away on vacation 2 months ago, their pepper plants yielded quite a bounty of peppers, so much so that there was something close to 20 of them in the fridge, and I liberated three of them [sadly, I never got around to making the pasta I was going to put them in and now they are starting to go bad]). Those things are beyond spicy, but they'll clear out your nasal passages like nothing else. :laugh:

Cheesecake I really like only if when you take a bite of it, it melts in your mouth. To me, that's the perfect cheesecake. Anything that doesn't melt like that, IMO, is a lesser imitation of the good stuff.

I'm not partial to mussels, as the only times I've had them, when I bit into them they exploded and filled my mouth with something that had the consistency of sand (and probably was). That puts me off right there.

I was never really all that into steak, but that's just me. Or lobster or crab, for that matter, and I've had all three of these several times in my life from several different sources. They're just not for me, I suppose.

Now, I love a good pasta. My favorite dish of all time is my mother's own pasta (she doesn't make it entirely from scratch, she buys the pasta shells). I love almost anything with tomato sauce, actually, but my favorite food is my mom's pasta with Italian hot sausage she gets from a nearby Italian deli. Also, she loves to put habenero pepper sauce or pepper chunks in the sauce; somehow, for several months, whenever I visited and she made the pasta, every first bite I ever took had a sizable chunk of the damn pepper in it, so right away my eyes get watery.

Mmmm, clam chowder. My first bowl of New England Clam Chowder was on the cusp of divine; subsequent bowls failed to deliver, a point that is a tad bit distressing to me. (I figure it's like watching something that's really hilarious; subsequent viewings will never be as funny as the first time)

Chocolate's a bit iffy. I couldn't stand the stuff as a kid; I'd eat Peanut M&Ms, and that was the extent of my chocolate-eating. Later in my childhood, I somehow *grew* into liking the stuff (I recall one time in particular when my 3rd grade teacher was giving out items in class, and she had a chocolate Easter bunny that made my mouth water, much to my surprise). I've had quite a bit of chocolate since then, and my opinion is still a bit ambivalent. I've learned that I absolutely love white chocolate, I can tolerate milk chocolate, but I cannot stand dark chocolate. I'm not into the bitter stuff.