The Deets

14 Comments on “100 Foods to Eat Before You Die”

1. 
   Hannah Valentine
   August 30th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

   You can knock a few of those off at a decent Indian restaurant (maybe a buffet).

   St. Petersburg (http://www.myvodkabar.com/) has a decent borscht.

   Many Vietnamese restaurants include head cheese in their take-away sandwiches; that’s about the only way I can eat it–the texture just bugs be otherwise.
   On that note, Evergreen and Quang have pretty good lookin’ steamed pork buns.

   Haven’t been there yet, but I know Harry’s (http://www.harrysfood.com/) has poutine on the menu. I do actually want to go there and try it sometime.

   You can pick up Durian from a couple of asian markets around town (I know Shaung Hur carries them). Maybe get a few friends together to knock that off their list too–they’re pretty big ; ) Be sure to grab some Pocky on your way out!

   The tea (Lapsang souchong) you can likely pick up in a good tea shop; I’d recommend stopping in at La Société du Thé on Lyndale.

   That’s it for recommendations… I have 46 off the list so far, and at least a number of them should be pretty easy to get.

2. 
   Emily
   August 30th, 2008 at 3:06 pm

   I tried crocodile in Australia, but I”m really sure where you could score some a little closer to home.

   It was sort of like a cross between chicken and fish.

3. 
   Judy Klassen
   August 30th, 2008 at 3:31 pm

   9. Borscht – to try real Russian Borscht go to Grand Forks, BC. There are lots of Dukobours here that still make the best borscht

   18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
   Best I’ve found so far is from Forbidden Fruit Winery in Cawston BC. Their website is: http://www.forbiddenfruitwines.com/index.html
   Excellent wines! I really like Adam’s Apple Wine.

4. 
   Jeff Deitch
   August 30th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

   47. Chicken tikka masala – Sarah says she’ll make this for you.
   59. Poutine – Harry’s does have it. Not something I needed to eat before dying.
   62. Sweetbreads – Vincent on Nicollet is the only place I know around here with sweatbreads.

   

5. 
   Sarah Deitch
   August 31st, 2008 at 3:36 pm

   Dude, stay away from the black pudding aka blood sausage, it’s worse than haggis!!! It’s for your own good! Trust me on this one Ed!

6. 
   kohler
   August 31st, 2008 at 3:56 pm

   Dang, looks like I have a tour of places to hit thanks to Hannah. Thanks for that.

   I’ll keep an eye out for Croc. That sounds like something worth trying.

   Judy, I’ll definitely have more of BC to see and taste.

   Jeff, thanks for the tips. more stuff to do this fall.

   Sarah, I had blood sausage in Uruguay. I didn’t realize black pudding was another name for it. Thanks for the tip on that. It was definitely a 1-time thing.

7. 
   Bill Roehl
   August 31st, 2008 at 7:33 pm

   2. Nettle tea

   I have had this thanks to our CSA. I wasn’t impressed. Nettles, to me, are still an annoyance and considering the burning on my hands and arms from today’s hike in Miesville Ravine Park, I can’t be bothered trying it again.

   5. Crocodile

   I’ve had this twice or three times, all before I was 15. I wasn’t impressed.

   9. Borscht

   Great stuff that is awesome on a cold winter day. Highly recommended.

   18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes

   Check out Minnestalgia wine from McGregor. Apparently their seasonal choke cherry wine (not the choke cherry stuff you can get during the rest of the year) is amazing. I have had a bunch of homemade wine that had ingredients such as peaches. Yum.

   19. Steamed pork buns

   Check out Satay 2 Go in Apple Valley. They have pork buns that are excellent as well as plenty of other Asian bakery items that are well worth the trip.

   26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper

   No hotter than a habanero with similar flavor (they are ‘cousins’). Neither has a great flavor when eaten alone. I have eaten both raw but they aren’t really all that much to write home about.

   36. Cognac with a fat cigar

   Make sure you warm it in your hand before you drink it for the best flavor. The cigar, IMHO, ruins the experience but I’m weird.

   41. Curried goat

   Curry is ok but I’m not so much a fan of it. Goat, however, is excellent and should be on your list to eat when you get a chance.

   42. Whole insects

   I’ve eaten worms on a bet (swallowed whole) and chocolate covered grasshoppers. I wasn’t impressed.

   45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more

   I love Scotch whiskey and have several bottles in my cabinet as I write this. While I have none that are over $120 a bottle, you can get a nice glass at any decent restaurant. You might want to check out The Depot in Minneapolis for a decent deal. When I was there their price for 8 year old was the same as 18 year old Glenlivet. 18 year old Glenlivet is 80 to 90/bottle but I like it better than some of the much more expensive ones I have had before.

   50. Sea urchin

   Try any sushi restaurant worth its salt. My recent favorite has been Ronin Sushi Cafe in Lakeville.

   54. Paneer

   Try the offerings at Sambol in Eagan or if you’re looking for a more inexpensive trip, check out Kurry Kabab in Northfield. Both have excellent dishes for reasonable prices.

   66. Frogs’ legs

   I realize that this is a big think for some but it really didn’t do anything for me. I have had it several times since I was 10 or so. It really does taste similar to chicken but it’s a bit rubbery especially when improperly prepared.

   70. Chitterlings, or andouillette

   I’m not sure why eating intestines impress people but it wasn’t my thing.

   78. Snail

   Done properly it’s fantastic. Otherwise, it’s another rubbery mess that’s not worth your time.

   83. Pocky

   You can pick it up in the Asian aisle of any Cub or some local Asian restaurants. I like Men’s Pocky the best but Strawberry is damn good too. A few years ago Aaron bought Kim and I a random assortment of Pocky for a Christmas present. It was fucking awesome.

   100. Snake

   Honestly, not worth your time. Move along.

8. 
   Katie
   September 1st, 2008 at 9:16 am

   I’ll make you mole poblano. I have some old Mexican cookbooks that I can dig through for a recipe. I’ve made mole before and had it several times – yum!

9. 
   Q Wizz
   September 1st, 2008 at 10:12 am

   china.

10. 
    Todd
    September 2nd, 2008 at 6:03 am

    I enjoy the borscht at the Russian Tea House on University in St. Paul. Go on a Friday and get the beef stroganoff too. They’re only open for lunch.

    “Cognac with a fat cigar” … gonna have to go for that one soon.

11. 
    BigDubb
    September 2nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm

    Ok, I’ve taken ur list, checked off some, excluded others, and investigated a few.

    Fugu… won’t that kill you? Is it worth it?

    Black Truffle A whole truffle, thats like $400, or something with black truffles, i.e. butter, cheese, ham etc.?

    I was also glad to not see any zimern-esque dining choices. i.e. some smoked of soup.

12. 
    Hannah Valentine
    September 2nd, 2008 at 6:38 pm

    @BigDubb: I’ve heard (never having tried it myself, mind) that fugu isn’t really all that great–it’s the adrenaline rush one gets from eating something potentially dangerous that makes it worth while for some.

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    December 2nd, 2008 at 9:47 am

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