chickenfeet

That 100 food meme that referenced earlier was, as ll such lists seem to be, decidedly odd. It seemed to focus on the "exotic" meaning, as far as I could see, either likely to disgust somebody or rare and expensive. I think it would be much more interesting to compile a list of the most worthwhile (for some gastronomic value of worthwhile) things to have eaten. Naturally this assumes well prepared versions of any given dish or food. Even black pudding fans, such as myself, would concede that it can be very nasty indeed.

If I were to compile such a list I feel sure it would be very category driven. There would be the bourgeois French classics (raie au beurre noir, cassoulet, choucrout garnie etc). There would be the great noodle soups of south east Asia (lakhsa, kao soi, pho etc). There would be the British ready prepared classics (black pudding, Arbroath smokies, potted shrimps etc). North American breakfast/brunch foods (eggs Benedict, huevos rancheros, corned beef hash, pancakes with bacon and maple syrup). I would probably add pasta and rice dishes and no doubt some Indian and Thai classics though beyond the one dish meal soups it gets harder since the true beauty of Thai, Indian and Chinese meals lies in the combination of dishes rather than in their individuality.

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that good eating doesn't lie in ostentatious 'luxury' but in relatively common ingredients combined with care and flair. Ok, I'll stop channeling Elizabeth David now.