When one sets out to create a list, it is important to set standards. What criteria will be used to rule
out inappropriate items? Why is this item on the list in the first place? The BBC's list of the top 50 things to eat before you die seems to
be lacking some of these standards. Apparently, viewers and readers voted on food items, which were narrowed to a field
of 50 based on the number of votes received. The top 10 were:
- Fresh fish
- Lobster
- Steak
- Thai food
- Chinese food
- Ice cream
- Pizza
- Crab
- Curry
- Prawns
Aussie meat pies (40) and pancakes (14) were good choices, as was the unusual durian fruit (42), but "Chinese food" and "Thai food" seem overly broad. Also on the list were fairly common items, like ice cream and chocolate (23), were not excluded from the list simply because everyone has already eaten them. Guinea pig (32) and squid (28) seem like questionable choices, in general. And how on earth did sandwiches - which came in at number 24 - make the list? Not even a specific sandwich was recommended!
If you only had to choose one food to eat before you died, would it really be a sandwich? For that matter, would it be haggis (48)? I would guess that mac and cheese might be a more popular choice. What would you put on the list?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-23-2006 @ 11:28AM
Nova said...
I hate to be broad in my suggestion, but I vote for Ethiopian food. The bread, injera, is mandatory. The cuisine is great for vegetarians. I didn't know so many creative things could be done with lentils and peas. Doro wat, a chicken stew, is a favorite.
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3-23-2006 @ 12:21PM
random said...
It's an interesting list. Since it's BBC-produced, it's more geared to what is available/not available in the UK than elsewhere I'm guessing. I was able to knock out about 43 out of 50 from the list. I like to try everything. Sadly, some of the meats would be way too difficult to obtain in the US...unless we like to eat our pet guinea pigs. ;) Guess I have to get some traveling in before I die. Some day, some day...
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3-23-2006 @ 1:05PM
Kate said...
That list is so broad, it's kind of ridiculous. I'd narrow down "Greek Food", number 25, to Saganaki, my personal favorite Greek dish.
Also, an entry for just "pasta"? Yikes.
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3-24-2006 @ 7:18AM
Jim In Holland said...
If I had to die tomorrow, and I wanted to eat a sandwich as the last-meal, it would have to be a proper new jersey sub sandwich: big crusty italian bread, proper meats and cheese (capicola and provolone required), oil and vinegar (no freakin' mayo - I mean, how sick is that?) oregano, spices, etc.
Then roll me over 'cause I'm done. Ahhh....
While I love living here in The Netherlands, I really miss my sub sandwiches...
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3-28-2006 @ 8:11AM
alexis said...
If I knew I was going to die and it would be my last meal then I would eat shrimp and lobster since I am so deathly allergic to both it would kill me anyway. But one food that must be eaten before one dies is spaghetti carbonara, complete with artery clogging ingredients such as bacon, cream and egg yolks. Yum!
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3-28-2006 @ 9:41AM
Melanie said...
My all-time favorite -- CRABS. Give me crabs any day and I'd be satisfied. Of course, second runner up is SHRIMP. I love seafood, what can I say. But CRABS are a taste and flavor I could never get enough of.
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3-28-2006 @ 4:17PM
conniemay said...
What ever happened to fried chicken, fried turkey and the biggest hamburger with onions baked in the oven or
french fries. If I am going to die I want to eat rich greasy food. After all I'm going to die and I love mac and cheese, lasagna with lots of cheese and pizza sauce. yummy
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3-28-2006 @ 4:38PM
ALLIE said...
Fried Chicken should b number 1 on the list!! It's what I'd want.
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3-28-2006 @ 6:41PM
taariq taaj ali said...
balut is a good choice it's a duck embryo
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4-12-2006 @ 9:33PM
Owen Linderholm said...
WAy back when when the first top 50 list (top 50 food experiences) first came out, some food bloggers had some fun with it since most of the entries were completely impossible for ordinary people to fulfill. So we came up with this list that is a LOT more realistic....
http://www.tomatilla.com/2005/07/final-50-in-no-particular-order.html
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