Vegetarian 100

I wouldn't normally do another very similar meme so recently after doing the Vegan 100, but I just found the Vegetarian 100 from Feeding Maybelle. I really liked this meme because its emphasis is more on produce and unusual or unrefined natural wonders. It's closest to the list I would write. My one problem with the Vegan 100 was that many of the items were just vegan versions of things that are made from meat or cheese, instead of amazing things that everyone should try. My second biggest problem with the Omnivores 100 (the first being all the animal products, of course), is that it seems to promote elitism through conspicuous consumption and to be monetarily beyond the reach of most folks--can every omnivore afford to spend upwards of $120 on something as luxurious as a bottle of whisky, especially in a recession? I think Maybelle's Mom's Vegetarian 100 is particularly great because it kind of subversively shows how much wider the diet is of most people once they become vegetarians.

When I ate meat, my diet was very simple, consisting mostly of potatoes, white rice, carrot, onion, tomatoes, peas, green beans, corn, pinto beans, wheat, apples, oranges, bananas, and iceberg lettuce in addition to the usual animal products. Now I probably have twenty different kinds of grains alone in my pantry. I can't find it now, but about a year ago, I read a study that said most Americans eat only twenty kinds of plants in their lifetime. Since crop diversity is such a huge issue, which most people are completely unaware of, this seems like a great way to raise awareness about the enormous variety of food available.

Key:
bold = have eaten
unhighlighted = haven't eaten
struck out = won't ever eat

Vegetarian 100
Click on the (?) if you need an example. Thanks to Maybelle's Mom for the original list and links!

1. Edamame (?)
2. Cha Soba (?) - It's so pretty.
   
3. Arame (?)
4. Earth Balance Buttercream - I'm not a huge fan, it's so sweet it gives me a terrible headache, but it can be beautiful.
   
5. "Homemade" sprouts
6. Green Bamboo Rice (?) - It has a lovely subtle flavor, great smell, and it's so pretty!
   
7. Absinthe
8. Eat at a raw restaurant - Well, only had a la carte items from Whole Foods' raw bar and The Daily Juice, aside from the things I've made.
   
9. Fresh (real) wasabi - I've had real wasabi, but not fresh. I've heard it's more complex.
   
10. Deep fried pickle - I tried them at the Alamo Drafthouse. I don't really like dill pickles to begin with, so I wasn't expecting to like them, and I didn't. I guess I was really just trying it to say I did.
    
11. Fiddleheads (?) - They look sort of neat, but they also kind of remind me of rolly-polys, which is a bit unsettling.
    
12. Garlic stuffed olives
13. Smen (?)
14. Goji Berries (?)
15. Shiso or Perilla (?) - Pickled and fresh. I like the fresh kind in sushi, and the pickled leaves in pressed salad, or wrapped around tofu, dipped in tempura and fried.
    
16. Amaranth (?) - I eat the grain much more often than the greens, which are super high in oxalic acid and should be avoided.
    
17. Pomegranate molasses (?)
18. Water convulvulus (Water Spinach) (?)
19. Pea eggplant, Thai eggplant, green eggplant, Japanese eggplant, Indian eggplant, Sicilian eggplant... - I don't really like eggplant much, although I think it looks gorgeous.
    
20. A Zen Buddhist Vegan Meal (?) - Only the ones I've made, though.
    
21. Kohya Dofu (?) - The texture is interesting, and it soaks up a ton of flavor, but it squeaks against your teeth when you chew, and it's kind of like eating a sponge. I prefer freezing tofu myself.
    
22. Wild Asparagus (?) - It has such a lovely delicate flavor and presentation.
    
23. Elderberry (?)
24. Candlenuts (kemiri) (?)
25. Salsify (?) - I eat this often, usually in kinpira, but I call it burdock.
    
26. Nutritional Yeast (?) - I know many vegans love it, but I use it very rarely and sparingly.
    
27. Pandan (?) - It sounds great, and I'd love to try it, especially after seeing these photos.
    
28. Roman cauliflower (?)
29. Anything with acorn flour (?)
30. Poi (?)
31. Chaya (tree spinach) (?)
32. Pitahaya (dragon fruit) (?) - Looks neat, but I've heard that it isn't very flavorful.
    
33. Asafoetida (?) - I've known many yogis and other people who abstained from eating onions and garlic because they said onions and garlic brought about the "Seven Bad Buddhas" (sort of like the Seven Deadly Sins for Buddhists, I think?) and were too physically stimulating, when they wanted to be mentally aware. Often, they used asafoetida to approximate the taste.
    
34. Fried plantains - I tried to make these once, long ago, but I didn't know that the plantains should be very, very brown to indicate ripeness, and they were terrible.
    
35. Basil seeds (?)
36. Cardoon (?) - I really want to try these, I bought a cardoon seedling, but the bugs ate it almost immediately.
    
37. Durian (?)
38. Ground Cherry or cape gooseberry (?)
39. Fresh water chestnut (?) - I see these all the time at the grocery store, but I don't know how to prepare them.
    
40. Cashewnut cheese - Yummy, especially in desserts, but I think I actually prefer macadamia or almond cheese.
    
41. Nettles (?) - Christina Pirello has a recipe for Stinging Nettle Gnocchi, which I'd like to try, but it sounds dangerous.
    
42. Fake duck from a can, tofurky, or any prepared vegetarian product to resemble meat - The faux Peking Duck is interesting occasionally.
    
43. Kimchi (?)
44. Masala Dosa (?)
45. Lotus Seed (?)- I love them cooked with brown rice.
    
46. Matcha (?) - I don't like it.
    
47. Loubie Bzeit (?)
48. Quince (?)
49. Blue Potatoes (?)
50. Injera (?) - I LOVE injera!
    
51. Nasturtium (?) - They have a nice spicy flavor and look pretty growing in your garden.
    
52. Turkish Delight or Lokum (?) - I have a feeling I've tried this, but I can't recall when I would have.
    
53. Spruce tips (?)
54. Breadfruit (?)
55. Mangosteen (?)
56. Swede or Rutabaga (?)
57. Garlic Scapes (?)
58. Lavash (?)
59. Candied Angelica (?)
60. Rambutan (?)
61. Sambal (?)
62. Bhutanes Red Rice (?) - Pretty, more nutritious than white rice, and a bit more toothsome than brown rice.
    
63. Candy-cane or Chioggia beets (?) - Gorgeous.
    
64. Mango -Rich, sweet, and creamy....what's not to love?
    
65. Ras el Hanout (?)
66. Vegan marshmallow (?)
67. Umeboshi (?)
68. Red Currants (?) - I love substituting dried currants for raisins in recipes. Fresh currants come in black, red and white. They are so pretty and luminous, and they're in season right now.
    
69. Puy or French lentils (?)
70. Millet (?)
71. Fresh Bamboo shoot (?) - I can't believe I've never tried these. I don't really like the canned kind, but I'm intrigued by fresh bamboo.
    
72. Jerusalem artichoke (?) - These are great.
    
73. Wild strawberry (?)
74. Jambool (?)
75. Po cha or Yak butter Tea (?)
76. Adzuki beans (?) - I love them.
    
77. Shirataki (?)
78. Manioc, yuca, cassava (?)
79. Quinoa (?)
80. Ramps (?)
81. Chufa (?) - I'm really curious about the horchata made from this.
    
82. Purslane (?) - We're growing some in our garden for salads and garnishes, but it grows all over. I've seen it in creaks in the sidewalk along busy streets.
    
83. Curry Leaves (Kadipatta) (?) - I use dried curri leaves often.
    
84. Sorrel (?)
85. Sumac (?) - I love it in zatar seasoning. Apparently, it was the original coloring for pink lemonade..at least according to JD.
    
86. Vegan cupcake
87. Montreal bagel (?)
88. Peri-peri (?)
89. Syllabub (?)
90. Chartreuse (?) - I am so intrigued by this.
    
91. Kamut berries (?) - I like using puffed kamut to make vegan "rice" crispy treats.
    
92. Kalamansi Lime (?)
93. Aloe (?) - When I lived in Tennessee, my boss used aloe juice often for her clients with inflammation. It's very cooling, but not so tasty (it's often sold with fruit flavoring or juice added to temper it). Since then, however, I've heard some negative things, but haven't done much research.
    
94. Morels (?)
95. Raw “bread” - I'm assuming this includes manna and Essene bread.
    
96. Dandelion Wine - It sounds interesting.
    
97. Rosti (?)
98. Loomi (?) - I'm so intrigued by these, I was into Persian food in a big way last year, and almost mail ordered some, but I've found at least two markets that sell these in town since. Perhaps I buy some for a stew when it gets cooler.
    
99. Stinky tofu (?) - I'm equal parts intrigued and complete put off. On the one hand it's deep fried and served with a sauce, on the other...well...it's stinky.
    
100. Something grown by you