100 Foods To Eat Before You Die (vegan friendly)

Lists are fun. Read (or watch) High Fidelity. I’m 124 films into the 1001 movies to watch before you die. Lists are fun because we can tick things off and scribble things out. Last week I filled out ‘The Food List Challenge’ on Facebook, and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of vegan, or potentially vegan foods on there. Still, I felt we could easily compile a list with the title ‘100 Vegan Foods to Eat Before You Die.’ This title, however, would be somewhat misleading as a lot of the foods I list here just happen to vegan; this isn’t a list of terrible cheese substitutes.

The first 45 are taken from the original 100; they are the already vegan and the potentially vegan. I am certain that some will disagree with my decision to include vegan caviar, but what I have tried to keep in mind is the experience. If I was eating my seaweed caviar on toast-points accompanied with some champagne and dressed in a dinner-jacket, then does it really matter that it’s not fish-eggs? This philosophy led me to include some other foods such as English chips from the paper and birthday cake. Of course the experience isn’t everything. Not everybody is going to be able to take a quick trip to Murray’s Bagels, NY. But I kept it in mind.

Also, I must confess that I haven’t eaten everything on this list. I’ve never even had tempeh, but it pops up on lots of other foodie lists. Besides, I bet not many of you have ever sampled sufu (aka ‘chinese cheese’) - truly a unique experience.

All of the vegan alternative recipes are easy to find online.

1. Absinthe

2. Baba Ghanoush

3. Baklava

4. Bellini

5. Biscuits & Gravy

6. Black Truffle

7. Borscht

8. Caviar - http://www.beverlyhillscaviar.com/specialty-seaweedcaviar/vegan-caviar/

9. Cheese Fondue

10. Chicken Tikka Masala

11. Chile Relleno

12. Churros

13. Clam Chowder (Isa Chandra Mosckowitz has a recipe for a delicious Glam Chowder in her book ‘Appetite for Reduction’)

14. Cognac

15. Dandelion Wine

16. Dulce De Leche

17. Durian

18. Fresh Spring Rolls

19. Fried Green Tomatoes

20. Fried Plantain

21. Frito Pie

22. Funnel Cake

23. Gazpacho

24. Goulash

25. Gumbo

26. Heirloom Tomatoes

27. Honeycomb (easily made with golden syrup)

28. Key Lime Pie

29. Lassi

30. Mimosa

31. Morel Mushrooms

32. Nettle Tea

33. Paella

34. Phaal

35. Pho

36. Pistachio Ice Cream

37. Polenta

38. Prickly Pear

39. Root Beer Float

40. Sauerkraut

41. Som Tam

42. Sweet Potato Fries

43. Umeboshi

44. Wasabi Peas

45. Zucchini Flowers

MY ADDITIONS

46. Quinoa

47. Tabouleh

48. Falafel

49.  Dried Mango

50. Dried Dates

51. Agave Nectar

52. Scrambled Tofu

53. Sufu

54. Guacamole from scratch

55. Physalis

56. Vegan Sushi

57. Tarka Dhal

58. Dolmades

59. Bean Chilli

60. Seitan

61. Tempeh

62. Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

63. Mojito

64. Bloody Mary

65. Miso Soup

66. Pistachios

67. Candy Floss

68. Figs

69. Refried Beans

70. Artichokes

71. Lychees

72. Chanterelle Mushrooms

73. Roast Potatoes

74. Arable Pie (Vegan Cottage Pie)

75. Canarian Potatoes with Mojo Sauce

76. Ginger Beer

77. Jelly and Ice Cream

78. Marmite

79. Vegan Chop Suey

80. Sangria

81. Deep Fried Tofu

82. NY Bagel with Vegan Cream Cheese

83. Peanut Brittle

84. English chips from the paper

85. Wedding Cake

86. Christmas Cake

87. Birthday Cake

88. Pina Colada

89. Coconut Water

90. Real Ale

91. Champagne

92. Chilli Jam

93. Mai Tai

94. Hummus

95. Cornbread

96. Grits

97. Naga Chilli Sauce

98. Maple Syrup

99. Vegan Yuk Sung

100. Thai Green Curry

We are familiar with the myth that a vegan diet cannot be diverse and exciting, but this collection, which had to be cut down, shows how varied it can be. Many may point out the obvious: ‘vegans just can’t eat as many foods’ but in many cases I think the vegan is prompted to try a wider variety of dishes that are sometimes overlooked.