china! italy! lol! i'll ridicule picks more later. for now i'll take...


USA#1

Don't think so either. Clear #1 overall for me.

Also lolfilthy. Could have taken WN's offer and still picked that.

usa is clear number one over all pick. usa food is AMAZING and has food from all over. arguably the best chinese food in the world is in usa, same for italy, and same for every other country. and bbq OMG! ribs, steak, ice cream, apple pie, burgers, california cuisine, the veggie revolution with places like chez panisse in berkeley california

there is a reason america is the fattest country on the planet

no one's gonna go to a food festival to eat a Big Mac

only about 5 billion people

I'll give you BBQ, and the US does plenty of other things fine too. But when it comes to americanizing other nationalities' cuisines the best stuff gets lost in translation.

We have several regional culinary dialects. Not as many as China, probably.

Italy probably my #1 just in terms of balancing health (if responsible), accessibility, and taste.

again, USA not so much

Filthy didn't disappoint.

Am I up?

I had Italy as the #3 pick behind China and [UNDRAFTED]. Although I think it's outside my personal top five.

I thought china might slip to me, which means I have two to pick between.

Gonna go feed the pigs/sheep. I'll pick when I'm back.

I'm picking


Kinda crazy [undrafted] is still outstanding, but we've got the best seafood in the world, some of the best beef, and a history of outstanding vegetarian food to boot.

Food matters in Japan like it does in only a handful of countries.

Fuller write up to come.

Japan was the other one of my top three, and the one I agonised longest over taking as #1, think it's outstanding value at #4.

i like the japan pick. probably the most damning criticism i'm capable of giving

Japan and Italy are the GOAT picks

China shouldn't be a round 1 pick imo

USA is typical filthy

filthy's USA pick is by far the least spewy round one pick I remember him taking in a pog draft.

[/damningwithfaintpraise]

Will have my pick/write-up within an hour.

the very last draft i was in was the box office movie draft. i picked spiderman homecoming in the first round, and it was widely praised as a good pick.

USA#1

BBQ- ribs, steak etc

Fried Chicken (mic drop)

Coca Cola etc

Freedom Fries(**** undrafted stinky coward mime country)

Corn - it's the cornerstone food of the world

Pizza(it's not italian. it's american)

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Thanksgiving Dinner

BLT

Banana Split, Ice cream, Apple Pie, Hot Fudge Sundae, etc

Potato Chips

Popcorn

I mean come on! What great food ISN'T american???? Oh, China has some rice. yum. fortune cookies and street dog. Italy has pasta and disgusting meat. Japan has raw fish

And America has southern food, California wines, and California has the best produce in the world, Maine lobster, bison, boar, abalone, Alaskan crab, San Francisco sour dough, Cajun, Tex Mex

There is literally so many great, unique American foods, I can't list them all


*edit* donuts

Was disheartened when my efforts to get Italy in trade turned up empty. But I'm getting what I would have taken #2 overall at #5, so I can't cry too much. With the number of regional variations, this country could have easily been spread out into more than half a dozen picks. Their food is perfect for this type of festival. And using the "food matters in this culture" criterion that kokiri just put out there, this pick can't be beat.

With my 5th overall pick, I select:

Spoiler:

Spain

Where to start? I guess with the stuff everyone knows.

This is Valencian paella. It is amazing.


Here is chorizo. Also amazing.


More meat! Here is Jamón ibérico.


If it's a cooler day and you want stew? You're in luck!


Seafood is a thing here too. Here's Galician specialty polbo á feira.


And omg the cheeses. Here is manchego, my personal #1 cheese in the world.


This is a churro. Put whatever you want on it.


There's also an abundance of fresh fruit. And I haven't even gotten into the drinks! (Sangria, horchata, lots of tasty wines....)

So, yeah, Spanish food is pretty amazing. And at a festival setting? This will be the craziest most awesome tapas experience you can imagine.

This is true for any draft I have participated in.

The worst part about the pick is that there was a trade offer on the table. If filthy picks it at #8, and gets some quality picks in later rounds in return, I'd actually be praising the selection.

yeah, usa is a terrible pick but spain is great value