Classic British cuisine is often criticized, earning a spot on TasteAtlas’s list of the world’s least favorite meals. Among nearly 600,000 reviews, East London’s eel in jelly ranked fifth worst, with only 2.1 stars. This traditional dish, originating from the 18th century, features eels set in gelatin. At the top of the list was Finland’s Bloodpalt dumplings, scoring 1.6 stars. Other poorly rated dishes included Spain’s Bocadillo de Sardinas and Sweden’s Kalsklov. Despite these rankings, TasteAtlas aims to promote local cuisine, encouraging curiosity about dishes that may be overlooked.
Classic British cuisine has been called one of the ‘worst rated’ cuisines in the world.
Travel guide TasteAtlas has compiled a list of its readers’ 100 least favorite meals from nearly 600,000 reviews from around the world.
At the bottom was Finland’s Bloodpalt dumplings, which received only 1.6 stars out of 5.
Reminiscent of northern Sweden and Finland, these dumplings are made from rye or barley flour mixed with animal blood.
But the British classic also made the list, officially marking it as the fifth worst dish of all time.
East London’s traditional eel in jelly was disliked by foodies for its unusual texture, scoring just 2.1 stars.
Cockney street food dates back to the 18th century as a way to provide cheap and easy meals. At the time, eels were one of the few fish that could survive the heavy pollution of the River Thames.
The eel is coated with gelatin, cloves, vinegar, white pepper, and salt, and is still readily available at many pie and mash stores.
Traditional British eel jellied dish named one of the worst dishes in the world
In second place was Spain’s Bocadillo de Sardinas with a score of 1.9.
At first glance, the sandwich looks unassuming, but inside it’s filled with canned sardines, which can be combined with bell peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, yogurt sauce, and more.
Third place went to another Swedish dish, the extremely high-calorie Kalsklov (a calzone pizza stuffed with a hamburger and fries).
Spain’s Angras a la Cazuela, which originated in the Basque region, came in fourth place.
The reader was clearly not a fan of eel or fish, as the traditional dish is made with angra (baby eel), garlic, pepper flakes, olive oil, and salt.
The rest of the top 10 includes New York City ramen burgers, Chapellere (chili bread), fave a la catalana (beans boiled with sausage), and Toramatur (Icelandic meat and fish, including shark) , which included a Thai fish offal sour curry.
Although the rankings are based on the opinions of TasteAtlas viewers, the website insists that the rankings should not be seen as the “global final verdict on food.”
The website says: “The aim is to promote excellent local cuisine, instill pride in traditional cuisine and arouse curiosity about dishes that have not yet been tried.”
At the bottom was Finland’s “blodpalt” dumplings, which received only 1.6 stars out of 5.
The rest of the top 10 included New York City’s Ramen Burger
Toramatur (a selection of Icelandic meat and fish, including shark) is also on the list.
Fried baby conger eel in olive oil, served on a terracotta plate
Chaperelle (Chilean bread) ranks among the top 10 worst dishes in the world
People were quick to share their opinions on the list, but opinions were divided on the eel in jelly.
they wrote: “A list where British ‘cuisine’ can finally have its moment of glory.”
“I had eel in jelly a few months ago in London and I absolutely loved it.”
“Is there only one English meal?”;
“I tried putting eel in jelly, but it was worse than bugs.”
“What do you mean, these all look delicious?”
Last month, TasteAtlas published the world’s 100 best foods, based on 335,106 ratings on 11,258 dishes in its database.
People were quick to share their opinions on the list, but opinions were divided on the eel in jelly.
Southern Thai cuisine (kaeng thai pla) – sour soup made of fish entrails and vegetables
In second place was Spain’s Bocadillo de Sardinas with a score of 1.9.
East London’s traditional eel in jelly has been given just 2.1 stars as foodies balk at its unusual texture.
However, this was bad news for the UK, as the roundup did not include British food, instead featuring traditional cuisine from countries such as Germany, America, France, Brazil and Italy.
The first place went to Lechona, a traditional Colombian dish of roasted pig stuffed with various ingredients such as onions, peas, fresh herbs and spices.
It has a rating of 4.78 out of 5 on the website, and one lechona can make more than 100 servings, so it’s often used at celebratory occasions.
But the guide says tourists can also sample Colombian cuisine in some restaurants in the big cities.
In second place was Neapolitan Pizza. Traditionally, this Italian dish has a relatively thin dough except for the edges, which swells up like a small bicycle tire when baked.
Made strictly in a wood-fired brick oven, there are two classic versions: marinara (tomatoes, garlic, oregano, oil) and the most famous, margherita (tomatoes, mozzarella, oil, basil).
Legend has it that Margherita pizza was created by a local chef in honor of Queen Margherita of Italy, who was visiting Italy in 1889. It has the red, white and green colors of the Italian flag.
Picanha, on the other hand, took third place. This Brazilian dish refers to fresh cuts of beef from certain parts of the animal that are often grilled.
From Neapolitan pizza to Panang curry, TasteAtlas has released its annual roundup of the highest-rated foods. The traditional Colombian dish “lechona” took first place (photo)
Second place was Neapolitan Pizza. Traditionally, this Italian dish has a relatively thin dough except for the edges, which swells up like a small bicycle tire when baked (pictured)
10th place was Tib. A popular Ethiopian dish made of stir-fried meat and vegetables with a flavorful sauce (photo)
Next, the guide featured lechta, a traditional Algerian dish of flat raw noodles served with a flavorful chicken sauce. It is often served at weddings and other occasions as a celebratory dish.
In fifth place is Thai panang curry, which often uses beef, chicken, duck, or pork, and is served without any vegetables in the sauce.
While many Thai curries are heavily stocked, panang is a rich, sweet, salty, nutty, and subdued sauce spiced with cumin, coriander, and nutmeg.
Asado ranks sixth in this guide, and its title refers to the culinary technique and social events of many South American countries.
The event, said to be similar to a barbecue, involves inviting loved ones to cook beef, pork, chicken, chorizo and other meats outdoors on special brick grills called parillas.
Çokertme kebab – a traditional Turkish kebab consisting of marinated veal, fries, tomato sauce and yoghurt – secured seventh place in the ultimate guide.
Meanwhile, in 8th place was Lawong, an Indonesian beef soup known for its dark color and spices.
9th place goes to “Kakebab”, a traditional dish said to have originated in Türkiye’s Erzurum province.
Marinate the lamb in the onion mixture for at least 24 hours, then grill it on skewers over an open flame for a delicious dish.
10th place was Tib. A popular Ethiopian dish made with stir-fried meat and vegetables in a flavorful sauce.
