Right, so you always hear it, don’t you? British food’s got a bit of a reputation, and usually not for being the best. I kept seeing these lists online, “worst British foods this,” “most disgusting dishes that.” After a while, you start to wonder. Is it all just talk, or is there some truth to it? I’m the sort of person, if I hear something enough times, I gotta check it out for myself. Can’t just take someone else’s word for it, especially when it comes to something as personal as taste.
My Little Culinary Mission
So, I decided to embark on a little mission. My own personal tour of the so-called “worst” offenders of British cuisine. My plan was simple: find them, cook them if I had to, and actually eat them. No turning my nose up before I’d even had a sniff. I jotted down a few of the usual suspects. I had a little list going, something like this:
- Jellied eels
- Haggis (yeah, Scottish, but it’s always on these lists)
- Black pudding
- Marmite
- Spotted Dick (had to, for the name!)
Getting hold of everything wasn’t too bad, actually. Found a proper old-school pie and mash shop for the jellied eels. Bloke behind the counter gave me a bit of a look, like “you sure, mate?” but he served them up. The haggis I got from a decent butcher, and the black pudding was easy enough to find. Marmite, well, that’s in every supermarket, isn’t it? And spotted dick, well, that was a case of finding a good recipe and making it myself, which was an adventure in itself!
The Actual Taste Test
Okay, so the tasting. Jellied eels first. They looked… well, they looked like eels in jelly. Not much else to say. Cold, a bit wobbly, definitely an odd texture. The taste was, erm, subtle? Fishy, but not in a fresh-off-the-boat kind of way. Honestly, not for me. I can see why they get a bad rap if you’re not used to them. One bite was enough to know I wouldn’t be ordering them again.
Next up, haggis. Cooked this one myself, with the traditional neeps and tatties. Now, I was expecting the worst, given its reputation among the squeamish. But you know what? It was actually pretty good! Peppery, oaty, savoury. Really quite hearty. That was a proper surprise. Shows you, doesn’t it?
Black pudding. Had this with a full English breakfast. Again, people get funny about it because of what’s in it, but if you don’t think too hard, it’s just a rich, crumbly sausage. I quite like it, always have. Adds a good bit of flavour to a fry-up. So, no horrors there for me.
And then, Marmite. The ultimate test. Just a tiny bit on a piece of toast, like they tell you. That stuff is potent! Salty, yeasty, incredibly strong. I still don’t know if I love it or hate it. It’s just… Marmite. Unique. I didn’t spit it out, so that’s something, I guess. Definitely an experience.
I also gave that Spotted Dick a try. Had to make it, as I said. It’s just a suet pudding with raisins when you get down to it. Had it with a load of custard. It was warm, sweet, comforting. Nothing remotely “worst” about it, apart from telling people what you’re eating with a straight face.
So, Why Bother?
So, why did I put myself through all this? It’s a bit like this one time, years ago, I got talked into going on one of those ghost hunts. All my mates were saying how terrifying it was, how they’d seen stuff, heard stuff. I was proper skeptical, but also a bit intrigued, you know? So I went along. Spent all night in some creepy old house. Did I see any ghosts? Nah. Was it a bit spooky? Yeah, a bit, mainly ’cause it was dark and everyone else was jumping at shadows. But the point is, I went and found out for myself. I didn’t just sit there listening to other people’s stories. It’s the same with this food thing. I was tired of just hearing the bad press. I wanted my own opinion.
My verdict? Some of it, like the jellied eels, I can understand why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s an acquired taste, and I haven’t acquired it. But a lot of the other stuff, like haggis and black pudding, even Marmite in its own weird way, it’s just different. Not necessarily bad. Just food people grew up with, food that’s got a bit of history. So, next time someone tells you British food is terrible, maybe ask them what they’ve actually tried. You might be surprised. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I deserve a nice, normal cup of tea and a biscuit after all that.
