Okay, so, “gross British food,” right? I saw this trending and thought, “Challenge accepted!” I’m always up for trying weird stuff, so I decided to dive in and see what the fuss was all about. And, man, was it an experience.
The Hunt Begins
First, I figured out what I even wanted to try. After scrolling through some pictures, and a lot of strange names, I settled on a few “classics”:
- Stargazy Pie
- Jellied Eels
- Black Pudding
Seemed like a good, disgusting mix, you know?
Finding the Goods
Next up, I had to actually find this stuff. That was a whole job in and of itself. Regular grocery stores? Nope. I ended up going to this little British import shop I found online – it was pretty far, but I was committed at this point.
The “Cooking” (and Tasting)
Okay, the Stargazy Pie…I had to kinda assemble that one myself. It’s basically a fish pie, but the fish heads are sticking out of the crust, staring at you. Seriously, staring. Getting the pastry right was tricky, it kept falling apart. I finally got it into the oven. It smelled…fishy. Not bad, but, you know, fishy.
The jellied eels…those were already “cooked.” More like preserved. They come in this…well, jelly. It’s like fish jello. I just had to open the jar. The smell was…intense. Kinda vinegary and fishy at the same time.
Black pudding was the easiest. It’s a blood sausage, basically. I just sliced it and fried it up in a pan. That actually smelled pretty good, all smoky and savory.
The Verdict
Alright, time to eat.
Stargazy Pie: Honestly, not that bad. The fish was okay, the pastry was flaky (once I got it right). The fish heads, staring straight to me, were a bit much, though. I mostly ate around those.
Jellied Eels: Nope. Nope, nope, nope. The texture was…wrong. Like eating cold, fishy rubber bands. The taste was even worse. Super salty and…fishy. I managed one bite and that was it.
Black Pudding: This was the winner, if you can call it that. It was actually pretty tasty! Crispy on the outside, kinda soft on the inside. It had a strong, meaty flavor. I would actually eat that again.
Final Thoughts
So, yeah, “gross British food” is…an adventure. Some of it’s okay, some of it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Would I do it again? Maybe. But I definitely need a strong drink and a long break before I even think about those jellied eels again. shuddering.
