Jellied Eels

Jellied Eels has been a traditional English dish since the 18th century enjoyed by many in East London areas. The dish is composed of chopped eel bits that have been boiled with a concoction of spices and stock. After boiling, it is then able to cool and set, which forms the jelly surrounding the eel. This dish is served cold and with bread and vinegar to accompany it.

Viewing the images, we can see that this dish is anything but appetizing in appearance. For the greater good, I set out to try it and rate it on a scale of 1-10, considering flavor, texture, and of course price.

So I headed to Camden and decided on a fish and chips place called Poppies that serves Jellied Eels. After ordering and waiting with anticipation to see if this 10-pound dish would be worth it, I was feeling quite nervous. After a few minutes, a server brought the dish to the table and the time had come for me to try it.

This had to be one of the worst things I have ever tried, and considering I like seafood, that says a lot. The texture of the eel was slimy and grainy. I tried it with vinegar to see if it would mask the saltiness or help make the eel edible, but it didn’t help. After taking two bites I was ready to leave the rest. Overall I would rate this dish a 1.5 out of 10 and would not recommend it to my greatest enemy.

Black Pudding

Black pudding has a deep-rooted history in British cuisine and is a popular side dish for a classic British breakfast that includes eggs, beans, mushrooms, toast, sausage, hash browns, and of course black pudding. Black pudding is a sausage made from pig’s blood, onions, herbs, oatmeal and barley. This dish is also known as blood pudding.

I went to one of the top ranked British breakfast spots called E. Pellicci, a small dinner that has been around for decades. I ordered the classic British breakfast and was intrigued to see how the black pudding would taste. On the contrary this dinner was quite lovely, and after waiting in line for over 30 minutes, I was hungry and ready to eat. This dish cost 14 pounds but included a lot of food. This restaurant is also cash only so if you decide to visit make sure you bring cash along.

Finally the dish came out and looking at the plate I was quite excited. I tried the black pudding and was very surprised by the texture; it reminded me of a meat substitute. It had a grainy feeling but the flavor was not bad. This dish surprised me but is not for everyone. I am glad I tried it but would not eat it again. I give black pudding a 5 out of 10 and would recommend others to try it for a full British experience. The vibes of this restaurant are very homely and it is run by friendly staff. The wait was worth it and when looking for a good English breakfast I would recommend it.

Haggis

Haggis is the national dish of Scotland composed of liver, heart and the lungs of a sheep. It is combined with spices, minced beef, onion and mutton suet, and then tightly packed into sheep stomach lining and boiled.

When in Scotland it is a must to try this dish although it is seemingly disgusting and unappetizing. After staying the first night in a hostel in Edinburgh, I decided to venture out and find some Haggis. I chose a local restaurant and put in my order, waiting nervously to try this dish. This meal cost 12 pounds, and I wasn’t looking forward to any part of it. Thoughts

Never again will I be eating Haggis, and although it plays a huge role in Scottish culture, I just could not stand the taste. Frankly, it tastes exactly like what it is — in the worst way possible. While the flavor is not the worst, the chewy consistency and odd combination of meats does not blend well together. Haggis is absolutely disgusting, and I apologize if I offended any Scottish people with that statement. I would give this dish a 2 out of 10, my second lowest rating. Trust me, there are other classic Scottish dishes that are far better to sample.