Jellied eels is a traditional Cockney street food item, dating back to the 18th century. Originally, it was a cheap and easy way to make a good dish, with plenty of native eels readily available in the Thames River. The eels would get chopped, boiled for approximately half an hour in herbs, then cooled - that is when the fish would produce their own gelatin, and a soft, transparent jelly would form on the cut pieces.
The texture of jellied eels is delicate and soft, and while some may say it's unpleasant, their flavor is unique - mild, slightly salty, like pickled herring, but without the unusual "fishy" scent. They are commonly accompanied by white pepper and vinegar in order to further accentuate the flavors.
MOST ICONIC Jellied eels
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In the late 19th century a scientist named Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer’s yeast could be concentrated, conserved, and eaten. Officially, the production of this sticky, thick spread started in 1902, when the Marmite Food Company was founded in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
The product was originally sold packed in earthenware pots and in the 1920s they were replaced with glass jars that are still used today. In 1908, the New Zealand company Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing bought the rights to sell Marmite, but they slightly altered its taste by adding caramel and sugar.
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This simple, elegant staple of the famous British afternoon tea, known as cucumber sandwich, is a concoction made with crustless triangles of lightly buttered white bread that is filled with paper-thin cucumber slices, a little bit of salt, and a dash of lemon juice.
The Brits invented it during the Victorian period, when it was mainly popular among members of the upper class. Today, there are many variations on the original, with added tuna, eggs, cream cheese, and mayonnaise.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Afternoon tea
MOST ICONIC Cucumber sandwich
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Christmas pudding is a staple dessert at every British Christmas dinner ever since its introduction by Prince Albert. Early versions contained meat such as beef or mutton, along with wine, onions, dried fruits, and warming spices. Today, Christmas pudding does not contain meat, but fruits, eggs, suet, molasses, and spices instead of it, and every family has their own recipe for this steamed treat.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Steamed pudding
MOST ICONIC Christmas pudding
View moreSaveloy is a bright pink, heavily seasoned sausage that is typically served in fish and chip shops throughout the country. Originally, it was made with pork brains, but nowadays it is prepared with a combination of beef, pork, spices, and rusk.
People often compare its flavor with red pudding or frankfurters. Saveloy must be cooked before serving, and it is usually boiled, grilled, or fried in batter. For the best experience, it is recommended to serve it with chips on the side. However, in the North East of England, saveloy is commonly consumed in a sandwich with pease pudding.
MOST ICONIC Saveloy
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Pease pudding is an English dish consisting of boiled peas with onion and carrots, which are seasoned with salt and other spices, and then cooked together with bacon or ham for extra flavor. The final result is a thick porridge with mild, yet rich flavors.
Originally, pease pudding was cooked in large cauldrons which were hanging over an open fire. Today, it is even available in cans throughout the United Kingdom.
MOST ICONIC Pease pudding
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Newmarket sausages are traditionally made exclusively from high-quality fresh pork cuts from the shoulder, belly or from the whole carcass, and then carefully seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices such as white and black pepper, salt, thyme, parsley, and nutmeg.
When uncooked, it is pink-beige and has a dry, coarse texture. Originally, it was eaten as a breakfast meal or a hot snack by the racegoers in Newmarket, a town famous for its horse races. Newmarket sausages are sold today as pre-packed regular sausages, cocktail sausages, chipolatas and as sausage meat, or loose from the counter.
MOST ICONIC Newmarket sausage
Devils on horseback is a flavorful and juicy English appetizer that combines sweet and savory flavors. It consists of prunes wrapped in bacon, the whole concoction baked until there is a blissfull contrast of the sweet, almost melting prunes and crispy, salty bacon.
Some like to pair this appetizer with alcoholic beverages, while others enjoy it as a savory snack at the end of a big meal. This small treat is often prepared for festive events, such as Christmas feasts.
MOST ICONIC Devils on horseback
Phall is the hottest curry in the world, originating from Indian restaurants in the Birmingham, England. It is based on lamb or chicken meat, with the addition of tomatoes, ginger, and a combination of numerous fresh and dried hot peppers. Many people say that it is painfully spicy, which isn't surprising considering that one of the peppers used in phall has a Scoville rating of 1,000,000.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Curry
MOST ICONIC Phall
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Hog's pudding is a traditional sausage-like meat product from Devon and Cornwall. It is quite spicy and contains flavorings such as basil, garlic, cumin, and black pepper. The sausage is typically prepared with pork meat or offal, pork fat, bread, suet, and either pearl barley or oatmeal.
The combination of those ingredients is usually stuffed into an pig instestine, and the sausage is traditionally fried in a pan or baked in an oven.
MOST ICONIC Hog's pudding
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “62 Worst Rated English Foods” list until April 20, 2025, 10,405 ratings were recorded, of which 9,312 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.
I agreed about the worst dishes , jellied eels, kidneys yuk