Thais disappointed as favourite fish dish Kaeng Tai Pla voted ‘worst food in the world’ by TasteAtlas

Although Kaeng Tai Pla was disliked by global eaters, it is considered a delicacy and sometimes a must-try for visitors to the South, the country’s biggest fishing region. - Photo: The Nation Thailand/ANN

BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Thai netizens are disappointed after the signature dish of the Southern region “Kaeng Tai Pla” (fish entrails sour curry) was ranked in the number one spot by TasteAtlas on its list of “100 Worst Rated Foods in the World” published last month.

Their disagreement with the list has resulted in the hashtag #saveแกงไตปลา (save Kaeng Tai Pla) trending on several social media platforms this week. Many have been posting in English urging visitors to Thailand to give this dish a chance before judging by the ranking.

The ranking was based on 433,877 user ratings on the TasteAtlas website as of March 16, but only 301,750 ratings were considered eligible by TasteAtlas, which is headquartered in Croatia.

TasteAtlas is an experiential travel online guide for traditional food that collates authentic recipes, food critic reviews, and research articles about popular ingredients and dishes.

The website describes Kaeng Tai Pla as “This thick and aromatic fish curry originated in southern Thailand. The base of the dish is prepared with tai pla—fermented fish entrails—and a spicy curry paste consisting of chilli peppers, galangal, shrimp paste, turmeric, shallots, and lemongrass.

“Other additions usually include dry fish, diced eggplant, bamboo shoots, string beans, or other vegetables. Because of its intensity and strong, pungent aromas, kaeng tai pla is best served with steamed rice on the side. Traditionally, this Thai curry was only prepared with fish, and most varieties do not use coconut milk.”

Second place on the list of worst food in the world is Iceland’s Hákarl, followed by Egypt’s Fesikh, Israel’s Yerushalmi Kugel, and the United States’ Luther Burger.

Although Kaeng Tai Pla was disliked by global eaters, it is considered a delicacy and sometimes a must-try for visitors to the South, the country’s biggest fishing region.

Some foreigners even find the curry dish delicious, including Park Kideuk and Jung Kyungtae, South Korean YouTubers behind “Cullen and Jung”, a travel vlog that is popular in Thailand.

In December, TasteAtlas published the “100 Best Dishes in the World” list that included five Thai dishes. They are Pad Kaprao (3rd place) Khao Soi (6th), Kaeng Panang (10th), Tom Kha Gai (15th), and Massaman Curry (73rd). - The Nation Thailand/ANN