Kaeng Tai Pla from southern Thailand voted worst dish in the world

TasteAtlas, one of the globe’s most famous food guide platforms, declared Kaeng Tai Pla from southern Thailand as the worst dish in the world in its 100 Worst Rated Foods in the World.

Multiple Thai dishes have made their names on the world’s best dishes by TasteAtlas but there is no chance to shine for Kaeng Tai Pla, which is fish entrails sour curry.

The recent 100 Worst Rated Foods in the World ranking from the platform suggests foodies avoid trying this dish.

Kaeng Tai Pla stands as one of the southern provinces of Thailand’s most cherished culinary delights. It’s a dish that resonates beyond the region, often brought up by Thai people from other areas when discussing the distinctive cuisine of the south.

This sour curry, rich in fish entrails known as tai pla, serves as its cornerstone ingredient. Complementing the tai pla is an array of vegetables, including pickled bamboo shoots, green eggplants, long beans, shallots, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and chillies.

In addition to the fermented fish entrails, some aficionados add fish flesh to the recipe. The preferred fish types, predominantly sea fish such as mackerels and cobia fish, are abundant in the southern waters of Thailand.

The resulting soup tantalises the palate with a spicy and salty fusion from the tai pla, accentuated by the aromatic blend of galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves.

However, it’s the pronounced flavour and aroma of the tai pla that might have contributed to the dish’s ignominious distinction as the worst-rated food globally. Many Thai netizens have voiced their dissent, suggesting that the ranking overlooks the unfamiliarity of the dish’s taste to foreigners.

Even among locals, some have yet to sample the dish or do not favour it, making it unsurprising that it fails to captivate international food enthusiasts.

Other dishes in the top ten include fermented shark meat from Iceland called Hákarl, a popular Egyptian dish called Fesikh, Yerushalmi kugel from Israel, Luther burger from the US, Pani ca meusa sandwich from Italy, Jellied eels from England, Calskrove from Sweden, a Spanish treat called Peladillas, and a Norwegian dish made with sheep’s head called Smalahove.

Although Kaeng Tai Pla may not impress world foodies, three other dishes from Thailand managed to appear in the top 10 of the world’s one hundred best dishes list, including pad kaprao, khao soi, and phanaeng curry.