Junch - Weird food!

What do you think David Beckham misses most when he’s kicking a ball around in other parts of the world like the US Italy?  Fish ‘n’ Chips?  Roast Beef?  (er, what else does the rest of the world think we Brits eat?  Cucumber sandwiches?!).  Nope – Jellied Eels.  Yes, that’s eels as in the slimy fish-snake thinkgs and jelly as in Jell-O type jelly.

So, what are they?  Well, eels! hah!  Okay, they are eels boiled in a spiced stock and then left to set and ‘jellify’.

Wait, you did get the fact that these are eaten in the UK, not some far flung corner of the world, right?  Jellied eels are an east London thing and can be easily bought at any number of places – most commonly pie and mash shops (that’s a meat pie with mashed potato), but there are speciality shops still operating too.

Oh, and when you are at the seaside, munched out of a polystyrene cup.

Or in a handy plastic pot.

So why do we (I say we, I wouldn’t touch the things) eat such crud?  Well as is often the case, tradition.  Eels were a cheap and readily available source of food, found in plentiful numbers along the River Thames (which flows through London).  Alas, jellied eels aren’t as popular as they once were, but I am sure they will be around for some time to come.

If you fancy buying some, this place is supposed to be one of the best.

Or if you really want to make your own, here’s a recipe!