NewsLifestyleOnline food and wine guide faces criticism after listing Indian dishes like jaljeera, aloo baingan and upma as 'lowest rated': 'Far from reality'
This is the second time in a row that Aloo Baingan has been rated as the worst food on the list.
Aloo baingan once again the worst rated Indian dish (Source: Freepik)
Indians love Indian food because of its versatility that sets it apart from other cuisines. Recently, an experiential online guide, Taste Atlas, created a stir by ranking 10 popular Indian food and drink items as the “lowest rated” – Gajak, Jaljeera, Coconut Rice, Panta Bhat, Thandai, Achhappam, Mirch ka Salan, Malpua, Upma and Aloo Baingan. The ratings range from 2.7 to 3.2 stars. This is the second time in a row that Aloo Baingan has received the lowest rating. In January 2024, Aloo Baingan or a combination of eggplant and potato was ranked among the 100 lowest rated foods in the world.
Former Presidential chef Montu Saini told indianexpress.com that he “completely disagrees” with the list and called it “far from reality.” “What sample size was considered to arrive at these results? Who voted? How many of them were vegetarian/non-vegetarian? I don't agree with the results. No generalisation can be made from this,” Saini said.
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Many social media users were upset by the list and responded to the Instagram post.
One user wrote, “Unfortunately, this list is lazy to the max. All our heirloom recipes are on the worst list. Indian culture celebrates seasonal ingredients. Gajak, panta bhat are all examples of this and it has fallen on the worst list. This is what happens when you want to think the world knows everything about India.”
Jaljeera tops the list of worst Indian dishes (Source: Freepik)
Another user commented: “Who is rating this?”
“India has one of the richest culinary histories in the world and probably one of the most culinary diverse countries in the world and yet they choose mango lassi as number one? This is like cappuccino being the number one food in Italy. Never mind European cuisine, what are you talking about when it comes to Asian,” said a third user.
“A list of Indian dishes curated by non-Indians. I have no idea what the hell they were thinking when they put mirch ka salan on this list,” commented one Instagram user, while another wrote, “Let me be clear: Indian food is a treasure trove of flavours and diversity. Every dish, every bite tells its own story, a journey! This ranking is typical and completely misses the incredible richness of Indian cuisine.”
Meanwhile, the list of 'top rated' foods in the same Instagram post included mango lassi, masala chai, butter garlic naan, Amritsari kulcha, butter chicken, Hyderabadi biryani, shahi paneer, chole bhatur, tandoori chicken and korma, rated between 4.4 and 4.6 stars.
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First uploaded on: June 29, 2024 11:30 IST
