NYC’s ramen burger is rated among the world’s ‘worst’ foods — but you should check out its gross competition

January 21, 2025

It's a gourmet monster mash.

Taste may be subjective, but users of one food website say that globally, some trigger gag reflexes more than others.

TasteAtlas is 2025 “100 Worst Rated Foods in the World”These included blood pancakes, fried silkworms, jellied eel, and other awful foods that looked like they were ripped off from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Coincidentally, most of these entries were from Scandinavia. American cuisine emerged relatively unscathed, with the exception of Brooklyn's Ramen Burger, which came in at No. 6 on the list, proving that one man's trash is another man's feast.

TasteAtlas determines these Culinary Razzie Awards based on 389,802 user ratings and then goes through them with a fine-tooth comb to eliminate them. “Bot, nationalist or local patriotic assessment. ”

Contrary to what the title suggests, the purpose of the ranking is not to condemn any particular cuisine Rather, the editors say, it “promotes great local cuisine, instills pride in traditional cuisine, and sparks curiosity about dishes you haven't tried yet.”

Nevertheless, some delicacies will test the intestinal fortitude of even the most adventurous person.

Without further ado, here are the most stomach-churning delicacies on the planet, according to TasteAtlas.

1. Brodplatter (Sweden)

Swedes have redefined “blood sugar” with Blood Platter, a pancake infused with animal blood plasma that turns it dark brown.

Blood is rich in iron and protein, making it a great egg substitute. The perfect ingredient to combine milk and flour — Because blood is thicker than water.

To counteract the coppery tones, the site says the spooky crepes are mixed with onions and spices and “topped with fresh lingonberries or lingonberry jam.”

Overall, blood platter, which is also eaten in Finland and Norway, is considered an ideal breakfast to strengthen the body on frigid days.

2. Brodpard (Lapland)

Have you ever wondered what Dracula would order if he went out to eat Chinese food?The answer might be: Blood Palt, Rye or barley flour dumplings stuffed with animal blood – wait for it –which happens to be a delicacy in Finnish Lapland and the regions of Sweden where Santa munches.

In fact, spooky flour envelopes were traditionally filled with reindeer blood, but more modern versions are commonly filled with pig blood or other types of animal plasma.

“They are sometimes stuffed with a mixture of sautéed onions and diced bacon, and are typically cooked in a flavorful meat broth,” TasteAtlas contributors write.

In fact, brodpard was ranked as the ugliest dish on the planet last year, before being pissed off by its pancake equivalent. Blood goes in, blood comes out.

3. Karsklove (Sweden)

Sweden is also beating the US at our own quirky Frankenfood game. Invented at Skellefteå's Tre Kronor restaurant, Kalsklov is essentially a calzone pizza stuffed with a burger, bread, fries, and other fillings like fast-food turducken.

So what else do you expect from a country that puts bananas on pizza?

According to TasteAtlas, this high-octane piñata was reportedly invented for people who can't decide between pizza or burgers after a night of drinking.

4. Sviz (Iceland)

The country famous for serving the world's most disgusting seafood dish – fermented Greenland shark – may also boast one of the most disgusting meals on land.

Sviz is a sheep's head that is cut in half, roasted to remove the fur, and then boiled and eaten, the final product being something that might adorn Hannibal Lecter's mantelpiece.

This brutal-looking dish is traditionally eaten at the Icelandic midwinter festival known as Sórabrod, and is served with mashed turnips, rhubarb jelly, and mashed potatoes.

It may seem strange to make eye contact with your own food, but Sviz reminds us of a time when it was forbidden to waste any part of an animal.

5. Silkworm larva (Thailand)

What do silkworms gain by spinning one of the world's most precious materials? Dunk in the deep fryer.

At least that's the case in Thailand, where street hawkers serve up the battered, spooky crawlies with salt, pepper, and sometimes a “vendor-prepared secret sauce,” TasteAtlas reports.

As the author attests, the taste of the larvae is crunchy and greasy, similar to insect bar snacks.

Additionally, it is highly valued for its protein content and purported medicinal properties.

It's also worth noting that Brooklyn's Ramen Burger came in at No. 8.

Is it really more disgusting than fried spiders, which came in at number 23? But I digress.

This Japanese-American mashup consists of a meat patty sandwiched between two fried ramen noodle buns, like a delicious Luther Burger.

It's the brainchild of Keizo Shimamoto, a former computer programmer who quit his day job in 2009 to blog about ramen.

Since debuting at Smorgasbord Food Market in 2013, this fusion creation has taken Brooklyn by storm, attracted crowds, and spawned numerous spin-offs around the world.