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

It is a gastronomic monster mash.

Taste may be subjective, but according to users of a food website, some cause more global gag reflexes than others.

TasteAtlas released its roundup of the “World’s 100 Most Rated Foods” for 2025, which included blood pancakes, deep-fried silkworms, jellied eels and other wretched foods that looked like they were ripped from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”.

Incidentally, most of these entries came from Scandinavia. United States cuisine came out relatively unscathed — except for Brooklyn’s Ramen Burger, which came in sixth in the rankings, proving that one person’s trash is another person’s delicacy.

TasteAtlas based these Razzie culinary awards on 389,802 user reviews, which they went through with a fine-tooth comb to filter “world, nationalist or local patriotic evaluations.”

Contrary to what the title might suggest, the purpose of the ranking was not to condemn certain dishes but rather “promote great local food, instill pride in traditional cooking and spark curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried,” according to the editors.

However, some of the flavors test the intestinal fortitude of even the most adventurous eaters.

Without further ado, here are the toughest tastes on Earth, according to TasteAtlas.

1. Blodplättar (Sweden)

The Swedes have redefined “blood sugar” with blodplättar, a pancake transfused with animal plasma so it turns dark brown.

Blood’s high iron and protein content makes it a great egg substitute and the perfect ingredient to bind milk and flour together – because, well, blood is thicker than water.

To combat any copper tones, the creepy crepes are mixed with onions and spices and come “topped with fresh berries or berry jam,” according to the site.

However, blodplättar – which is also eaten in Finland and Norway – is considered the ideal breakfast to boost one’s system on a cold day.

2. Blodpalt (Lapland)

Ever wonder what Dracula would order if he went out for Chinese? The answer may be blodpalt, a rye or barley flour noodles filled with – wait for it – animal bloodwhich happens to be a delicacy at Santa’s resorts in Finnish Lapland and Sweden.

In fact, the macabre flour envelope was traditionally filled with reindeer blood, though more modern iterations are generally filled with pig blood or other types of animal plasma.

“They are sometimes topped with a mixture of fried onions and diced bacon, and are usually cooked in flavorful broths,” TasteAtlas contributors write.

Blodpalt actually ranked as the most disgusting dish on Earth last year before being edged out by its pancake counterpart. Blood in, blood out.

3. Calscrove (Sweden)

Sweden is even beating the USA in our freaking Frankenfood game. Invented at the Tre Kronor restaurant in Skellefteå, the Calskrove is basically a calzone pizza that is topped with hamburger, bread, fries and other accouterments like a Turducken fast food.

Then again, what else would you expect from a place that puts bananas on pizza?

According to TasteAtlas, this high-octane piñata was reportedly invented for people who couldn’t decide whether they wanted pizza or hamburgers after a night of drinking.

4. Sweden (Iceland)

The place famous for serving the world’s most revolting seafood dishes – fermented Greenland shark – also boasts one of the tastiest meals on earth.

Svið involves a sheep’s head that has been cut in half, singed to remove the fur and then boiled to eat, with the end product something that could grace Hannibal Lecter’s mantle.

The grim-looking dish is traditionally eaten during the Icelandic midwinter festival known as Þorrablót, where it is served with grated turnips, rhubarb jelly and mashed potatoes.

While it may seem strange to make eye contact with one’s food, Svið remembers a time when she was told to let every part of the animal go to waste.

5. Silkworm larvae (Thailand)

What do silkworms do for spinning one of the most valuable materials in the world? A smother in the deep pan.

At least that’s the case in Thailand, where street vendors serve these creepy-crawlies hit with salt, pepper and sometimes “a secret sauce prepared by the vendor,” according to TasteAtlas.

As this author can attest, the grubs taste crunchy, greasy, and oily—like an entomological snack.

They are also valued for their protein content and their supposed medicinal properties.

It’s also worth noting that Brooklyn’s own Ramen Burger somewhat dubiously came in at number eight.

Is it really more profitable than the fried spider, which ranks 23rd? But we leave.

This Japanese-American mashup consists of a meat patty that is backed up by two fried buns with ramen noodles like a delicious Luther Burger.

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

Since debuting at the Smorgasbord food market in 2013, the fusion opus has taken Brooklyn by storm, attracting droves of customers and spawning numerous spinoffs around the world.

Top 10 ‘worst’ foods in the world from TasteAtlas:

1. Blodplättar (Sweden)
2. Blodpalt (Lapland)
3. Calscrove (Sweden)
4. Sweden (Iceland)
5. Silkworm larvae (Thailand)
6. Chapelle (Chile)
7. Jelly Eels (UK)
8. Ramen Burger (New York, USA)
9. Sour curry with Thai fish offal (Thailand)
10. Aginares salata (Greece)