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Eating jellied eel in London

Posted by (Seattle, Wa, USA) on

I am planning to take a two week vacation in London starting in early November of this year. It is scheduled for November because I want to attend the bonfire night in Lewes and attend the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph. I also have this crazy idea that I want to try jellied eel in a traditional pie and mash store in East London if such places still exist. I see that Cooke's is shutting down tomorrow after 100+ years of business. Recommendations of places that still serve jellied eel, as well as meat pies for the less daring diners, would be appreciated especially if they are housed in old buildings in East London or other parts of the city where jellied eel has been a tradition. I might have up to seven other persons from a social meetup group joining me.

BTW: What does it taste like? I am assuming that it is like most other white fish. I had a open face eel sandwich many years ago, and I don't recall it being unpleasant.

Posted by
661 posts

You might find them at Borough Market, no idea, i've never tried them and not seen them for sale that i recall. I dont think they are like the eel you might get with sushi, unagi nigiri, i think... Which is smoked with a sweet smokey sauce, and is lovely. I admire your bravery.

Posted by
449 posts

Let me just say that this craving for jellied eel is similar to my consumption of haggis when I visited Edinburgh last summer. A friend had visited that city a year before I did and she refused to eat haggis. However, when I visited the place where I was staying served it as an option for breakfast. I ate it in small pattie size servings, and it wasn't bad (it was the black pudding that got to me). I had haggis as the entree at a Robert Burns dinner this year, and my friend still refused to eat it. I am hoping that if one gets past the image of jellied eels it will not be a bad food to eat. I hope to bring a small group of Londoners who are more used to dining at pubs and upscale restaurants to visit a throwback establishment. The consumption of jellied eels seems to be an interesting, if not important (eg protein source during the wars), part of London history.

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