American expat Kalyn, who has lived in the UK for around a decade, tried a range of British foods in a recent YouTube video – and was left less than impressed by a much-loved dessert
A US expat who has been living in the UK for a decade recoiled in horror when tasting a traditional British pudding she likened to “maggots”. Kalyn, who has lived in the country for 10 years, runs her Girl Gone London channel on YouTube, where she posts videos on life in the UK and shares her honest views on everything from local culture to food.
In her latest foray into British cuisine, captured in a video dubbed “American tries 11 unique British foods that I’ve never tried before!”, she sampled an array of classic British staples, such as Weetabix, hot cross buns, Pot Noodles, malt loaf, and potato cakes.
But one particular dish evoked a rather sour response, despite being a mainstay in British school canteens. Rice pudding, though available across the pond, seems to hold a more special place in British hearts, according to Kalyn’s observations.
Yet, according to Gulf News, rice pudding is actually an ancient dish enjoyed by people across the planet for thousands of years, including in India, the Middle East, and China.
In India, rice pudding can be dated all the way back to 6000 BCE, with the dessert even appearing in the Sanskrit epic The Mahabharata.
The YouTuber presented herself with a helping of this iconic dessert in a “fancy little bowl”, curious to discover why it’s sometimes eaten cold in Britain, despite the tin suggesting it might also be served heated.
She confessed: “To be honest, this is one of the ones that I’m the most scared of trying because the texture does not appeal to me whatsoever. It’s very gloopy, and it doesn’t really have a smell.
“Okay, I mean it doesn’t actually have that much of a smell, so maybe it won’t be an offensive taste. It’s just it’s gloopy, and it looks a little bit like maggots, but we’re going to try it.”
Kalyn added that she’s fine trying cake, but when she approaches a culinary item she’s not sure of, her “food anxiety kicks in”.
She anticipated receiving feedback from her audience, suggesting she’d consumed the dessert incorrectly, as she chose to eat the pudding cold despite what the tin suggested.
Upon tasting a spoonful of the classic pudding, Kalyn couldn’t hide her distaste, declaring it “doesn’t taste good cold” and expressing her dislike, attributing her aversion mainly to the texture.
She remarked: “I don’t like the texture. It’s like I’m eating maggots. Okay, it did not work cold, so I am going to try it hot in case that’s the problem.”
After warming up the pudding, she found it “much better”, yet remained somewhat unconvinced about the dessert, conceding it was “not great” but acknowledging the potential for it to be enjoyable.