American foodie Ed Nathanson, who runs the YouTube channel Snack Investigation Unit with 57,000 subscribers and calls himself the "Snackmaster General", is disappointed with TasteAtlas' 100 Best Cuisines in the World list. TasteAtlas, a popular food and travel guide known for its global rankings, has placed Indian cuisine at the twelfth spot - something Nathanson strongly disagrees with.
In a video now going viral on Instagram, Nathanson says, "This list cannot be serious. TasteAtlas, whoever they are, just released their annual top cuisines in the world, and India is twelfth? Twelfth? Behind Poland? Behind Hungary? Behind countries where flavour means putting mustard on something. I'm part Polish and I can say, that's not right."
Listing some of his favourite Indian dishes, he adds, "You are telling me that the country that gave us biryani, butter chicken, samosa, vada pav, pani puri, dosa and 600 kinds of chutneys is not in the top 10?"
Also Read: Indian Cuisine Ranked 12th Best In The World By Taste Atlas
He continues, "This is the same country with so much flavour it made me question my loyalty to meat! As your Snackmaster General, I flat-out reject this list. Invalid. Whoever made this needs to eat one thali and reflect on their poor life choices. Be better."
In the caption, he writes, "They ranked Indian food 12th in the world. Twelfth. As the Snackmaster General, I'm calling for a full investigation. This is not just a bad list - it's culinary disrespect. Watch the rant. Feel the rage. Defend the chutney."
His spirited defence of Indian food struck a chord with many desi viewers. Take a look:
One user joked, "I have initiated the process of your Aadhar card, it will take 5-6 business days." Another said, "An American voting for Indian food? Man's got taste!" A happy user added, "Your food is on me the next time you're in Delhi, bro."
Also Read: Shawarma Named World's Best Sandwich, Indian Vada Pav Ranks At...
Another viewer commented, "This is like excluding the king from the royal banquet." An impressed foodie suggested, "Ed, you should check out the local South Indian meat, chicken and seafood dishes - you'll relish them too."
According to TasteAtlas, the rankings are based on 477,287 verified ratings across 15,478 dishes in its database, highlighting the cuisines with the highest average scores.
About Jigyasa KakwaniJigyasa finds her solace through writing, a medium she is exploring to make the world more informed and curious with every story published. She is always up for exploring new cuisines, but her heart comes back to the comforting ghar-ka-khana.