So I often see the opinion that British food is inherently bad, or at the very least 'low' on the scale of modern cuisine. I personally feel that this a stereotype often perpetuated by those with little experience of the cuisine. As such I thought to make a thread detailing what exactly 'British food' means before asking you what your opinions on it are.
So, what is 'British food'? Well, it's hard to really pin down a specific 'type' of food that Brits eat; we are, overall, a very multi-cultural society when it comes to our food, even if a lot of it isn't exactly 'traditional' foreign cuisine. However, here are some good examples of dishes that are highly popular in Britain, most of which originated from the country:
However, not all British food is found so commonly throughout the entire country. A lot of foods are primarily found in certain regions of the UK. These include:
And, of course, there are the deserts which include:
As you can see a lot of British food goes for meats, vegetables, pastries, etc. If I had to describe it I'd use the word 'hearty'; very few dishes are particularly refined but they more than make up for it in how 'filling' and tasty they can be. However, I would personally say that I wouldn't want to eat British food every day as the flavours do tend to blur together after a while. Due to the heavy rationing of WW2 our ability to 'spice up' our dishes was hampered quite significantly, and I guess that could explain why we're such fans of cuisines that are not our own.
So, now that you've seen what British Cuisine 'is', what are your thoughts on the food of this fine soon-to-not-be-EU country? What are your experiences with it? What are your favourite (and least favourite) dishes? Do you have any further questions? For Brits: What other foods that I haven't listed here would you recommend?
So, what is 'British food'? Well, it's hard to really pin down a specific 'type' of food that Brits eat; we are, overall, a very multi-cultural society when it comes to our food, even if a lot of it isn't exactly 'traditional' foreign cuisine. However, here are some good examples of dishes that are highly popular in Britain, most of which originated from the country:
Fish and Chips - Self Explanatory. Usually served with either 'mushy' peas or garden peas (if you're boring)
Shepherds Pie - Lamb Mince & Gravy with a Mash Potato & Cheese Topping (or Cottage Pie if you're using Beef)
Toad in the Hole - Pork Sausages encased in a large Yorkshire Pudding
Full English Breakfast - Combination of a Bacon, Sausage, Eggs, Baked Beans and the optional Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Hash Browns, Black Pudding (Blood Pudding) & Fried Bread. Mostly fried, but can be cooked other ways
Sunday Roast - A roasted meat (Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Pork are the usuals) served with roast potatoes and a variety of vegetables and sides including Parsnips, Brocolli, Peas, Stuffing, Yorkshire Puddings, Cabbage, etc
Steak and Kidney Pie - A beef steak and beef kidney pie with a puff pastry topping
Chicken Tikka Masala - Made by British Bangledeshi chefs in the early 20th century, this curry dish has become a quintessential part of the British diet. It's a relatively mild curry with a creamy sauce.
Greggs Sausage Roll - Greggs Sausage Roll
Cheeky Nandos - It's just like one day you'll just be with your mates having a look in jd and you might fancy curry club at the 'Spoons but your lad Calum who's an absolute ledge and the archbishop of banterbury will be like "brevs lets have a cheeky nandos instead" and you'll think "top. Let's smash it."
However, not all British food is found so commonly throughout the entire country. A lot of foods are primarily found in certain regions of the UK. These include:
Cornish Pasty - A (usually spiced) meat and vegetable pastry found in the South West of England (in counties such as Cornwall and Devon)
Welsh Rarebit - 'Cheese on Toast' but with various spices and sauces blended in including mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika, and ale. From Wales (duh)
Haggis - Offal (heart, liver, lungs, etc) minced, mixed with oatmeal, onions, suet, and seasoning before being lined with the animal's stomach. Usually served with neeps (mashed turnips) and tatties (mashed potato). A Scottish dish.
And, of course, there are the deserts which include:
Blackberry and Apple Crumble - A mixture of Blackberry and Apple topped with a 'crumbly' mixture of fat, flour and sugar (other fruits and combinations are used)
Bread and Butter Pudding - Buttered bread baked with raisins and a custard mixture
Eton Mess - A Trifle-like desert consisting of a mixture of broken-up Meringue, Strawberries, and Double-Whipped Cream
Scones - A baked pastry sometimes filled with fruit and served with Jam and Cream
And there's the many, many varities of cake:
Battenburg Cake
Sponge Cake
Chelsea Bun
Welsh Cake
Colin the Caterpillar
As you can see a lot of British food goes for meats, vegetables, pastries, etc. If I had to describe it I'd use the word 'hearty'; very few dishes are particularly refined but they more than make up for it in how 'filling' and tasty they can be. However, I would personally say that I wouldn't want to eat British food every day as the flavours do tend to blur together after a while. Due to the heavy rationing of WW2 our ability to 'spice up' our dishes was hampered quite significantly, and I guess that could explain why we're such fans of cuisines that are not our own.
So, now that you've seen what British Cuisine 'is', what are your thoughts on the food of this fine soon-to-not-be-EU country? What are your experiences with it? What are your favourite (and least favourite) dishes? Do you have any further questions? For Brits: What other foods that I haven't listed here would you recommend?
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