British Food

Source: Oxford Culture Mania. March 30, 2016        

Many foreigners – even if they have never even been to the UK – are convinced that British food is the worst in the world.

Well, it may not be the best, and during the three or four decades after World War II, partly as a result of wartime food rationing, it was unlikely to win many culinary prizes. But times have changed and both in restaurants and homes, people cook a whole range of tasty dishes. But what are the typical foods and recipes that everyone associates with the land of the Sunday roast? Well, here are a few examples …

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Fish and Chips

It was in the late 19th century when this famous combination became really popular, and the first fish and chip shop opened in London in 1860. The fish (usually cod or haddock) is cooked in batter, and until quite recently the meal was taken home wrapped in newspaper (not now, for health reasons), being especially popular on a Friday, even in Protestant or non-religious societies, as an alternative to meat.

Crisps
Or what in the USA they call chips, are a not very nutritional but extremely popular element of British food culture. It is estimated that every Briton eats an average of 150 packets of crisps per year, and doctors worry about the possible consequences, including obesity and diabetes. The most popular flavour is Cheese and Onion, but others include Chilli Con Carne, Spaghetti Bolognese and BBQ Kangaroo!

Steak and Kidney Pie
A savoury pie filled with pieces of beef, kidney, onions and gravy. A filling dish, ideal for a cold winter’s day (unless, of course, like me, you hate kidney!) and a typical example of pub food.


Chicken Tikka Masala
Served in Indian restaurants, but almost certainly invented in Britain. One story is that a Pakistani chef in Glasgow created the dish about 50 years ago when he added a tin of tomato soup and some spices to a chicken curry that the customer said was too dry. In 2001 the British Foreign Secretary declared that:

Chicken Tikka Masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences.

Fried Mars Bar
A fine example of an original recipe! It was probably a chip shop in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1995, which first deep-fried a Mars Bar in batter for hungry local children. In 2012 the owner said they were selling 100-150 per week, mostly to visitors who had heard about the novelty dish.

Photo credit: Avid Hills via Foter.com / CC BY

Full English Breakfast
In Los Cristianos, Tenerife, where your correspondent enjoyed his Easter holidays, every single bar and restaurant tempts you to step inside and for as little as 2€ begin the day with a plate full of bacon, sausages, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans! You don’t see many people choosing the Continental, lighter, alternative.

Anyway, it’s time for me to go for a walk and try to burn a few calories!