Breakfast: 1) cereal with milk (kellogs, wheatabix etc) 2) fry-up (which includes sausages, bacon, toast, fried tomato, fried egg, baked beans, mushrooms and usually also harsh brown) Lunch: 1) sandwiches 2) some kind of hot meal, which can include: lasagne, fish and chips, chicken korma, toad in a hole (which is Yorkshire pudding drowned in gravy with a sausage inside, or is it a pair of them?), chicken pie... I dunno, google British national dishes 3) Cream tea (scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam, accompanied by a nice cuppa aka tea) Dinner is roughly the same as lunch really, minus the cream tea. Desserts: lemon merigue pie sticky toffee pudding treacle tart bakewell tart chocolate brownies Victoria sponge carrot cake coffee cake lemon drizzle cake... the list is endless.
This is a vast subject. There's so much 'out there' on the web to keep you entertained - class plays a part, period and prejudice/stereotypes. One perspective says the underclass, wear tracksuits, 'waste benefits' on pre-packaged meals/Mcdonalds - all eight waddle Wednesday midday ‘long the high street together, occasion, then back to the council estate with their dogs (Staffordshire terrier). These people, in turn, are the target of the working or lower middle-class, the so-called 'hard-working people' – huge constituency swings elections; adherence, guidance of their belief systems critical for maintenance of political power. Advertisers target with commercials like 'Uncle Ben's Rice' - exotic, 'tonight we are Mexican.' Increasingly cook their own food, as advised by the television chef. Lifestyle - gyms and property talk, 4 by 4 vehicles via trickle down. Middle people discovering chilli con carne thirty years before pity these types who do not even own books, and whilst they might receive celebrity chef tomes for birthdays etc, already cook own rice, know garlic, aspire to Elizabeth David, manners of barrister, doctor strata - continental, fresh pasta, coffee, skiing, classical music Gradually we blur to realm of upper middle class, minor aristocracy. These people don't cook at all, celebrate ghastly cuisine as thoroughly British. They own horses, land and everything. (Dogs - Lurchers) Nobody mentioned ‘chip and egg.’ Egg and chips.
What, matwoolf, do you base that on? I certainly wouldn't say Uncle Ben's Rice is something aimed at the middle classes. It was just fashionable in Britain a few years ago (still around really) of chrome kitchen surfaces and Old El Passo type meals, clean living, smart and stylish clothing. That was more aimed at the moneyed young than the middle classes. Middle class people tend to like either Italian food or their regional produce over stock, store bought stuff. Living in Northumberland as I do, where the best produce is seafood and cheese, it's not uncommon for people to spend £20 on a plate of small bits of cheese that can only be found in my region.
'Uncle Ben's Rice is something aimed at the middle classes.' I never said that, and unless you withdraw accusation I will watch ITV news and sulk. Ach, I'm not really interested in projecting social commentary stuff, just play. Could probably draw out to some hew, hew type effort. Back to food. Ifit on toast, lamb chops n new potatoes, liver and bacon, tripe, fish fingers and tinned tomatoes
Egg soldiers - bread or toast and butter cut into strips (soldiers) for children to dip into a runny egg yolk (usually a soft boiled egg in an egg cup) Funny names, singing hinny, bubble and squeak, cloutty dumpling, savoury ducks (don't contain duck), death by chocolate and jam roly poly pudding.
I must say. WOW. I never thought i'd get so much information about food.I just can't wait to put it in my book. Thanks everyone. Being a fan of food and a budding cook, i've always liked to know about other countries. And for some reason I just love England. (don't ask me why, its one of those unreasonable reasons.) which is why i based my book in England.(well, somewhere in England). I'm so glad I could get so much info. Thanks again , my friends.
I'm not in England but Scotland, the next best thing I suppose. Both are in Britain and our food is similar. Breakfast: chocolat croissiant, Earl Grey tea and orange juice. Lunch: Cheese and bacon omelette (home made, we have frozen omelettes here - tasteless muk) more tea. Dinner: Chicken Korma with rice, juice and of course, more tea. Scottish food and dare I say British food in general is notorious for being unhealthy. I was brought up on deep fried everything. I steer clear of deep fried food now and try to eat reasonably healthily.
Your description isn't a stereotype. I lived in a council estate and that's exactly how it was. The underclass as you call them see these 'types' as a right of passage, they want to live and behave like that its how they bond with one another- birds of a feather flock together. I'm not mocking these types of people but I find it hard to understand why anyone would want to pigeon hole themselves into such a demeaning role.
Oh, thank you! Someone finally mentions the brand that brings you cornflakes and rice crispies! Forget weetabix, they bring back terrible memories for me. My lunches are comprised of sandwiches, usually the leftover roast chicken from the night before. The idea of high tea isn't one that is prevalent through the land - most people I know have a cooked dinner in the evening, including a roast dinner (potatoes, roast potatoes, carrots, yorkshire pudding, peas, parsnips, etc). In my house, we don't bother with Sunday lunch, it's far too much bother so early in the day.
I dont know what everyone is talking about. English food isn't bad. We are at our roots a hybrid country. We absorb things from other countries and so we have an array or tastes from curries to pizzas. Lunch for me is usually a sandwich but evening meals are usually more tasty. I mean who amongst us DOESNT enjoy fish and chips from the local?
Mild paprika pushing the boundaries of gallic taste buds is a sure indicator that French food is bland at best yet it has a worldwide reputation for being exquisitely culinary - if you spend €150 a head in Paris maybe and still don't expect anything to stretch your imagination while English food is considered dull they have also claimed the Great British Curry, madras tandoori et al so what makes a national dish? Ingredients native to the country intrinsic to the dish? Or the most popular or best selling food at the time? If asked, most people in the UK, and ireland, would say McDoanld's and KFC are typical American foods, anyone who's travelled will know different as most English speaking countries, UK,Ireland, US and Oz are veritable melting pots of customs and worldwide foods - anything goes. We all have diverse dishes from India, China, Mexico, and Thailand while our own are being diluted out. Across the continent of Europe, where they have kept their language and culture they have also kept their national dishes most being labelled peasant food and date back hundreds of years. In Ireland we have our own "peasant food" Irish stew being one you've all heard of, Scotland have the haggis, Wales have Laverbread (which is actually seaweed) I don't think the UK have one - Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pud not exactly in the price range of peasants for example. Maybe the Yorkshire Pud is the trad food seeing as anyone could afford to bake it? To look for a traditional American food, you might have to look at what the Natives ate; buffalo, dear meat; mostly smoked or barbequed and fried or corn bread- is this typical today? Is there an Native American themed fast food chain? By just asking my American (native) wife, she tells me Pie is a traditional American food, yet it's origins go back to the Egyptions 9500 BC so what exactly does make a food traditional to a country?
In my house, some of our favourite dishes are: Breakfast: crumpets dipped in egg, banana muffins, toast with Vegemite or rosehip jam Lunch: main meal of the day, favourites are clear soup, roast chicken with potatoes and peas, moussaka, tofu and tomato stir fry, Jamaican hotpot with fish and rice and peas, prawn curry and rice Dinner: sandwich, lunch leftovers, pancakes, fishcakes, home made proper Italian thin crust pizza once in a while. All of my friends and family cook in this way and almost all of them are British (different races though).
I don't - far too greasy, causes me digestive difficulties. Same for other family members. For a fact, our motorway services are abysmal for people who don't want their food mucked about with and stuffed full of fatty, spicy and greasy whatever. A long time ago, in a Clackett's Lane services far far away (not far from the Tunnel, just from Dudley), there was a Wimpy's that had jacket potatoes. Yep, jacket potatoes with some salad and baked beans. Perfect for those of us who don't want burgers. Then one year, they magically stopped having them. At least France provides basic baguettes at most services - just a bit of ham and butter. I note that over here, most sandwiches on offer in services are not simple chicken or ham, they must have all sorts of things added in. Considering I once had terrible acid indigestion on the trip back from France, and spicy garbage was all that was on offer as far as sandwiches were concerned - even simple sandwiches - I'm very unforgiving of the state of our services (it was that or starvation).
It was intended tongue in cheek. but you cant judge a nations diet based on motorway services. most would have the sense to make sandwiches if they had a choice between motorway services or eating the grass verge. though a packed lunch was off the menu i would probably go eat the grass. Oh and as i didn't mention on my previous post: horse meat is pretty big over here right now
Only thing is, it was a very long journey, and you can make sandwiches, but they'll be gone by the evening after ~12 hours travelling. It was annoying because the previous year, the menu had featured jacket potatoes, and then it had been changed. It just seems like the services don't account for simple foods anymore. Now...we just resort to the baguettes from French services. Actually, this is useful for research on English food - the services are terrible if you want something simple! There are probably some services out there that do a decent job, but I could name two that certainly don't, and there is no alternative to them on that route. And yes, horse meat is pretty big over here at the moment. Think you can just sneak it into someone's food? Neigh lass, neigh! Someone's horsing around.
Lets see there are craisons, apples, seeds, banana, just plain rasions, dried fruit of any kind for that matter, everything from apricots to pinapple, to blueberries. Strawberries, raspberries, I'm getting hungry. Then there is coconut, nuts, and don't forget the cinnamon or the nutmeg. If I'm having it later in the day because I am the only one home and don't want to cook a full meal, with mango chutney or a cranberry chutney I make. As you can tell my mother had to get very creative to get us to eat our porridge, whether it was oatmeal, cream of wheat, or some other grain concoction.
Ok... now that's some weird names for food. I guess since my family has been in Canada so long that they forgot these wonderful names for food. My other grandmother who's parents came from Romania never knew one traditional Romanian dish as her parents cooked what they could grow in Northern BC.... Plus they didn't speak Romanian once they moved here so there were no nick names for food. If its just food we make for kids we had pigs in a blanket, ants on a log.... But they aren't terms we use on a regular basis to describe food we eat.
I think nationality of food is based on where it was created and eaten regularly before it spread out into the world. America gave the world Corn as well as hamburgers and hot dogs and fast food restaurants..... I can't think of a Canadian contribution to food. Canada is so large - its regional known foods are ... French Canada Poutine, East Coast lobster, the prairies cow, it was buffalo 'til they almost went extinct, and the West coast salmon. First Nations food technically would be true Canadian food. All I can think of is Bannock. However it wouldn't be considered a Canadian food as only First Nations (Canadian PC name for Natives) make it and eat it. Non First Nations may try it at festivals or go to a First Nations restaurant on a reserve, but its not mainstream Canadian fare.
Dave Barry, an American (colonist to you Englanders) columnist for the Miami Herald, wrote an article about British food. Don't remember it all, but it included something about a beer coaster.
I disagree. To me, nationality of food is a question of assimilation into a nation's culture. Take for example roast pork with bread dumplings, which everybody in southern Germany will agree is a traditional local dish. Its roots can be found a few hundred years ago somewhere in Austrian-Hungarian empire, with the bread dumplings being a Bohemian invention and the caraway-heavy spicing an influence of the kitchen of Asia Minor, but it has become such a fundamental part of everyday culture that nobody is aware of that anymore. A lot of the assimilation part depends on the naming of a dish though, we'll always be aware that pizza is Italian. But give it a local name and use slightly different ingredients (like sour creme instead of tomato) and you have tarte flambee and it is the national food of Alsace. My opinion about that was coined on my first visit to China. I sampled a lot of traditional cuisine there, a lot of dishes having a history of a thousand years or more, and I found so many things there which I am sure have influenced our western cuisine, because we didn't even have the ingredients for them five hundred years ago, yet they are crucial elements of our local cooking now. With global markets and worldwide availability of ingredients, nationality of food has even more become a question of assimilation and variation.
Hot dogs here in the UK are made with German frankfurter sausages, I thought they came from Germany - it must just be the sausages we use. I would never class a sandwich as a meal, to me it is food on the hoof!
The Frankfurter is of coarse named after Frankfurt, and the Hamburger named after Hamburg, so I was always under the assumption that Hamburgers were originally German because of the name. But it turns out that while it was inspired by German heritage in the US, the idea of putting a ground beef patty between two halves of a round bread bun is actually American, circa 1900. So maybe the same goes for adding a Frankfurter to a bun, creating the hot dog. I dunno. And for those paying attention, the Weiner sounds like a funny name, but is simply a sausage that originated in Wien (Vienna).
