British foods go beyond fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and that bizarre looking pudding with cannonball-sized haggis floating inside it. There are hundreds of traditional British dishes you can find all around the world other than Britain – quite bizarre indeed!
Unfortunately, many outside of Britain tend to misconstrue certain dishes as representative of English cuisine rather than seeing them as regional variations on a theme. It’s unfortunate because there are so many incredible aspects of British food we should all learn more about! Here are the top five British foods you need to know more about:
British Foods You Need To Know About
1) Scotch Egg
A Scotch egg is a traditional British and Northern Irish delicacy characterized by hard-boiled egg wrapped with sausage meat and deep-fried until golden-brown in appearance. Often served with mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup as its sauce base, Scotch eggs have become synonymous with Britain and Northern Ireland cuisine.
Nowadays, it can be found more frequently throughout the world such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. While its origin remains a mystery, an early known mention dates back to late 19th century.
Contrary to popular belief, the Scotch egg did not originate in Britain – rather, it was imported and adopted as part of British cuisine. This trend is not at all uncommon within British gastronomy; many popular dishes come from overseas imports.
The Scotch egg is an ideal example of this phenomenon; its introduction into Britain by Scottish immigrants may have occurred as early as 18th century, although its original recipes might have differed significantly from today’s traditional dish. As with so many foreign foods that become part of British cuisine, foreign cuisine can become transformed into dishes uniquely British dishes over time.
2) Cornish Pasty
A Cornish pasty is a delicious savory pie with a crimped crust made up of meat, vegetables and herbs such as beef, potato, onion and swede (a type of turnip). The pastry typically uses similar ingredients as shortcrust pastry (flour, fat, salt and water).
Like many British foods, the Cornish pasty has gained international popularity. There is no definitive origin story behind its development; many legends about its creation center around Cornwall’s mining industry as possible explanations.
The Cornish pasty is officially recognized by the government as one of England’s traditional foods, meaning it can be served in schools and hospitals along with iconic dishes like fish and chips. A delicious tradition dating back millennia, its popularity can be seen everywhere from schools and hospitals to food truck stands and fairgrounds across Britain. Furthermore, its longstanding existence showcases how an old dish can evolve over time into an iconic local staple!
3) Cheese Toast
This easy dish consists of bread fried in butter and then covered in cheese. There are many variations on this basic recipe, yet its core remains consistent. Cheese toast can be enjoyed for breakfast, snacking on during lunch or as part of other meals. Typically enjoyed warm or cold! Like many British foods, Cheese Toast is popular worldwide.
Cheese toast’s exact origins remain unclear, although it is thought to have originated in the Middle East before spreading across Western Asia and parts of Europe – including Britain.
There are various methods for creating cheese toast, from using various types of cheese to including herbs or vegetables in their creation. Cheese toast offers an opportunity to combine many unique flavours in one delicious bite!
4) Bangers And Mash
Bangers And Mash Bangers (commonly referred to as sausages) served with mashed potatoes, rich onion gravy or stout (a type of beer), are an iconic British dish. This example illustrates how cuisine from different cultures have come together in Britain; when people started eating large amounts of mashed potatoes with their sausages it eventually evolved into its own separate dish.
Bangers and mash is an enduring British classic with no exact origin story, though it is generally thought that its creation dates back to the 19th century when British appetite for potatoes peaked. A testament to how British cuisine often evolves out of necessity.
The British are fond of using potatoes in many of their dishes because they’re an easy crop to cultivate in British soil and relatively affordable and convenient to store – qualities which make potatoes ideal for adding flavourful flair to an array of recipes.
Also refer : The 5 Most Famous Foods in the U.S.
5) Haddock Fry
Haddock fry is an easy and affordable dish made up of batter-coated haddock (a type of fish), coated in batter and deep-fried in oil for optimal results. In England and Scotland this dish is known as Haddock Fry while in southern England the term fish and chips prevails. To create Haddock Fry simply coat portions or whole haddock (with or without skin) in batter before deep-frying in oil for optimal results.
Serve this with French Fries and Mushy Peas (boiled and then mashed up peas).
Haddock fry is an example of how different cultures come together and evolve over time to form something entirely new. While its precise origin remains unclear, most believe it originated in Britain in the 19th century for poorer people.
Haddock fish is relatively inexpensive relative to other options and was seen as an essential source of protein at a time when meat could be expensive or unavailable.
Conclusion
These examples demonstrate just a sampling of how British food extends far beyond fish and chips. Since their founding, Britain has been an amalgamation of cultures, leading to an array of cuisines being blended together in its creation of new cuisines that remain unknown outside its borders. There are hundreds of traditional British dishes which remain unknown outside its shores; hopefully this article has inspired you to try them and gain more knowledge of British cuisine!
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