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What's the Food Like in Britain? |
Are you worried you'll be homesick for your mother's home cooking? Afraid that you won't find the poppadoms or saag paneer here delicious? Due to international food aficionados and the influx of immigrants to Britain in the last 100 years, modern British cuisine has become extremely interesting and absolutely delicious! There's no need to worry about whether or not you'll enjoy the food here. All you'll have to worry about is whether or not you can fit more food into your stomach!
| Anglo-Indian Cuisine |
Anglo-Indian cuisine is the
combination of influences both Britain and India have had on each
other. This type of cuisine is incredibly popular across England.
In fact, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, among others, has
hailed the Anglo-Indian Chicken tikka masala as
"Britain's true national dish".
Indian cuisine has had a significant impact on
British cuisine, involving use of coconut, yogurt and almonds.
Roasts and curries, rice dishes and special breads are prominent.
Lots of Indian spices are used and many vegetarian dishes have
become available in England. Fish or meat is often cooked in
curry with Indian vegetables.
Soups, entrees, side dishes, sauces, salads and
desserts have all been modernized to suit more Indian tastes.
Some well-known Anglo-Indian fusion foods are salted beef tongue,
Coronation chicken, fish rissoles, mulligatawny and Christmas
"kul-kuls".
| Various Cuisines Available |
Because there are all kinds of different people living in Britain with different food preferences, there is a great number of cuisines to choose from. Along with Indian food being the most popular foreign cuisine, Thai, Spanish, Jewish, Greek, Tex-Mex and Caribbean restaurants are also found here. Italian, American, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food are all very popular. There are lots of options for "take-away" food (also known as parcels or takeout food).
On various campuses, you'll find that
schools try to accommodate various food preferences. There are tons
of international students living abroad in the UK just like
yourself, so you're bound to find some food you won't get enough
of!There are also a number of grocery stores and supermarkets which offer authentic ingredients to make your very own meal. Sometimes the best food is the one you make yourself, because you've put so much effort into it. If you're not a good cook, not to worry - with practice, you'll become an expert chef in no time! When I started university I didn't even know how to boil pasta. Now I can make all sorts of dishes - butter chicken, pad thai, spaghetti bolognese, chow mein and of course, chocolate chip cookies.
| Tea Time |
There are a few old British customs
which involve tea. One is afternoon tea, tea
served with various sandwiches, crumpets, scones, cakes or
pastries served on a tier stand. Due to the common work schedule
of most Brits, however, afternoon tea is not as
prevalent.
One thing you should note is that sometimes the
word "tea" in the U.K. can refer to an actual meal. In most of
Wales and parts of Scotland and England, the three main meals of
the day are known as "breakfast, dinner and tea"
or "breakfast, lunch and tea". The tea meal consists of tea,
along with main food dishes like cold meats, eggs, fish, cakes,
sandwiches, fruit and pastries.
| Sunday Roast |
The Sunday roast is a traditional
British main dish served on Sundays. It usually consists of a
roasted meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy. Yorkshire pudding
is sometimes included (as seen in the picture).
It is believed that this tradition came about
when meat was left in the oven to cook before church on a Sunday
morning, and therefore ready to eat when they came back. Though
increasing less common, Sunday roasts are also made in other
Commonwealth countries.
| Welsh Cuisine |
- Crempogs, which are Welsh buttermilk pancakes
- Roast lamb with laver sauce
- Cawl, a Welsh stew with lamb and leek
| Scottish Cuisine |
In Scotland, there are many Chinese
and Indian take-away restaurants in addition to traditional fish
and chip shops. Other types of cuisines available are Thai,
Japanese, Mexican, Polish, Turkish and much more.
Scottish cuisine is similar to British cuisine,
but also has some distinctive attributes. They are well-known for
game birds, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables, which rely on
simplicity. Traditional Scottish dishes exist along with
international foods which have been brought about by
migration.
| Although these sorts of dishes may seem peculiar to you, just know that not everybody who lives there will enjoy a certain type of food equally. I live in Canada but I don't even like donuts, but that doesn't stop me from having amazing meals every single day. So there's no need to worry about the food in Britain! There are enough international cuisines available to remind of you of the food back home. |
| Reference: Wikipedia |
| Image Credits: Rob's Pics, Wikipedia, Obitran, conskeptical, Lizard Queen, Scottish Government |
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