It’s time to talk food.
Recently, I have had a chance to listen to a lecture given by Magdalena Tomaszewska-Bolałek, a Polish professor specialized in gastronomy, more precisely in gastronomical diplomacy. She was explaining, how important it is to present typical dishes and explain traditions. Knowing the background of the food increases the possibility of the tourists actually wanting to taste them. The more distant the culture, the higher the chances that some dishes will seem strange and thus need more thorough presentation. Since local food is an integral part of getting to know one’s culture, tasting local while travelling is a must, if you want to have a wholesome experience of a country. Gastronomical diplomacy actually refers to introducing national dishes to the places where they have not been known before.
Having said that, we decided talk about British (most) typical foods. Plus, there another greater reason: we want to debunk the myth about boring British food and let you know that the UK is definitely worth visiting.
Here’s our selection of the top 3 must tries:
It’s something we all learned about at school, at the introductory lessons of English. English breakfast is probably the UK’s most recognizable meal, originating in the mid-19th century, when workers in rural England ate this to start their long hard-working mornings. Traditionally, it includes a hearty plate of eggs, bacon, sausages, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, tea and toast with marmalade. And which places serve the best English Breakfast? According to Time Out, the best top 5 spots for English breakfast are: Apres Food Co at Farringdon, Balthazar at Covent Garden, Bellanger at Islington, The Black Penny at Covent Garden and Bull & Last at Dartmouth Park.
The British pork pie is said to have its origins as a means of preserving meat. It earned their unique round shape from being baked free-standing. The basic idea was not to keep meat edible for months, but to extend the time over which pork could be eaten after the slaughter. Made of pork meat, pastry crust and gelatin, they are today especially popular in the summer. There are numerous places where you can buy them, according to The Spectator, The Ginger Pig is definitely on the top of the list. This is a butcher specialized in pork pies. And they have shops around London – including Borough Market, Marylebone and Shepherd’s Bush.
There are said to be around 10,500 fish and chips shops throughout the UK that sell some 382 million meals each year. Some claim that there is nothing more British than fish chips, which is, as funny as it might seem, not chips at all: it is actually French fries. It has been a traditional meal since 1865 and in 1839 Charles Dickes referred to a fried fish warehouse in his novel Oliver Twist, which implies that the dish has been around much longer. Freshly cooked, smothered in salt and soused with vinegar, it has to be wrapped in newspaper and eaten outdoors. The chillier the weather, the more authentic the experience. The most famous Fish and Chips shops are according to the National Fish & Chip Awards 2018 the following:
- Cromars Classic Fish & Chips, St Andrews, Fife (Scotland)
- The Dolphin Takeaway, Dungannon, County Tyrone (Northern Ireland)
- Millers Fish & Chips, Haxby, York (North Yorkshire)
- Fylde Fish Bar, Marshside, Southport (Merseyside)
- The Golden Carp Chippy, Redditch (Worcestershire)
- Burton Road Chippy, Lincoln (Lincolnshire)
- Henley’s of Wivenhose, Wivenhoe, Colchester (Essex)
- Captain’s Fish and Chips, Hoddesdon (Herfordshire)
- Harbourside Fish & Chips, Plymouth (Devon)
- Penaluna’s Famous Fish & Chips, Hirwaun, Rhonda Cynon Taff (Wales)
Any other idea about the dishes that we should present into details? Write us!
