British Food Least Popular in Europe

I like those too, along with Summer Puddings. They may often be simple but it's part of our culture and diverse history. Some of us Brits don't like continental foods like horsemeat and pigs trotters but it doesn't mean they 'have to go'. I think they may prefer to eat Yorkshire Pud than horsemeat.

And some of us moan about British food.. but that's part of the fun and moaning is our culture too!

I am all for the British Food revival.

The Pickled Onion Rocks

I have no idea where the English Breakfast came from, it appears more American.

You can't beat a good Yorkshire pud! And fish and chips fried in beef dripping. I know, I know. Heart attack beckons.

Who could say no to Yorkshire puddings?

In fact British puddings in general are the tops. French friends who sneer at "British food" eat up every scrap of summer pudding, fruit crumble, or bread and butter pudding and ask for seconds!

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Fish n'chips is like every other dish. If done correctly then it's fab, done not so good it's awful!

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Breaded fish fillet, side serving of salad and skinny chips. Served at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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good stuff:

Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.

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This comes from the website ' potted history of British food'. 

Quote

British foods raise some intriguing questions about our past. Why are we a nation of curry lovers, with a taste for piquant pickles next to plainly cooked meats? What made us eat fish and chips? And what on earth is Marmite all about?

The bedrock of our food is the land and sea. Rainfall and a mild, island climate bring us lush pastures for feeding cattle and sheep; our coastline (nobody is more than 75 miles from the sea) delivers plenty of fish; our copious fuel has long enabled us to bake and roast; our fields of barley and northern climate mean we mostly produce beer rather than wine. But this, of course, is only part of the story: our culture has been stirred up by the influence of many cultures over many centuries.

Romans

The four hundred years of Roman occupation brought the first of many foreign influences to our shores. Orchards, vineyards, herbs and their beloved spice, mustard, were introduced; cheese-making thrived and pheasants and rabbits became part of the countryside, and geese and guinea fowl part of the farmyard.

Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-Saxons had a fund of sophisticated herbal lore and such plants as watercress and camomile began to be regarded as especially healthy. The peasant staples were bread and a dish known as pottage, a thick soup made of peas, beans or cereals, rather like today¹s porridge. Wild pigs had been domesticated by the tenth century and, economically fed on household scraps and woodland forage, were to be the meat of the people for many centuries, their meat salted and preserved to last though the year in such forms as sausages and bacon. Wild foods were valued: blackberries and raspberries

were even placed in bread to make an early version of summer pudding.

Normans and medieval period

A more refined native cuisine took root after the Normans introduced new ingredients and techniques. Returning crusaders helped promote exotic flavours such as rose-water (still familiar in Turkish Delight), almonds and sugar. Expensive spices were kept under lock-and-key and put into special dishes that come down to us in such festive foods as Christmas pudding and mince pies.

The sixteenth to eighteenth centuries

After the Reformation, the British Isles was increasingly set apart from the courtly, Catholic cuisines of continent. At the same time, improved methods of farming brought better ingredients. Both factors encouraged a simpler style of cooking which relied on the flavours of good produce. Meat took pride of place over the fish associated with Catholic fast days, and such dishes as roast beef increasingly became a symbol of national pride. Many imported foods continued to be prized, as well: when the Great

Fire of London swept through London in 1666, the diarist Samuel Pepys took the trouble to bury his hunk of Italian Parmesan for safe-keeping.

Nineteenth century

Industrialisation wrought great changes on our diet. Fish and chips combined the fried potatoes of the industrial northern towns and cities with the fried fish of Jewish traders in London. Marmite was invented in the nineteenth century as a handy way to use up the yeast that was a by-product of the brewing industry. The British Empire continued to make exotic tastes part of our national palate. Queen Victoria had a curry made daily in case of visitors from India, and that British stalwart, Worcestershire sauce, was first made in 1835, based on a recipe brought back from India, whilst Mrs Beeton includes mango chutney and chilli vinegar in her Book of Household Management.

Twentieth century

Today, we have both more choice, and less. The deprivations of two world wars and 14 years of rationing left us with a food policy geared towards productivity, and many of our special native foods dwindled. There is, however, a reversal of this trend, as people shop at farmers¹ markets, farm shops, specialists and local shops, looking for fresh, seasonal ingredients and produce such as native British meat breeds. As well as exploring the cuisines of other cultures, chefs and home-cooks are now rediscovering recipes from the past, to find traditional ways of using native ingredients. After losing touch with the land and its produce, we are now going back to our roots

I do believe there are some of us really bored with Pizzas and European Food.  They used to be a 'treat' but now these are everywhere. British Food is a 'treat'. We have to search everywhere for it, and often it is hard to find. Our desserts are now tropical fruit salad or banal icecreams and we have Mississippi Mud Pie. I want to be back in touch my with my roots. Websites and Facebooks Groups support British Food. The Survey may not have included these types of people.

The Rock and Sole Plaice in Covent Garden is the best place to get fish and chips and more. We've had a few of their desserts, none so typically English as Spotted Dick. It is a biscuit/scone type of dessert with currants inside and a custard poured over the top.

Established in 1874 and only on its' fourth owner, the Rock and Sole Plaice is a "must visit" when in London. We even made it our Mystery Spot for customers who travel. Check out more pictures of the Rock and Sole Plaice here. http://jpscoffee.com/photos/our-photos/?photoset=72057594063729492

British food seems popular in the US-- as long as it's of the fish and chips variety!

http://winemedinemecinci.blogspot.com

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British food took a heavy hit from two things: the industrial revolution and the arrival of tinned foods, and the disruption to people's way of life that came with it; and the two world wars and rationing. By the end of WWII, the national food culture was grim. But when prepared well and with fresh ingrediants, British food is great and very filling and comforting. The big problem is that it often is not prepared well, and there are many lazy cooks out there!

maybe not a hugest fan of the traditional british dishes.. but i must say you can get the most fabulous mix of different cultural foods in london.

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Menu at New Picadilly Cafe, London

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I love me some good old fashioned British fish and chips!

Having spent two years in Germany, I must say I came to really love the cuisine there. But on my travels last year throughout England, I definitely tried new foods, and had some really good meals. I have never really been much of a fish fan - usually I'd only eat the stuff my grandparents caught and fried themselves - but the English 'Fish n Chips' was my favorite dish while I was there. And when you throw in a little vinegar or lemon juice... MMMM even better!

I did get to try Bangers and Mash, and even some Meat Pie and Shepherd's Pie (which was actually called Sherper's Pie at the Inn where we ate, because of the different spices in it). I haven't been able to really enjoy French cuisine, or real Italian foods... but to me, English food is pretty darn good! Their 'typical' breakfast (beans, tomato, eggs, 'ham' and such) was also a delight!

I am not a food conesuer, nor can I spell it, LOL, but I do love food... and I don't agree that English should be least favorite. But, I guess that's just one opinion...

good stuff:

Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff. And the more commentary you get from people who really do enjoy British 'cuisine', well... I think it helps! :)

Believe it or not, it wasn't THAT bad...kind of like wet, strange-tasting raisin bread.

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Who says American portions are out of control? That fish and and chips dish had a fillet the size of half of a two-by-four and that was an equivalant of one can of peas!

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I took this photo in a British pub called the Crow's Nest in Ontario. The fish and chips were killer. British food is killer.

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