English cuisine

English cuisine is shaped by the country's temperate climate, its island geography and its history. The latter includes interactions with other European countries, and the importing of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China and India during the time of the British Empire and as a result of post-war immigration.

As a result, traditional foods with ancient origins, such as bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat and game pies, and freshwater and saltwater fish, are now matched in popularity by potatoes, tomatoes and chillies from the Americas, spices and curries from India and Bangladesh, and stir-fries based on Chinese and Thai cooking. French cuisine and Italian cuisine, once considered alien, are also now admired and copied. Britain was also quick to adopt the innovation of fast food from the United States, and continues to absorb culinary ideas from all over the world.

These trends are exemplified by the ubiquitous spaghetti bolognese which has been a common family meal in Britain since at least the 1960s. More recently there has been a huge growth in the popularity of dishes influenced by the Indian Sub-Continent (a throwback to the times of British influence in the region), though modified to suit British tastes. The British curry, essentially a holdover from the days of the British Raj (and subsequently embellished by immigrants), may be hotter and spicier than the traditional North Indian variety.

New cuisine

The increasing popularity of celebrity chefs on television has fuelled a renewed awareness of good food and New British cuisine has shaken off much of the stodgy "fish and chips" image. The best London restaurants rival those anywhere in the world, in both quality and price, and this influence is starting to be felt in the rest of the country. There is even a wave of chefs struggling to retain the classic greatness of British country cooking, for example Fergus Henderson.

There has been a massive boom in restaurant numbers driven by a renewed interest in quality food, possibly due to the availability of cheap foreign travel. Organic produce is increasingly popular, especially following a spate of farming crises, including BSE.

There has also been a quiet revolution in both quality and quantity of places to dine out in Britain, in particular, the humble Public House has been transformed in the last twenty or so years. Many have made the transition from eateries of poor reputation to rivals of the best restaurants, the so called Gastropub — very often they now are the best restaurants in smaller towns. The term "Pub Grub", once derogatory, can now be a sign of excellent value and quality dining. Some credit for this sea change has to go to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), for helping to improve the quality of pubs and their products in general, and some to the privatisation of breweries, which forced many pubs to diversify into dining in order to survive as a business, as well as a greater appreciation and demand among consumers.

Traditional cuisine

Sunday roast consisting of roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables and yorkshire pudding

The Sunday roast is perhaps the most common feature of English cooking. The Sunday dinner traditionally includes roast potatoes accompanying a roasted joint of meat such as roast beef, lamb , or a roast chicken and assorted vegetables, themselves generally roasted or boiled and served with a thick gravy. Yorkshire pudding and gravy is now often served as an accompaniment to the main course, although it was originally served first as a "filler". (The practice of serving a roast dinner on a Sunday is related to the elaborate preparation required, and to the housewife's practice of performing the weekly wash on a Monday, when the cold remains of the roast made an easily-assembled meal).A particularly elaborate roast dinner is eaten at Christmas, with almost every detail rigidly specified by tradition. Since its wide-spread availability after World War II the most popular Christmas roast is turkey, superseding the goose of Dickens's time. Game meats such as venison which were traditionally the domain of higher classes are occasionally also eaten by those wishing to experiment with a wider choice of foods, due to their promotion by Celebrity Chefs, such as Antony Worrall Thompson, although it is not generally eaten regularly in the average household.

Fish and chips

Notably, England is famous for its fish and chips and has a huge number of restaurants and take-away shops catering to it. It is possibly the most popular and uniquely English dish, and is traditionally served with a side order of mushy peas with salt and vinegar as condiments. The advent of take-away foods during the industrial revolution led to foods such as fish and chips, mushy peas, and steak and kidney pie with mashed potato (pie and mash). These were the staples of the UK take-away business, and indeed of English diets for many years, though ethnic influences, particularly Indian and Chinese, have led to the introduction of ethnic take-away foods. From the 1980s onwards, a new variant on curry, the balti, began to become popular in the West Midlands, and by the mid 1990s was commonplace in Indian restaurants and takeaways over the country. Kebab houses, pizza restaurants and American-style fried chicken restaurants aiming at late night snacking have also become popular in urban areas.

An English cooked breakfast

The full English breakfast (also known as "cooked breakfast" or "fried breakfast") also remains a culinary classic. Its contents vary, but it normally consists of a combination of bacon, grilled tomatoes, fried bread, black pudding, baked beans, fried mushrooms, sausages, eggs (fried, scrambled or boiled) and other variations on these ingredients and others. Hash browns are sometimes added, though this is not considered traditional. In general, the domestic breakfast is less elaborate, and it would be fair to say that most "full englishes" are bought in cafés. A young child's breakfast might include "soldiers", finger-shaped pieces of bread to be dipped in the yolk of a lightly boiled egg.

The English sausage is distinctive, being made of fresh meat and rarely smoked, dried, or strongly flavoured. Post World War II, sausages have tended to contain low-quality meat, fat, and rusk. However, there has been a backlash in recent years, with most butchers and supermarkets now selling premium varieties. Pork and beef are by far the most common bases, although gourmet varieties may contain venison, boar, etc. There are some regional variations, such as the herbal Lincolnshire, and the long, curled Cumberland, but the degree of variation does not stand comparison to Germany or Italy. Sausages form the basis of the quaintly-named dish toad in the hole, where they are combined with batter. A variant of the sausage is the black pudding, strongly associate with Lancashire and a cousin to the French boudin noir, Spanish Morcilla etc. It is made from pig's blood, in line with the adage that "you can eat every part of a pig except its squeal". Pig's trotters, tripe and brawn are also traditional fare in the North.

Pies, originally a way to preserve food, have long been a mainstay of English cooking. Meat pies are generally enclosed with fillings such as chicken and mushroom or steak and kidney (originally steak and oyster). Pork pies are almost always eaten cold, with the Melton Mowbray pork pie being the archetype. Open pies or flans are generally served for desert with fillings of seasonal fruit. Quiches and savoury flans are eaten, but not considered indigenous. The Cornish pasty is a much-loved regional dish, constructed from pastry is folded into a semi-circular purse, like a calzone. Another kind of pie is topped with mashed potato—for instance, shepherd's pie, with lamb, cottage pie, with beef, or fisherman's pie. As usual, there is a vast difference in quality between mass produced and hand-made versions. Good quality pies are obtainable from some pubs, traditional pie and mash shops, or specialist bakeries like those in Wigan.

The English can claim to have given the world the word "sandwich", although the eponymous Earl was not the first to add a filling to bread. A distinctive sandwich filling is Marmite, a dark brown savoury spread made from yeast extract, with a thick sticky texture, a strong, salty taste and high vitamin content (Australia's Vegemite is a similar product). Fishpaste and Gentleman's Relish could also be considered distinctively British.

Northern European countries generally have a tradition of salting, smoking, pickling and otherwise preserving foods. Britons make kippers, ham, bacon and a wide variety of pickled vegetables. Scottish smoked fish—salmon and Arbroath smokies—are particularly prized. Smoked cheese is uncommon. Meats other than pork are generally not cured. Whereas bacon is treated as a flavouring in some cuisines, it is consumed in hearty quantities in England. The "three breakfasts a day" principle can be implemented by eating bacon sandwiches, often referred to as "bacon sarnies" or "bacon butties", at any time of the day or night. Pickles and preserves are given a twist by the influence of the British Empire. Thus, the repertoire includes chutney as well as Branston or "brown" pickle, piccalilli, pickled onions and gherkins. The Asian influence is also present in condiments such as tomato sauce (originally ketjap), worcester sauce and "brown" sauce (such as HP). Because Britain is a beer-drinking nation, malt vinegar is commonly used. English mustard, associated with Colman's of Norwich, is strongly-flavoured and bright yellow.

Pickles often accompany a selection of sliced, cold cooked meats, or "cold collation". This dish can claim to have some international influence, since it is known in French as an "assiette Anglaise"

It is believed by some that the English "drop everything" for a teatime meal in the mid-afternoon. This is no longer the case in the workplace, and is rarer in the home. A formal teatime meal is now often an accompaniment to tourism, particularly in Devon and neighbouring counties, where comestibles may include scones with jam and butter or clotted cream. There are also butterfly cakes, simple small sponge cakes which can be iced or eaten plain. Nationwide, assorted biscuits and sandwiches are eaten. Generally, however, the teatime meal has been replaced by snacking, or simply ignored.

Tea itself, usually served with milk, is consumed throughout the day and is sometimes drunk with meals. In recent years herbal teas and speciality teas have also become popular. Coffee is perhaps a little less common than in continental Europe, but is still drunk by many in both its instant and percolated forms, often with milk (but rarely with cream). Italian coffee preparations such as espresso and cappuccino and modern American variants such as the Frappuccino are increasingly popular, but generally purchased in restaurants or from specialist coffee shops rather than made in the home. Sugar is often added to individual cups of tea or coffee, though never to the pot.

Milk deserves special mention. For much of the 20th century Britain had a system whereby milk was delivered to the doorstep in reusable glass bottles in the mornings, usually by special vehicles called "milk floats". This service continues in some areas, though it has increasingly been replaced by supermarket shopping. Many Britons consider their milk superior to the heat-treated variety found in some other countries.

Cheese is generally hard, made from cows' milk, and lacking in strong pungency. Cheddar cheese, which is notoriously made anywhere but Cheddar, is by far the most common type, with many variations. Tangy Cheshire, salty Caerphilly, Sage Derby, Red Leicester, creamy Double Gloucester and sweet Wensleydale are some traditional regional varieties. Cheddar and the rich, blue-veined Stilton have both been called the king of English cheeses. Cornish Yarg is a successful modern variety. Sheep and goat cheeses are made chiefly by craft producers. Continental cheeses such as Brie are sometimes imitated.

In more formal contexts wine can be served with meals, though for semi-formal and informal meals bitter (beer) or cider may also be drunk. Although the British brewing tradition can be compared to the Belgian and German ones, the same cannot be said of its beer cookery. Beef pie, with the beef cooked in Guinness or some other beer is almost the only such dish in the repertoire. Rabbit may also be stewed in cider.

Kedgeree, a popular breakfast dish in the Victorian era

In the Victorian era, during the British Raj, Britain first started borrowing Indian dishes, creating Anglo-Indian cuisine, some of which is still eaten today although many once-popular Anglo-Indian dishes such as kedgeree have largely faded from the scene.

At home, the British have many original home-made desserts such as rhubarb crumble, bread and butter pudding, trifle and spotted dick. The traditional accompaniment is custard, known as crème anglaise (English sauce or English Cream) to the French. The dishes are simple and traditional, with recipes passed on from generation to generation. There is also the dried fruit based Christmas pudding, and the almond flavoured bakewell pudding.

Another formal British culinary tradition rarely observed today is the consumption of a savoury course, such as Welsh rarebit, toward the conclusion of a meal. This now though may be eaten as a snack or a light lunch or supper. Most main meals today end with a sweet dessert, although cheese and biscuits may be consumed as an alternative or as an addition. In Yorkshire, fruit cake is often served with Wensleydale cheese. For formal meals, coffee is a usual culminatory drink.

International and fusion cuisine

Indian cuisine is the most popular alternative to traditional cooking in Britain, followed by Chinese and Italian cuisine food.. Thai, Spanish, Jewish, Greek, Tex-Mex and Caribbean restaurants can also be found, with American and Middle Eastern food mostly represented in the take-away sector. Whereas most international food is pitched in the middle of the price range, French food tends to be considered haute cuisine.

Indian restaurants typically allow the diner to combine a number of base ingredients — chicken, prawns or "meat" (lamb or mutton) — with a number of curry sauces, without regard to the authenticity of the combination. (Most restaurants are run by Bangladeshi Muslims, so pork is rarely offered.) Meals are almost always accompanied by rice, usually basmati, with bread sometimes ordered in addition. India's well-developed vegetarian cuisine is sketchily represented.

Anglo Indian Fusion food started duting the British Raj with such dishes as Mulligatawny soup, Kedgeree and coronation chicken. The process continued with chicken tikka masala in the 1970s and Balti in the 1980s, although some claim the latter has roots in the subcontinent.

Pizza and pasta dishes such as spaghetti bolognese and lasagna with bolognese ragù and bechamel sauce are the most popular forms of Italian food.

Chile con carne is by far the favourite Tex-Mex dish: it is nearly always made with kidney beans and minced beef, and served with rice.

Chinese food is predomninantly derived from Cantonese cuisine, and so adapted to Western tastes that Chinese customers may be offered an entirely separate menu. Spare ribs in OK sauce is an example of crossover cuisine.

Caribbean and Jewish food are mostly eaten within their respective communities, although bagels are becoming more widespread as a snack.

Reputation abroad

English cuisine still suffers from a relatively poor international reputation, being typically represented by dishes consisting of simply cooked meats and vegetables that need to be accompanied by bottled sauces or other condiments after cooking to make them more palatable. Many Francophiles think that food served in England often fails to reach the same general level of excellence that can easily be found across the English Channel in France. In fact French president Jacques Chirac in 2005 openly proclaimed that English food was the second-worst in Europe, after Finnish. This view of English food is changing: the poor reputation originated from poor quality foods in restaurants that did not really represent the quality or taste of food cooked in homes. Jacques Chirac's comments were widely condemned for being out of date and out of touch. Traditional English food, with its heavy emphasis on 'meat-and-two-veg' falls squarely into the north European tradition extending from Austria and Germany to the Low Countries and Scandinavia, albeit with a marked French influence.

During the Middle Ages, English cuisine enjoyed an excellent reputation; its decline can be firmly traced back to the move away from the land and increasing urbanisation of the populace during the Industrial Revolution. Britain became a net importer of food. British food also suffered heavily from effects of rationing during two World Wars (rationing finally ended in 1954), followed by the increasing trend toward industrialised mass production of food. However, in Britain today there is more interest in food than there has ever been before, with celebrity chefs leading the drive toward raising the standard of food in the UK.

In 2005 British cuisine reached new heights when 600 food critics writing for (British) Restaurant magazine named 14 British restaurants among the 50 best restaurants in the world with the number one spot going to The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire and its chef Heston Blumenthal.

File:Gastropub readymeal 1.jpg

Gastropub ready meal from Marks & Spencer

Despite the availability of better quality fare, pre-packaged "ready meals" that require little preparation time have become more popular over the last 30 years - but they have themselves advanced considerably from their very basic beginnings.

Vegetarianism

Since the end of World War II when their numbers were around 100,000, increasing numbers of the British population have adopted vegetarianism, especially since the BSE crisis of the 1990s. As of 2003 it was estimated that there were between 3 and 4 million vegetarians in the UK , one of the highest percentages in the western world, and around 7 million people claim to eat no red meat. It is rare not to find vegetarian foods in a supermarket or on a restaurant menu.

Lists

English food writers and chefs

• Eliza Acton
• "Mrs Beeton"
• Fanny Cradock
• Johnnie Cradock
• Elizabeth Craig
• Elizabeth David
• Clarissa Dickson Wright
• Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• Keith Floyd

• Hannah Glasse
• Jane Grigson
• Ainsley Harriott
• Graham Kerr
• Nigella Lawson
• Rustie Lee
• Jonathan Meades
• Jamie Oliver

• Marguerite Patten
• Gordon Ramsay
• Gary Rhodes
• Nigel Slater
• Delia Smith
• Rick Stein
• Antony Worrall Thompson
• Marco Pierre White

Examples of English cuisine

For more complete lists, see the British section of the list of recipes and Category:British cuisine. For traditional foods protected under European law, see British Protected designation of origin.

Savoury dishes

• Coronation Chicken
• Balti
• Bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potato)
• Black pudding
• Bubble and squeak
• Cauliflower cheese
• Cheese
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Cornish pasty
• Cottage pie
• Cumberland Sausage
• Dumplings
• Faggots
• Fish and chips
• Full English breakfast

• Gravy
• Hash
• Jellied eels
• Lancashire Hotpot
• Lincolnshire sausage
• Pan Hagerty
• Pie and mash
• Pork pie
• Shepherd's pie
• Scouse
• Sunday Roast
• Toad-in-the-hole
• Yorkshire pudding

Sweet dishes

• Apple pie
• Bread and butter pudding
• Christmas pudding
• Cranachan
• Clotted Cream
• Dumplings
• Knickerbocker glory
• Mince pie
• Queen of Puddings
• Spotted dick
• Sticky toffee pudding
• Custard
• Trifle
• Treacle tart

Meals

breakfast, elevenses, brunch, lunch, dinner, supper, dessert, Tea

Dates of introduction of various foodstuffs and methods to Britain

Prehistory (before 43 AD)

• bread from mixed grains: around 3700 BC
• oats: around 1000 BC
• wheat: around 500 BC
• rabbit: late Iron Age/early Roman

Roman era (43 to 410)

• apple (?), asparagus, celery, chives, coriander, cucumber, marjoram, marrow, onion, parsnip, pea, pheasant [22], rosemary, spearmint, turnip, wine

Middle ages to the discovery of the New World (410 to 1492)

• kipper: 9th century (from Denmark or Norway)
• rye bread: Viking era, around 500 AD
• peach (imported): Anglo-Saxon
• orange: 1290
• sugar cane: 14th century
• carrot: 15th century

1492 to 1914

• turkey: 1524
• cayenne pepper, parsley: 1548
• refined sugar: 1540s
• lemon: 1577 (first recorded cultivation)
• peach (cultivated): 16th century
• potato: 1586
• horseradish: 16th century
• tea: 1610 or later
• banana (from Bermuda): 1633
• coffee: 1650
• chocolate: 1650s
• broccoli: before 1724
• tomato (as food): 1750s
• sandwich: named in 18th century
• curry: 1809 (first Indian restaurant)
• rhubarb (as food): early 1800s
• three-course meal: about 1850 (developed from service à la Russe)
• fish and chips: 1858 or 1863
• Marmite: 1902
• ice cream: 1913

After 1914

• sugar beet: 1914-1918
• sliced bread: 1930
• Chinese restaurant: 1950 (first to open in Soho)

Rationing

See the article on rationing in the United Kingdom during and after World War II (which started in World War II and lasted for several years afterward)

See also

• Cuisines of the World
• List of recipes
• UK topics
• Alcoholic drinks in Britain

References

• Hartley, Dorothy — Food in England, Macdonald, 1954; Little, Brown, 1996, ISBN 0-316-85205-8. This is a charmingly old-fashioned survey of the history of English food from prehistory to 1954, full of folk wisdom and recipes (not all practical).

External links

• English culinary history and recipes
• The Great British Guide of How Not to Eat
• UK Vegetarian Society
• Wikibooks: Cookbook:Cuisine of the United Kingdom
• English cuisine
• Food in 1850s London
• Sandwich Guide (UK)
• A selection of British recipes and related information.
• George Orwell: A Nice Cup of Tea
• Food Yorkshire
• Eating the English way
• English Recipe Collection
• Food Stories — Explore a century of revolutionary change in UK food culture on the British Library's Food Stories website