Talk:British cuisine

Affirmative action

Somebody put an opinion piece across very incorrectly here. The BBC claims that Chicken tikka masala is "Britain's true national dish". So the BBC's name needs to be there, there is no evidence that this is majority British opinion and it is clearly bias to present the dish as if it were. Focusing on "take-away culture" is really offensive and is patronising attempt to sell "multiculturalism".

Also Chicken tikka masala was developed in India with the British, when India was an Imperial territory of the British Empire, nothing to do with later Indian settlers in Britain. Again this seems politically motivated, and very left wing in slant. Britain's connection to such cuisine is through the Old Empire. - Arthur Wicket (talk) 19:31, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

After a quick browse around the web, this is indeed a left-wing stance bias in favour of the political ideology multiculturalism, as it was purportrated by one Robin Cook a high profile politician of the New Labour-period. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/apr/19/race.britishidentity

I mean this force feeding a highly politicised statement like that down the throats of millions of Britons and claiming their national dish is Indian take-away, throwing aside fish & chips, sunday roast which are considered by the natives as British cuisine, is a bit much. In Britain, curry houses are marketed as simply "Indian", and people go to "order an Indian" note the majority of people do not think of it as just "British". Just the same as they do when going for a "Chinese", "Mexican" or "Italian". - Arthur Wicket (talk) 20:12, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Can you cite your sources to verify that "curry houses are marketed as simply "Indian", and people go to "order an Indian" note the majority of people do not think of it as just "British"."? The BBC and The Guardian are reliable sources; we do not write about personal opinion in articles. --Jza84 |  Talk  21:23, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Sure:

http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/selection/96/Best_Indian http://www.tandoori.co.uk/

See how it says "Indian" rather than "British-Indian" so your multiculturalist Robin Cook propaganda fails? Now, can you verify that the racist anti-British sentiment of claiming some tacky take-away is the nation dish, isn't a politically charged left-wing bias statement from a left-wing politcian promoting multiculturalism? Why are you trying to stur up hatred and resentment of Indian people by attacking the native cuisine of Britain? - Arthur Wicket (talk) 11:17, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

I think you need to be coming to Wikipedia with a much more neutral point of view. Please note, Wikipedia is not a battleground. Also, your sources are not reliable - they are examples of your claim, but do not back it up explicitly.

You're not going to be able to secure a change in this article with the belief that this is a race-related cover-up on my part. Editors, including myself, merely reflect source material, not personal opinion. --Jza84 |  Talk  20:01, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

'Puritan' food

Interesting as it certainly is, I'm not sure the cite provided really goes to show that the arrival of Protestantism/Puritanism had a strong influence on food, for a couple of reasons:

(a) It states "Cromwell's tastes were those of a gentleman farmer of the Fens - plain, but robust" - implying that such tastes were already common at least among certain strata of society, before the Puritans came to power.

(b) It's really just about his personal tastes - it doesn't delve into the issue of whether the Puritans influenced the broader population's tastes.

I'll see what I can find in Dorothy Hartley etc., but it does need a better cite, or rephrasing, I think. Barnabypage (talk) 19:37, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

This is a matter of implicit common knowledge in Anglo-American-German-Scandinavian culture - I'm trying to find a better explicit reference - but take a look at the implicit references on on [[2]]82.35.115.3 (talk) 19:57, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

Further to above see Babette's Feast which plays specifically on this dichotomy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.35.115.3 (talk) 19:59, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

Unambiguous reference : —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.35.115.3 (talk) 20:13, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

I think we need to be wary of assuming that the opinions on food which would - I agree - very likely have been held by Protestant or Puritan thinkers would have filtered down to affect the common diet. Remember that a lot of the more extreme positions of the Henrician Reformation were quickly undone by Mary and Elizabeth; that a lot of the principles of the Reformation weren't always translated into action "on the ground" in individual parishes; and that the Puritan Cromwell wasn't in power very long - to be replaced by a notably hedonistic monarch. But it's a very interesting subject and I shall look forward to seeing what other sources we can both come up with. Barnabypage (talk) 20:28, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

I haven't been able to come up with a lot on this, but Mennell: All Manners of Food. Eating and Taste in England and France from the Middle Ages to the Present is interesting (the gist of his argument is that the opposition was to gluttony rather than specific forms of cooking). It's on Google Books - the relevant bit is around p104-105. Barnabypage (talk) 14:08, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

The puritan ethic originated in the Elizabethan period (See Arthur Dent (Puritan) and a further American reference [[3]] on wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.35.115.3 (talk) 20:57, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

Anglo-Pakistani cuisine

In the British cuisine linkbox this goes straight to Balti (food). Are these really synonyms describing the same thing?--Felix Folio Secundus (talk) 18:20, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

Piste Orfe

I am, well, let's say, um - surprised - at this article.

We, the "British" (and for f*ck's sake, why is this linked to "English food"; England <= Britain) have many foods which have originated in 'England': - Cornish Pastie; -Yorkshire thingy; - Something else.

Well, I'm off to have some proper Cheddar cheese (Extra mature. You have no idea what you are missing.)

=Ivor Dudeneay

British cuisine is from Britain, by definition, not the United Kingdom

Nuff said —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.141.29.128 (talk) 18:48, 28 May 2010 (UTC)

I'd say it would be more accurately that from the British Isles. 86.169.253.110 (talk)