Good British food... does it exists?

[AnarchistFish]

Yeah. You get stuff in pub lunches which you could call British cuisine (though it's a bit more rough and ready than that) and it's good.

idk why people freak out over fish and chips. They're not British, for a start, and all countries have casual junk food. Honestly, half the stereotypes British people believe in about themselves aren't even true.

 

[The White Hunter]

London is the only city I have ever been to where all the signs are in pictures because nobody speaks the same language.

... and I thought that was just because the East Enders couldn't read?

Jokes aside though, that was one of the things that struck me about London. Walk down a street in London during rush hour and you'll hear at least two dozen languages being spoken. Walk down a street in New York during rush hour and you'll hear maybe three, but normally just one. The U.S. is always on about how "multicultural" it is, but immigrants in the U.S. better learn to fit in, speak English and play basketball or baseball or they'll be universally rejected. When I visited the U.S. last I'd just been to Ireland for 6 months and my brogue was pretty thick. I was treated so amazingly rudely by people in the U.S. who asked me if I could speak English and didn't make the faintest attempt to understand me. It was just for my first day or so, but I was genuinely offended by the rudeness I encountered. The funniest thing? I went to an "Irish" pub in New York... and the owner asked me to repeat myself 3 times before he got my order. I had a Cork accent, which is far from extreme as far as Irish accents go. Oh, and the miserable fecker poured me a Guinness with almost no head and served it to me before it was settled. They don't even know how to draw a pint.

In the U.K. people are free to keep their own culture and language, and the Brits genuinely make an effort to understand someone who's speaking another language, and will ask around for someone who can translate (I saw this in Harrods where a woman in full burqa was trying to find her husband, and the staff were amazingly understanding... and culturally sensitive in trying to ensure that only female staff helped the woman). Sure English is required for business, but on the street and in shops no-one gives you the cold shoulder if you can't speak English very well, mostly they praise you for trying or ask where you're from and are quite interested.

Now my only direct experience with an american misunderstanding me (I'm from Kendal and have a fairly broad cumbrian accent withs ome Scottish overtones) and being rude was in a bar in Aberdeen where an american bloke asked me if I spoke fucking english after a short exchange of mixed verbal abuse over a spilled drink (his fault, wouldn't replace the spilled nectar). It duly resulted in fisticuffs. [small]Highland fisticuffs at that. So basically he punched me in the face, and being the dignified brit I am I retorted with a swift punch in the throat and a headbutt.[/small]

Thankfully being a pub in Aberdeen such things are expected and ignored under circumstance.

Also guiness with no head!? This is an outrage! I'm no irishman but that's disgraceful. It's almost as bad as TOO MUCH head.

I do speak differently to different people though and I soak up accents and adapt to them quickly, so often times my accent is fairly amiguous but distinctly from somewhere in the UK if you get what I mean. There's no need to be unpleasant over such silly things, though if you come here to work I would expect you to at least try learn some English as it does make the work place more efficient if everyone is on the same page and I don't wish to learn 12 different eastern european languages.

 

[AnarchistFish]

(not so much the french - 'coat it in Garlic' is not the same as having a great culture of food)

Way to generalise

soo naive

 

[surg3n]

If you like beef, then you'll be fine. Britain has some of the best recipes for beef anywhere - get yourself involved in a traditional sunday roast - lots of restaurants do it, but a nice bit of beef, roast potatoes, thick gravy mmmmm. No country does steak pie better than the UK, it gets better the further north you go .

Curry tends to be pretty good here as well, maybe a lamb Bhuna. Avoid the junkfood though - you'll only be disapointed with generic burger places and kebab shops.

 

[Frungy]

Now my only direct experience with an american misunderstanding me (I'm from Kendal and have a fairly broad cumbrian accent withs ome Scottish overtones) and being rude was in a bar in Aberdeen where an american bloke asked me if I spoke fucking english after a short exchange of mixed verbal abuse over a spilled drink (his fault, wouldn't replace the spilled nectar).

Like I said before, getting an apology out of an American is like getting blood from a stone. ... and him asking you if you spoke English when he's speaking Americanese (it isn't English) is a bloody cheek.

It duly resulted in fisticuffs. [small]Highland fisticuffs at that. So basically he punched me in the face, and being the dignified brit I am I retorted with a swift punch in the throat and a headbutt.[/small]

Thankfully being a pub in Aberdeen such things are expected and ignored under circumstance.

Ah, the famous Scots handshake. Very appropriate under the circumstances. I've been on the receiving end of one once (now I know to keep my bloody distance), and I was bleeding from a scalp wound for a good half hour. Nice chap though once we had a couple of drinks afterwards.

Also guiness with no head!? This is an outrage! I'm no irishman but that's disgraceful. It's almost as bad as TOO MUCH head.

There is no such thing as too much head... oh, wait, we're talking about guinness not umm... oh well, never mind...

I do speak differently to different people though and I soak up accents and adapt to them quickly, so often times my accent is fairly amiguous but distinctly from somewhere in the UK if you get what I mean. There's no need to be unpleasant over such silly things, though if you come here to work I would expect you to at least try learn some English as it does make the work place more efficient if everyone is on the same page and I don't wish to learn 12 different eastern european languages.

I grew up all over the place and I tend to shift accents quite quickly too.

As for speaking English in the workplace, well fair enough. But if someone walked up to an Pakistani in London and admonished them to speak English... yeah, if they got stabbed I'd help them to a hospital, but the entire way I'd be telling them what a tosser they were and how they deserved it.

 

[Netrigan]

As a Louisiana native, I challenge you to a duel. I demand satisfaction.

Of course, it's not unusual for food snobs to criticize our food for being insanely delicious, because somehow that's "unsophisticated".

Oh, if you want satisfaction then I suggest a good chicken and mushroom pie.

... oh, wait, not that kind of satisfaction?

Louisiana, depending on where you are is either French food or Creole/Cajun food. It certainly isn't "American" by any stretch of the imagination.

Now I have nothing against French food (snails are amazingly delicious!) and Creole/Cajun food is likewise excellent, but what gets my goat is when Americans claim that food in Louisiana is somehow a vindication of American food. It isn't. It just means they could read a recipe.

I didn't get down to Louisiana my last visit to the U.S., but it is on my list of places to visit... but first I need to lose 10 kgs... because thats how much I plan to put on during my visit.

Louisiana food is pretty uniquely its own. It's a mix of French, Creole, Soul Food, TexMex, and a few other things.

But then the U.S. is pretty much a mix of other cultures to begin with, so I don't see that as meaning we don't have a culture of our own.

And Louisiana food isn't a vindication of American food, so much as us wondering why the rest of the nation can't make good food.

 

[AnarchistFish]

Walk down a street in London during rush hour and you'll hear at least two dozen languages being spoken. Walk down a street in New York during rush hour and you'll hear maybe three, but normally just one.

How are you able to differentiate between them?
A lot of this could be down to tourism, although you're probably right. I think less than 45% of London is white british now, or something. I hear more French in the underground than English. But English people never talk on their commute anyway.

In the U.K. people are free to keep their own culture and language, and the Brits genuinely make an effort to understand someone who's speaking another language, and will ask around for someone who can translate (I saw this in Harrods where a woman in full burqa was trying to find her husband, and the staff were amazingly understanding... and culturally sensitive in trying to ensure that only female staff helped the woman). Sure English is required for business, but on the street and in shops no-one gives you the cold shoulder if you can't speak English very well, mostly they praise you for trying or ask where you're from and are quite interested.

This is true, but there's a very large proportion of people who do feel aggravated by this but are usually too afraid to speak out about it.

 

[Stu35]

(not so much the french - 'coat it in Garlic' is not the same as having a great culture of food)

Way to generalise

soo naive

Because no one else in this thread has generalised at all.

Incidentally, having been to France and eaten your food. Yeah, 'coat it in garlic' does seem to be the order of the day. Yeah I'm sure it isn't, but I'll be honest and say that you were never going to get good marks from me - I'm a stereotypical Brit with a pointless grudge against France over conflicts that took place centuries ago.

So don't take it to heart, k? Just enjoy the wooden spoon you'll be getting when the 6 nations is over.

I gotta agree with you german beer is a vastly overated thing, I've never had a bad one but the vast majority are just okay, they do the job and are refreshing and inoffensive but nothing I've had from Germany has ever been spectacular.

Thats part of why I love Germany though - they're ruthlessly efficient at getting things done right. They don't do things amazing, but they get it done right.

I've had some poor british beer though, mostly extremely pale ales stuffed full of hops which to me are just sour disgusting things (Wychcraft comes to mind immediately). I prefer darker beers and ales such as Dark Lord, Old Tom, Riggwelter, McEwans Champion, etc. We have a lot of breweries around the lake district and a lot of them make some very nice beer, lots of beer festivals to celebrate it too.

You and I should drink together some time. I feel we would get along quite well.

I've had some truly appalling beers in this country, to the point that I can see why many people steer clear of ale altogether - It's often not helped by chains such as weatherspoons where the Staff don't know how to keep their pipes clean or store the casks properly, so even a good beer can result in a poor pint.

As for lager... meh... I don't mind a nice well iced Carling but I'm no huge supporter of larger. If I must drink canned beer then I must drink the canned beer of champions:

Shame it's a touch expensive in England.

I do like a bit of McEwans when I head north of the border. As I say though, Lager tends not to be my thing.

 

[exobook]

I'm headed to London with my uni on Saturday and I can't help but wonder just how true or false the jokes about British cooking skills are. Is there such a thing as tasty food from England? does it cost an arm and a leg? will it be served by a gentleman wearing a top hat and monicle?


Also, if anyone is in the area and feels like hanging out with a ~190cm American, I'll more then likely be hanging out at the National Royal Hotel on the 6th at 6:30pm...

Is there good british food? yes

Its called the Indian takeaway (note that you don't have to take the food away with you there are indian restruants).

And yes its british food most of it was made in Britian by Indian immigrants so you can call it british. A poll once declared chicken tikka masala as britain's favourite dish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/177_food/page5.shtml

 

[AnarchistFish]

To be perfectly honest, your claims of 90% overlap don't wring true with me. See unlike the british isles, America is a big place, with lots and lots of different ethnic groups, So what you consider "American Cuisine" I would consider "A singular aspect of American cuisine"

You've never been to the UK have you?

 

[AnarchistFish]

(not so much the french - 'coat it in Garlic' is not the same as having a great culture of food)

Way to generalise

soo naive

Because no one else in this thread has generalised at all.

Incidentally, having been to France and eaten your food. Yeah, 'coat it in garlic' does seem to be the order of the day. Yeah I'm sure it isn't, but I'll be honest and say that you were never going to get good marks from me - I'm a stereotypical Brit with a pointless grudge against France over conflicts that took place centuries ago.

So don't take it to heart, k? Just enjoy the wooden spoon you'll be getting when the 6 nations is over.

Nah man you're just jealy of our gorgeous reputation and sexy language

 

[fix-the-spade]

Is there such a thing as tasty food from England?

That's a good question.

Given that you're from America and thus used to eating food that's largely made of corn syrup and wood pulp, you might struggle over here where real meat is even served in McDonalds (seriously).

#Ahem#

London's full of nice places to eat, but it costs an arm and a leg because it's London. If all else fail Fish and Chips! Words don't do fish and chips justice, but a chunk of fried fish and potatoes is more lovely than the most expensive steak. Maybe it's the lack of horse meat...

Captcha: fill it up

 

[Blunderboy]

Yes it is. We've got many great dishes and we also adapt food from other cultures incredibly well.

I do love how an American is posing this question too. I do love Irony.

 

[MrSuperman]

Fish & chips.

What are you people, morons? It's delicious!

 

[Frungy]

Louisiana food is pretty uniquely its own. It's a mix of French, Creole, Soul Food, TexMex, and a few other things.

In Europe there's a name for that, fusion cooking. You'll find it a LOT in London's better restaurants. Of course no-one would claim it as British cooking, that would be rude, it might be British-inspired, or French-inspired, but it is fusion cooking.

Louisiana food is delicious, and quite probably some of the finer examples of fusion cooking. I definitely want to visit and give it a try. I've eaten food in over a dozen countries, and the only time I've ever refused something was the deep-fried tarantula in Cambodia (in my defence I'm allergic to some types of spider venom and I didn't feel like chancing my luck that there was a tiny amount of residual venom).

But then the U.S. is pretty much a mix of other cultures to begin with, so I don't see that as meaning we don't have a culture of our own.

America has a culture, but it is strongly influenced by a number of other cultures. It didn't spring from nothing. In fact it is mostly European culture, with the same gestures, taboos, etc. If Americans would stop trying to pretend that they were unique and separate, and instead embrace the fact that they share fellowship with most of Europe I think that U.S. foreign relations would make a massive leap forward.

And Louisiana food isn't a vindication of American food, so much as us wondering why the rest of the nation can't make good food.

Now that's a little unfair. I've eaten at some pretty good restaurants in the U.S. and there was some really excellent food. One of my Jewish friends took me to sample some of the local delis and the food was amazingly good, with some nice local variations on foods I'd eaten elsewhere. There are also a lot of bloody awful places in the U.S. I think the same can be said of any country.

Honestly, I don't need to get down on American food to feel good about what I'm eating, and this another huge American mistake, the feeling that they need belittle everyone else's food and culture to feel good about their own. It is only necessary if you're completely insecure. At the end of the day I don't care what people in the U.S. think about English food, or Japanese food, or Polish food. The less they eat the more I get to eat. Let them enjoy their Big Macs and Segways.

 

[OutsiderEX]

We have plenty of good food.

Get yourself to a decent seaside town and get some seafood, or go to Masham and order some gammon, pop over to Wales and enjoy some fantastic Welsh Black Beef, wash it down with some Hereford cider, etc, etc

We've got some of the best food in the world. The problem is that the homogenizing supermarket culture and people being too lazy to cook for themselves is ruining people's attitudes to food in this country. There are tons of British dishes using British ingredients that taste fantastic and that's before you factor in the overseas and Imperial influence.

There's tons of great food in Britain. You're just not going to find it on the high street in a town center.

 

[theSteamSupported]

Fish'n'Chips and Shepherd's Pie. UK cuisine is pretty darn ok to me.

Speaking of which, why isn't anyone taking a piss on traditional Swedish cuisine?

 

[Edl01]

Honestly, I'm really nto suprised that American's insult British food considering how much I always hear British people happing on American food.
I'm not gonna say anyone is right in this, just two patriotic countries arguing over who has the best stuff.

 

[BytByte]

Well, they do call eggplants aubergines, so they must be doing something right over there. I always feel that any food anywhere has to be good at least to a fair majority of people, or they wouldn't make the damn stuff in the first place. Also, beef wellington, just have that everyday and you'll be fine (and extremely fat).

 

[Mikeyfell]

Bangers and mash mother fucker!

I love me some bangers and mash.
Fish and chips is pretty good too.

The rumor that British food is bad was started by French people who use WAY to many different spices to season their entrees.