BRITISH CUISINE

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BRITISH CUISINE
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http//
en.wikipedia.org
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A bit of history
British cuisine is shaped partly by the country's
temperate climate and its island geography and
partly by its history, first as the target of
European invaders, and then as a colonial power
in places such as North America, China and India.
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 stir-fries based on
Chinese and Thai cooking. French cuisine, once
considered alien, is 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.
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Why does British cuisine have such a bad
reputation?
The Industrial Revolution that began in Britain
in the 18th century is responsible for the former
very poor reputation of British food. Unlike the
populations of most other countries, by the mid
19th century the majority of the British
population were working in city factories and
living in very poor housing. The new working
classes had lost contact with the land and the
standard of cooking declined as a result.
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What else gives English food a bad name?
- Take-away food
The rise of the industrial revolution was also
paralleled by the advent of take-away 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 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
area around Birmingham, gradually spreading to
other parts of the country. Kebab houses and
American-style fried chicken restaurants aiming
at late night snacking have also become popular
in urban areas.
- Marmite
Marmite is a popular British savoury spread, used
in sandwiches, made from yeast extract, a
by-product of the beer brewing process. It is a
sticky, dark brown substance, with a distinctive
and powerful taste which you either "love it or
hate it". Upon first taste, most foreigners hate
it!
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- Jelly
By far the most popular use for gelatin products
is as gelatin dessert. Gelatin for desserts is
marketed as a flavored powder and sometimes in
the form of loosely attached cubes, resembling a
wobbly chocolate bar. Popular brands include
Jell-O from Kraft Foods in North America,
Rowntree's Jelly in the United Kingdom and
Aeroplane Jelly in Australia.
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Cant we say anything good about English food?
- English breakfast
The full English breakfast (or "cooked
breakfast") also remains a culinary classic.
Somerset Maugham is quoted as saying "To eat well
in England, you should have breakfast three times
a day." Whether the fry-up is accompanied by
orange juice and usually of tea or coffee, or
only bacon, eggs, and toast, it is regarded as a
ritual comfort.
- Sunday dinner
Sunday Dinner, is a meal traditionally eaten in
the United Kingdom on Sunday. Its origins lie in
being the only meal of the week where the whole
family eats together. The meal traditionally
consists of potato- new potato in spring and
summer and mashed potato in autumn and winter,
other vegetables most infamously brussel sprouts
and some form of meat and gravy- usually roast
beef though chicken is not uncommon. The meal is
somewhat like a far less grand version of
christmas dinner.
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- Home-made desserts
At home, the British have many original home-made
desserts such as rhubarb crumble, bread and
butter pudding, spotted dick and trifle. The
traditional accompaniment is custard, known as
crème anglaise (English sauce) to the French. The
dishes are simple and traditional, with recipes
passed on from generation to generation. The
pudding tradition reaches its height with the
Christmas pudding.
- Tea-time treats
At teatime, traditional British fare includes
scones with butter, jam and clotted cream, as
well as assorted biscuits and sandwiches. A
hand-made favourite is butterfly cake. Some
schools teach young children how to bake such
sweets during cookery lessons.
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A TYPICALLY BRITISH RECIPE
Rhubarb crumble is a traditional British dessert.
Served with custard, cream or ice cream it is a
hearty, filling, and warm feast, best served
after a light meal. Ingredients 1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. oats 1 c. flour 1/2 c. butter 1 tsp.
cinnamon 4 c. uncooked cut up rhubarb 1 c.
white sugar 2 tbsp. corn starch/cornflour 1 c.
water 1 tsp. vanilla Method Mix brown sugar,
oats, flour, butter and cinnamon until crumbly.
Press 1/2 of mixture into a 9 inch square pan.
Cover crumb mixture with cut up rhubarb. Mix
white sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook until
clear and thick, stirring constantly. Add vanilla
and stir. Pour over rhubarb. Sprinkle with
remaining crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 1
hour at 180C.
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Thank you for your attention, And enjoy your
meal!!