Good British food... does it exists?

[Ryotknife]

With the blending of many ethnicities, the food in various western countries are probably pretty similiar to one another. Hell "american" cuisine is merely a mashup of dozens of different countries, about the only aspect that is unique is Cajun (louisiana) and the deep fry/BBQ style notorious in the South. cajun food is really good, unfortunately it seems to be hard to find outside of Louisiana. Like everything american, it is usually just a combination of the world in one place. That, and america hasnt been around for very long.

Although dear lord did this thread bring out the racists in force, over FOOD no less. This is as asinine as rioting over a sport.

 

[Frungy]

With the blending of many ethnicities, the food in various western countries are probably pretty similiar to one another. Hell "american" cuisine is merely a mashup of dozens of different countries, about the only aspect that is unique is Cajun (louisiana) and the deep fry/BBQ style notorious in the South. cajun food is really good, unfortunately it seems to be hard to find outside of Louisiana. Like everything american, it is usually just a combination of the world in one place. That, and america hasnt been around for very long.

Although dear lord did this thread bring out the racists in force, over FOOD no less. This is as asinine as rioting over a sport.

Cajun is originally a French type of cooking. Just so you know.

... and how racist! Don't criticise a fine U.K. tradition! (rioting over sport)

 

[Lord Penney]

Well, I was going to provide a defence of our lovely British cuisine but it seems you chaps have beaten me to the punch. Good show!

Tea anyone?

 

[Netrigan]

With the blending of many ethnicities, the food in various western countries are probably pretty similiar to one another. Hell "american" cuisine is merely a mashup of dozens of different countries, about the only aspect that is unique is Cajun (louisiana) and the deep fry/BBQ style notorious in the South. cajun food is really good, unfortunately it seems to be hard to find outside of Louisiana. Like everything american, it is usually just a combination of the world in one place. That, and america hasnt been around for very long.

Although dear lord did this thread bring out the racists in force, over FOOD no less. This is as asinine as rioting over a sport.

It's sort of like oldsters complaining about today's music being derivative, when it's simply a case of them not realizing how much was being stolen from previous generations. The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are two of the greatest bands and bigger thieves you'll not meet. But they stole from a wide variety of sources and crafted something which is identifiably their own, yet "Come Together" and "Dazed & Confused" are no less plagiarized.

All cultures are mash-ups of other cultures, which is in turn influenced by their experiences. America is simply a nation which came about after the invention of proper record keeping, so it's pretty easy to plot our influences; but I know enough about English history to know that a lot of uniquely British traditions are bastardization of influences from the nations which had invaded them over their long history. The French, Vikings, and Romans all left their mark.

I like to joke that something is as American as Schwarzenegger and General Tso's Chicken, because it's so easy to internalize the influences of a foreign culture. There's nothing more English than a curry.

I also accused a co-worker for being un-American for not like James Bond

Captain Darling: I'm as British as Queen Victoria!
Captain Blackadder: So your father's German, you're half German, and you married a German!

 

[AwesomeDave]

Of course not, everyone here eats coal and dead rats.

When you arrive watch out for London fogs, feral children pickpockets and being oppressed by the royal family. You will also have surveillance camera surgically grafted to your head to make sure the government (i.e. the Queen) knows what you're doing at all times.

Finally, remember to leave you six shooters at home and you'll really stand out in a crowd if you wear your spurs and stetson around the place. We don't really have any saloons to tie up your horse outside either, so that might get a bit tricky. Plus it might get stolen and put in a cheap frozen burger. Best leave him behind too.

Hahahahaha... this had me chuckling for quite a few minutes. You win some award I have yet to cleverly name, but I'll be sure to let you know when I come up with one...

 

[Pink Gregory]

Well don't go to a takeaway and expect the damn Cordon Bleu...

 

[Ryotknife]

With the blending of many ethnicities, the food in various western countries are probably pretty similiar to one another. Hell "american" cuisine is merely a mashup of dozens of different countries, about the only aspect that is unique is Cajun (louisiana) and the deep fry/BBQ style notorious in the South. cajun food is really good, unfortunately it seems to be hard to find outside of Louisiana. Like everything american, it is usually just a combination of the world in one place. That, and america hasnt been around for very long.

Although dear lord did this thread bring out the racists in force, over FOOD no less. This is as asinine as rioting over a sport.

Cajun is originally a French type of cooking. Just so you know.

... and how racist! Don't criticise a fine U.K. tradition! (rioting over sport)

UK is not the only ones that riot over sports <_<. Canada had a bad one a few years back.

Seems to be popular with a few European and even South American countries. In fact it is kinda unusual that the US doesnt riot over sports considering how wrapped up in our ego some sports are. But that may be because the sports we like are not exactly international sports.

As for the Cajun....ehhh. Virtually anything that is american can be broken down into its basic non-american parts. About the only thing that is ACTUALLY american are native americans, which are a minority now (less than 1%). It is kinda like the English language, technically it is merely a mashup of about a dozen other languages right? If you break it down to its individual components, it loses its uniqueness. Cajun was developed by french immigrants but it was developed for a specific reason in America. It was developed to mask the smell and taste of rotten meat (since Louisiana is so hot, humid, and kinda swampish getting fresh meat is hard to find and it doesnt last). If these people were not in that location and were not in that situation, would cajun food exist?

It wasnt "hey I have a great idea for a food" like say...adding flour to soup to make stew. Plus, while cajuns were originally French, they have created a unique identity for themselves not just with food, but culture and architexture as well (yes, it uses france as a base). Hell, technically the French or even the English draw upon older cultures/civilizations as well.

Even among Americans, Cajun is pretty unique.

 

[rob_simple]

If you're feeling homesick during your stay, come visit Glasgow: we will deep-fry literally any fucking thing you ask for.

Try our deep-fried Mars bars, you'll actually feel your heart slowing down; it's like a legal high.

 

[Netrigan]

In fact it is kinda unusual that the US doesnt riot over sports considering how wrapped up in our ego some sports are.

We riot over sports, but we have the decency to wait until the game is over... and usually after we won a championship.

But then we also have a tendency to ban stuff like the vuvuzela, so maybe that explains the lack of in-game rioting

 

[MorganL4]

We have some of the finest food in the world.




If you're going to have Fish and Chips, London will let you down, you honestly need to go to a coastal town to get it done properly - Bridlington, Scarborough, fuck, even Skegness has a couple of good chippys.



As I say, London - It's not proper Britain. If you want what Americans think Britain is the Home counties are your best bet (google home counties).

Also, for proper historic shit (I know Americans love history, because you don't have any), then York is the best bet - It's got walls, York Minster, The Jorvik viking centre, It's in Yorkshire which automatically makes it better than all cities not in Yorkshire. And so on.

Well we are working on making some history ( give us credit) You had King George III the mad..... We had President George II the stupid...... We are catching up....

And the best fish and chips I ever had came from Oxford...... but that joint shut down about 10 years ago...

 

[Frungy]

As for the Cajun....ehhh. Virtually anything that is american can be broken down into its basic non-american parts. About the only thing that is ACTUALLY american are native americans, which are a minority now (less than 1%). It is kinda like the English language, technically it is merely a mashup of about a dozen other languages right? If you break it down to its individual components, it loses its uniqueness. Cajun was developed by french immigrants but it was developed for a specific reason in America. It was developed to mask the smell and taste of rotten meat (since Louisiana is so hot, humid, and kinda swampish getting fresh meat is hard to find and it doesnt last). If these people were not in that location and were not in that situation, would cajun food exist?

It wasnt "hey I have a great idea for a food" like say...adding flour to soup to make stew. Plus, while cajuns were originally French, they have created a unique identity for themselves not just with food, but culture and architexture as well (yes, it uses france as a base). Hell, technically the French or even the English draw upon older cultures/civilizations as well.

Even among Americans, Cajun is pretty unique.

Nice sense of history. I like it.

This is what I find a lot of people in the U.S. are missing, and possibly a big part of their disconnection with the rest of the world.

Language, food, sexual positions... someone's almost always done it (or something similar) before, but I don't see that as a problem, but rather as recapturing something that would otherwise have been forgotten and enjoying it today.

U.K. food is tremendously diverse, and while there are a lot of people around the world who "eat to live" I'd say that there are probably a lot more people in the U.K. who "live to eat". Last time I was visiting my cousins in the U.K. (... Irish families, I have cousins in virtually every country) I stayed with them for 3 nights, and we didn't eat food from the same continent once.

Captcha: I love lamp ... wtf?

 

[That PC Guy]

Frankly the U.S. has nothing to boast about in terms of cuisine itself, and a lot to apologise for. ... but getting an apology out of an American is like getting blood from a stone.

You know, you really should have simply stopped at your counterpoint, now I have all the reason I need to dismiss you as a racist who hates Americans. Good day.

Oh get over yourself. I have American friends, but their inability to apologise does sometimes drive me a bit crazy. Europeans will apologise as a reflex action, which can come across as quite insincere, while those from the U.S. just seem completely unable to do it at all, and that comes across as arrogant and prideful.

If you're so blinkered you can't see that some things in your culture might, conceivable, possibly, maybe, irritate others, then I hope you never leave your country, or you'll be experiencing a lot of Scottish handshakes and Glasgow kisses.

I also find it ironic that you feel free to criticise other cultures, but can't take a dose of the same medicine yourself.

I guess that's because the US is a nation run by lawyers. Apologizing is an admission of guilt and sueing the stuffing out of people because of butthurt a national sport.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Well we have good curri...

Keba...

Pizz...

Fish and chips?

 

[Malty Milk Whistle]

I am eating some fine British cuisine right now. Namely: Pie'n'Chips.
It may not be fancy, but by god is it filling and luvvly jubbly.

 

[Malty Milk Whistle]

I am eating some fine British cuisine right now. Namely: Pie'n'Chips.
It may not be fancy, but by god is it filling and luvvly jubbly.

 

[Idlemessiah]

If you want good food in Britain, don't bother with London. Head north, to Yorkshire. Everyone will tell you the fish and chips are great, but you haven't been to a proper chippie until you've been to Whitby.

 

[KillaBC]

British food has to be the most diverse and rich substance in the world. Yes we have 'typical' cuisine like bangers and mash, fish and chips etc. However our couple of hundred years trip round the globe brought a lot back and during the 1960's when the colonists colonised Britain Asian food became staple takeaways.

You'll find Greek kebabs here because of bases in the Med like Cyprus and Malta. Indian Curry is a staple and one of Britain's favourite dishes and Chinese is popular because of our former holding in Hong Kong. That diversity spreads through the entire country and such why go anywhere else in the world when I could get any food I want on my doorstep. All at a good price.

Our proximity to Europe also means that there stuff is very prevalent too, more variety to the melting pot.

Though the North is where the real food is. Nottinghamshire is the best county, not that Yorkshire rubbish. Though Yorkshire Tea is the best cupa... in the world.

 

[Netrigan]

Well we have good curri...

Keba...

Pizz...

Fish and chips?

Looks like the Belgians were the first to deep fry potato strips, so WRONG.

I'll have to wash down my disappointment in your post with a nice cup of tea... what could be more English. Oh, wait, nevermind.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

As a non-brit only 3 things came into my mind. Deserts, roast beef (which i could eat truckloads of) and fish&chips.

And if you read asterix & obelix, you have to be into peppermint sauce, which comes with every meal

 

[Trivun]

Bread and butter pudding. It is what it says on the tin, plus various fruits (sultanas and such). Best served with custard xD. Also, the balti curry. NO IT IS NOT ASIAN. The balti was made by immigrants but invented here in the UK, in Birmingham (not too far from me!) and is actually protected by law (I think). It's acyually so famous that there's an area in Birmingham known internationally as the 'Balti Triangle', filled with resturants and curry houses that specialise in the balti. If you can get one in London then do so .

Spoiler: Pictures Ahoy!