That being said, the only UK foods I've had were made by expats here in the states. None of it was bland, with the exception of breakfast beans, "because they're meant to be mild to start your day" as I was told by a lovely liverpudlian.
She would do fish and chips, and the batter was well seasoned. Not heavily seasoned, but some pepper, a little paprika, and a bit of onion powder to give it some aromatic kick. Well balanced, and imo, as good as any of the southern fried fish recipes I've had.
The chips were obviously just salted and vinegar used per person.
But when we did pot luck at work, she would bring in what she called "good english food", which included some curry a few times.
But her shepherd's pie? Holy hell, that was some great stuff. She said it was really cottage pie because it was beef usually. But it had the usual pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs.
And the other expats I ate with were similar. Maybe different amounts of a given herb or spice, but it was in there.
I think the UK food thing is a meme in itself, and likely arose the way things usually do, with the majority of cooks just being bad cooks, rather than representative of a cuisine or the way things are done properly in that country.
The reputation comes from the US military being stationed in the UK during the height of WW2 rationing when there was an extremely limited list of ingredients to cook with. They were unable to associate a country under an attempted siege from U-boats with a reduced supply of food.
We do have a love of beige food at times, but it's essentially our version of chicken tendies.
Boomers made that bland war time food linger. They were children during and just after WW2 so it was part of their childhood nostalgia and they fed it to their own kids. Also we've had Indian/ Chinese restaurants in the UK for a while but they were mostly just in major cities at first so the average person still had little exposure to foreign or exotic food until the late 1970s/ early 1980s.
My ex mother in law and her mom both can’t eat any food that’s not a certain level of bland. Too much of any spice at all and they set it aside like an autistic kid with arfid. Which… come to think of it…
Yep, this sums up everyone I know over 60 that is descended from British -immigrants- sorry expats.
Actual British people coming over now that still sound British seem to have much more refined taste. BIR-style curries are indeed very popular vs bland British "stew" / casserole
man if you make stew right it's the most flavourful thing out there. half a bottle of red wine, couple cans crushed tomatos, chop up half your intended vegetables( Carrot, potato, onion, green onion stems, parsnips and celery for me), brown the beef, dump it all in except the other half of your vegetables, bring the level up with strong beef broth till everything is covered, and simmer covered till it all except the beef dissolves into a brown gravy, then add the other half of your vegetables and serve when they are cooked. Bay leaves and rosemary and thyme and pepper of course too. Garlic. Usually enough salt from the beef broth.
Also as an American we don’t really have room to talk. Yes there’s the iconic southern foods but even then, grits are bland and meh. But for the most part a lot of traditional American food needed to have spices rediscovered. It seems like for a long time our attitude was to use sugar, pre ground pepper, and maybe salt as seasoning for something that had any good texture cooked out of it.
An aside here: but why is it that people from major cities aren't considered average? In many cases major cities are major because they have a lot higher density of people leading to more development and resources.
We also had rationing for a good while longer than other countries after the wars (right into the mid-50s), so we have a whole generation who were pretty much raised with limited food options. That kind of national trauma sticks around and took a while to shake off.
It hasn't gone away because countless students from across the globe have moved there and found it to be true. While there is good food available in the UK it seems as if the average Brit is content to eat very badly and then supplement a terrible diet with copious amounts of alcohol.
It's the same with English beer. On the continent, people keep saying that Brits drink their beer lukewarm. When I was there, they actually had temperature displays at the tap in most pubs that usually showed something around 4°C (~39°F). For reference, that was in the Huddersfield area (between Leeds and Manchester) around 15 years ago.
Well in this case the reputation for "warm beer" is true and I'm willing to die on this particular hill.
Proper cask ale should be served at between 8 and 12C, AKA cellar temperature, cool but not cold. Nothing beats a traditional pint of 'best bitter' in an old pub!
Plenty of people in the UK drink lager and other styles of beer that are more highly carbonated, stronger ABV, and served colder. Personally I'm not a fan but each to their own.
I live about an hour from London in a rural area with loads of great pubs but I find it difficult to find a nice beer in most parts of London. It's much easier to keep a keg of carbonated beer under pressure than a cask ale that you have to finish within a few days of tapping, which is why when a certain proportion of a pub's clientele start drinking other styles it just isn't worth it for the pub to keep real ale. Hopefully it won't become a niche thing.
I've home brewed a lot of English ales and I agree that those ales should be served warmer. If you don't, the cold mutes and kills the subtle and rich flavors.
Lagers are good, but a good British Ale is something to savory with good friends.
My favourite "traditional" English meal is a good Steak and Kidney pie, made with an ale sauce. Seasoned with lots of pepper, Worcestershire sauce (anchovy sauce), onion and stock. Absolutely delicious.
I think the issue is mostly in the visuals. When you look for traditional English food, it is usually a plate full of beige stuff, sometimes paired with really unappetizing boiled carrots and beans. The gravy being on the side instead of part of the dish doesn't do it any favors either.
Also I'd argue England has pretty low standards for what counts as "food". I've had to work in England for a month, and finding something fresh, healthy and tasty to eat was a real challenge. I've never been as fat as when I came home.
The epitome of the wasted potential of English cuisine is the fact that it's an island full of the best fishes in the world, yet the only fish you can find is battered cod. Why is it so hard to get a salmon fillet? You have Scottish salmon ffs!
A lot of people everywhere don't know how to cook. They don't even bother to try and learn, so they rely on corporate packaged foods and restaurants. That's a separate thing from the cuisine of a given place, or the cooking of people that do know how to.
That may seem like sophistry, but it is an important point to remember when talking about cooking when not joking around for fun. You can't really use people that aren't actually doing a thing, or have never learned how to do it as an representative example of what a country's core is. It's like athletics, you can't say that Ethiopians are bad ice skaters if the average person can't access time and equipment to ice skate in the first place. (Not picking on Ethiopia, it was just the first country that came to mind as not being very present in the world ice skating stage).
It's legit to say that the US has a major food education problem, as does the UK from what I've heard, but that is a different issue than the national cuisine.
True, it's not American cuisine that's bad, apparently McDonald's hamburgers taste better in NZ than the USA too, probably because all the beef here is grass fed.
American modern beers - Just keep throwing hops at it until it stops tasting like piss. Doesn't matter if it tastes more like a bunch of daffodils than beer, we'll just call it "craft" 😂
Yeah, Prohibition killed all the beer we had and we did have good beer right up until then. And it's been a long road back. Those large US breweries are still far more interested in cheap ingredients made cheaply.
But you can find good craft beers scattered amongst the bad craft beers if you look. And home brewing is maybe more popular in the US than Europe, but I'm not sure of that.
You make a good point about prohibition, I guess that will have had a significant effect.
Maybe there are more artisan spirits in the US now having been driven by people with secret stills making moonshine in that period.
It'll be interesting to see where you guys go with the relaxation of marijuana laws. Maybe people will be home breeding new strains.
Oddly, moonshine and bathtub "gin" became quite the impetus for the popularity of cocktails, at least in the US. Since the added flavors tended to hide the rotgut taste of the illicit booze. And the loss of beer breweries had the effect of giving rise to ice cream parlors and soda fountains since saloons had to close. Plus as Minnesotan, I feel the need to apologize for the Volstead Act, as it became known, since Andrew Volstead was a Minnesota House of Representative and Chairman of the House Judicial Committee and was pretty instrumental in getting prohibition enacted. Scandinavian Protestantism (tm) is not a good thing by in large.
We have so many unique individual cultures it’s absolutely ridiculous. E fuckin G, south central LA black culture, WASP rich ass folk, southern bumpkin, Texan, midwestern, New York. Those are a handful of examples, but each is so thoroughly unique, with different accents and culinary offerings, and dress styles ALL OF WHICH in some way influence cultures across the globe. Each state honestly has its own cultural offerings, but as a whole, to say that the U.S. doesn’t have culture is moronic.
It depends on where the bourbon gets made. Very generally, the temperatures cycles vary a lot more more than in Great Britain. So the bourbon "ages" faster than Scotch or Irish whiskys. So bourbons have to be younger and that can make them somewhat sharper in flavor. Plus the requirement of using new oak barrels also cuts the time spent in the barrel.
Yank here. Most of us were raised on American Exceptionalism which has been pounded into our head since birth, for a few generations. There's no point arguing this, because murica...
You never sang "Yankee Doodle," or "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on July 4, even as a kid? I'm southern as can be and these were staples on the Fourth, Memorial and Labor Days, as well as bright red hotdogs, chips (crisps), soda and Budweiser and PBR.
We'll you're arguing with Americans where "left" barely means "center" or "right but not far right." * See also the DK effect.
Edited. After just having read a reply to my saying that Joe Biden is a low bar set for a Democrat, being called a c*** and saying wished rooting in hell, I must retract the bit about ”not far right."
Irish whiskey? Triple pot stilled to strip out all the flavors? Dang near vodka for depth of flavor. (I jest - I do enjoy a good Irish whiskey myself).
Now bourbon is the drink of the gods. Rich deep complex flavors that fill your taste buds with joy. It's so good the Scots and even the Irish use our used bourbon barrels to impart those complex flavors and taste to their whiskys.
Ididn't get the suffocating prevalence of corn sirup in the US from reddit/lemmy, but rather from health resources and people from the US.
For real: all that cultural bashing is pointless to begin with. But claimingthat the US has "the best food" when Italy, the middle and far east exist: come on!
Edit: oh no! The 'muricans found my comments. Better prepare for a state funded coup, enforcing neoliberalism through fascists in my country.
It's in everything, along with plenty of salt and cancer causing dyes and artificial flavoring. Even our locally sourced, home farm based meats and vegetables are laden with chemicals and virtually zero nutritional value because hardly anyone let's soil lie fallow, and doesn't use a tin of Miracle Grow and weed killer. I'm my specific area, you can't even find chicken feed that's nutritious for the birds and almost no one free-ranges. The closest you'll find in my area are a pig that's given table scraps in addition to feed, and no one knows what's in either chicken or hog feed, unless it's cracked corn, and well... You get it.
I'm very sorry and embarrassed most people from my country are this way, and very sorry for how you've experienced us itt. I really like Mediterranean and Thai food, though I'm not particularly good at making them from scratch. I did enjoy a decent-enough-for-frozen-but-by-no-means-decent eggplant Parmesan the other day, and the standard American version of pad Thai a couple of months ago, when I was out in a larger town. No lettuce rolls, though.
But finding the actual great German beer, the blessed helles, is not super easy in US. People seem to think all these bocks are super common in Germany, but it's actually helles what everybody drinks (and pils in the north). Helles is extremely hard to brew correctly, it requires a very specific temperature and pure ingredients.
I spent most of my vacation in US last year finding a good helles from a bar. I found one after many tries, and the closest I could get to a bavarian helles was in Weaverville, in Leveller Brewing Co. I went to thank the owner for this great beer, and he told me he studied brewing in Bavaria and brewing that beer took a lot of trial and error.
Edit: somebody soon comes to tell how easy it is to find helles in US. Yes, but it often doesn't taste how it should. Or you get some old bottled stock of Augustiner that is not a same thing as fresh Augustiner in Munich.
I've never once been in a town without a beer place within 20 minutes that has more selection than you could try in your entire life before dying of liver failure. Christ most grocery stores have at least an aisle dedicated to food selection.
While I haven't lived there I've done several trips through the country. Maybe 7 weeks in total? I'd choose Belgium if I were to choose a regional winner.
If the best beer you can find was PBR you're incompetent. Calling me an ass because you went directly to bitten of the barrel swill. Jesus Christ lololol.
Let me break it down: I never said any of what you just ASSumed, twice now. You didn't make an ass of me twice, however. And are quite intent on proving my point of American exceptionalism. You haven't even the wherewithal to look it up, nor feel embarrassment for it, which is why other cultures generally find us not only ignorant, but obnoxious as well.
America has beer at the grocery store like Bud light, Coors light, and PBR, which all kind of taste the same to me. but most cities have local micro breweries for fresher beer, and more distinctive regional flavors.
I've had awesome stouts that were so stout they could double as a meal, and I've had island beers that were nice for a long hot afternoon of fishing or cooling down after out side work.
Tbf, im not a beer snob though and choose primarily based on activity and temperature of day.
I usually like Newcastle Summer, I'm not a fan of Stella. Blue Moon is acceptable. But since neither that nor Newcastle is sold as singles near me (and a 12 oz or pint not even once a week, at most twice a month is the most I'll drink at one time), that usually means Heineken. I've 2 pint cans in the fridge now (I prefer bottles), but that is because I'm the last month, a neighbor has brought me three, in return for small favors. And the first was lovely, to wash* down a nice potato poon. It balances the sweetness nicely.
ETA: tbh I hate stouts, but I'm really not a beer drinker. When I drank liquors occasionally, I usually preferred a pricier tequila or single malt Scotch, and being on limited funds, that curbs that, nicely.
The only time I've ever had Irish whisky was in Bailey's, but if anyone can recommend a good Irish, I'll keep it in mind.
You're really missing out! In my opinion, PBR is the best of the "cheap and shitty" tier of mass-produced beer that rednecks and poor college students drink to get smashed. It's not good, exactly, but somehow nostalgic to me for drinking around a campfire. The U.S. has plenty of mass-produced beer that's still mediocre, but better than PBR, and some that's even pretty decent. It's in the craft breweries that you'll find the really great American beer, though.
When I was a kid, Old Milwaukee came 8 ponies to a pack for less than $3. It was extremely popular, especially the shotgunnable cans. Thank heaven a friend's dad had a still, is all in saying.
I've been to craft breweries and several tastings at various ones. I just didn't find much that agree with my palate, but as I said, I'm not a beer person, in general. My friend back home used to make a rather nice home brew. I believe he may have used molasses to some extent, but it's been a very long time ago, and most of my alcohol consumption was from home brewed corn or fruit and heavily distilled. Except my grandmother's fruit concoctions, consisting of preserves, jams, jellies and way too sweet wines. They still beat Boone's Farm, MD and Triple Peach, though.
Been to the US a few times. Your food tastes extremely average and the only difference to anywhere else is that it has about 3 times the kcals and half the nutrition. I've had heartburn and constipation virtually every time I've visited.
And your beer is possibly the worst in the world. It's pisswater.
With opinions like that I'd be surprised if you've even left your own state, let alone the country.
That has nothing to do with the topic at hand, you're just trying to change the topic, and think that somehow calling out America's history of colonization (by not only Britain mind you) is some sort of "gotcha" moment.
But I'll bite. Personally, European descent. But many native friends and family members, and lots of time volunteering with local native non-profits and political campaigns. Which is likely more than 99% of Americans could say about any sort of native support.
I'm on the west coast, you know where all the natives were forced to move. Many of the "illegals" the bigots complain about in my area are actually Native Americans or have native ancestry.
But none of that is about the topic at hand, food and Britain's lack of utilizing the spices they spent so much effort to get.
Your asked them to name a spice they had that wasn't brought by colonization. They were being entirely relevant to your question. I believe that's called "moving the goal posts." I also just stuck my foot in my mouth elsewhere. Lol
A major part of that is obviously potatoes, which originated in South America. They were brought back to Europe through colonization of the Americas. Just like tomatoes and corn.
For spices though, looking up a few recipes to check it looks like usually thyme, rosemary, and parsley are used, which are Mediterranean and Western Eurasia. So maybe... My memory of English colonialism and time-frames closer to home is more lacking.
If I took a guess, then thyme, rosemary and parsley have been brought to the country waay back when the british isles where being conquered instead of doing the conquering.
You are clearly making a poor joke, but... Butter is literally what the French are known for. Sugarcane is from the South Pacific and sugar itself originated in India.
Southern and Creole cuisine originated in America however, and that uses a ton of spices on par with native Indian cuisine.
Industrial use of high fructose corn sirup is all American Capitalism, though.
... And southern france hardly uses butter btw.
sugar itself originated in India
Lol, what? Also: it's not about where the stuff came from but rather what the cuisine does with it. Italian or German cuisine doesn't become south american all of a sudden cause of tomatoes and potatoes.
I don't think it's fair to claim either region has poor taste in food beyond as a joke, but if you dismiss the fact that American food has a lot of corn syrup because that's a result of American capitalism, you should also dismiss the claim that Brits don't use a lot of spices because that was a result of the war
Jamaican curried goat is divine, and it must be Jamaican curry, and added water must be tricked very slowly down the side of very hot, cast iron Dutch oven and simmered quite a while. I was fortunate enough to have a Jamaican neighbor show me the trick. And to my American compatriots, sweet potatoes are not yams.
Exactly. Many people have an ignorant view of British cuisine, as though only foods grown in the British Isles are British. All kinds of foods and dishes from all over the world have been shipped, used, and adapted in Britain since at least the time of the Roman Empire. Heck, most of what a British, European or North American person would see on the menu of their local Indian restaurant is not traditional Indian food at all, but rather Anglo-Indian.
Cornish pasty, apple crumble, scouse, trifle, haggis, rarebit, Sunday roast, shepherd's pie, tatty scones... you can see why this "no flavour" joke is getting tiring.
Even shitty store brand haggis has a great flavor profile for a sausage. Yes, its a sausage: its meat, salt, spices, and other fillers in an animal casing. Fight me.
I don't eat animals myself but the vegan version is very good I have to say. Likewise with the vegan Cumberlands you can get, or at least could about five years ago from the Co-op.
Yes, there have been a few comments mentioning Tikka masala, but can you name another British dish with flavor? I don’t think so.
Let's kick off with curries! We've been eating 'curry' since 1598, so longer than a lot of other countries have existed. As well as chicken tikka masalla, we've adapted or invented a few, such as:
Madras curries
Jalfrezi curries
Balti curries
Phall curries
For other British dishes with flavour, try (in no particular order):
Any Sunday roast; beef with Yorkshires and horseradish sauce, pork with applesauce, lamb with mint sauce.
Full English, full Scottish, Ulster Fry, Full Welsh
Now that I think about it, so are potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, corn and cranberries. Thinking about my own Thanksgiving dinner table, the only thing I can identify as an Old World food are yeast rolls.
Its almost as if they just swapped out the chicken for turkey, having discovered and been using potatoes for years beforehand.
Nothing on the apple pie then? Just the one you thought you could refute, it would seem.
By your wild "logic" that would make every pork dish ever Chinese and Southern fried chicken Indian, as the pigs we eat today and chickens come from China and India respectfully.
Yeah, apples aren't native to the New World and apple pie wasn't invented in the Americas. It's not specifically British, either; it seems to have emerged independently across Western Europe in the middle ages, and was first brought to the Americas by the Dutch rather than the English. Hell, not even the quintessential American pie apple was invented here; the granny smith is Australian.
The British invented roast turkey about as much as they invented roast bison. You want to get into more specific recipes, I'd say chicken tikka masala is British and chicken parmesan is American, but I'm not letting the British have right of way over "get bird, add heat."
Pumpkin pie is kind of a strange one; the first thing you'd call a "pumpkin pie" was more of a savory soup eaten by Dutch settlers in Massachusetts in the 1600s; the first pumpkin served in a pastry crust was French, and the modern pattern of "sugar pumpkin puree in a shortbread crust" was invented a few minutes after the US Constitution was ratified.
Sweet potato pie is less ambiguous; it seems to have popped into existence fully formed in the American south in the 18th century.
Basically all corn products including popcorn and cornbread were known to the Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans arrived.
The first known recipe for cranberry sauce as we would recognize it today was written in 1796 in the United States.
Green beans are native to Central America, green bean casserole was invented in New Jersey in 1950...
Again, what of this is particularly British? An American thanksgiving meal is as British as pizza.
Apple pie is from England, even if you don't want it to be. Its not even about it not being American but it having flavour and being nice to eat.
They swapped out chicken for turkey and used the exact same recipe and cooking style. Declaring it unconnected changes nothing.
Green beans is a substitute for the exact same green veg you get with a British roast meal. If I put peas into a stir fry, it doesn't make the meal not Chinese lol.
Again, how can you not see those mildy adapted British things as British?
Because I'm from a country with an actual national identity of its own, not some washed up little island whose national museum has on display a lot of things stolen from elsewhere and not much of its own, because their national culture has extremely little to show for itself.
I don't have to pretend we invented (checks notes) cooking food to feel like have any kind of national identity. You do, and it's hilariously pathetic.
...eh...profiting in a commodity trade doesn't mean you...Ever see any midwestern farmer actually eat chickpeas? They love the bushel price most years though.
i do that all the time, but my own recipe, which is essentially hopped up chili beans on garlic toast. So i start with frying four pieces chopped up bacon in a bean pot, then add half an onion chopped n fry that soft, then a can of the heinz bbq chipotle beans, half a cup of E.D. Smith Baja Chipotle bbq sauce, half tbsp ancho powder, half tbsp jalapeno powder, quater tbsp white pepper, half tbsp garlic powder, simmer that all up and serve on and with thick cut buttered garlic toast. and to put the lie to any stereotypes bout regional cuisine, i'm doing this shit in western canada. I have a restaurant here, but this particular recipe is a bit too hot for most my customers.
They're marked as Barbecue in the big print, the chipotle is in very small print underneath. You could just start with the more easily found deep browned beans or whatever.
There is no way to make British-style beans on toast palatable to people outside of Great Britain. I'm sorry.
There are plenty of British foods I will absolutely defend as terrific. I will murder a wedge of caerphilly cheese and I sometimes import Rowntree's blackcurrant fruit pastilles, I love them so much... but beans on toast? I can't go with you down that road. Also, Daddies Sauce. What the fuck is wrong with you people? Including my father. How do you put that shit in your mouths?
It was popularised by cooks from India living in Great Britain, but I don't believe that makes it any less Indian. Just as the chimichanga wasn't invented in Mexico, but is still considered Mexican food.
If by common knowledge, you mean that a significant portion of the population believes it, I'm not sure how reliable that evidence that is. People will believe a whole lot of strange stuff.
On topic, even the first paragraph of the Wikipedia page states that it was "popularized by cooks from India living in Great Britain". Regardless of where it was first created, this is clearly the product of Indian immigrants. I don't believe their heritage should be ignored just because they moved. Although, I don't want it to sound like I believe in a 100% black and white distinction here. It's clearly a fusion dish with British influences. The original chicken tikka was a lot dryer and the "masala" sauce was added to make the dish creamier to appeal to British tastes.
However, I don't go around claiming General Tso's chicken isn't Chinese food, just because it was first made in New York; or that the chimichanga isn't Mexican food, just because it was originally made in Arizona; or that a Cuban sandwich isn't Cuban, just because it was first made in Florida. These dishes wouldn't exist without the immigrants who modified their cultural recipes to adapt to a new environment.
To me, chicken tikka malala is an Indian dish with British influences.
So let's agree that it's neither Indian nor British, but a fusion of the two, created in Britain by immigrants or their descendants and becoming a national dish loved by people in Britain regardless of their cultural background.
How could you think this possibly warrants a dare? Do you really think people are this confrontational in real life? When traveling in other countries, I have only had positive interactions when attempting to find any common ground with locals. In this case, the worst thing that could happen is you share a laugh and they offer for you to try real local cuisine.
Kind of related, the duck tongue and chicken's foot I had earlier this year in Malaysia wasn't that bad.
I may lose my Yank card for this, but I'm not a fan myself. That said, it's just scones and bechamel sauce. Hearty, meaty, salty and what you can do with the rendered fat from greasy breakfast sausage*. It's basically hangover food that caught on.
(* There's a subset of traditional American food that stems from doing a lot with very little, while having a complete disregard for cholesterol and calorie intake. Assuming that wheat and dairy are the cheapest things in your pantry, you get stuff like this. See "scrapple" for another example.)
I had the distinct pleasure of explaining what biscuits and gravy were to a confused 6th Doctor Who actor Colin Baker. To his credit, he said he'd like to try it.
I actually went and had some last night and jesus christ my palate was offended. Even when swimming in malt vinegar and tartar sauce, I just couldn't stand it. I can fix this:
Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, cumin, and cayenne in the dry dredge
A dry stout in the wet dredge mix instead of a lager or a pale ale, anything with a body really
Maybe a layer of panko breadcrumbs I toasted beforehand
A far more flavorful fish than cod, i'm thinking salmon fingers
The sun never set on the British empire, and they never used the spices they stole.
100%, they did. Good fish & chips doesn't need fixing.
The thing about spices in cooking is that - as great as they are, and as much as they enhance flavour - you shouldn't need them to make good food.
Fish & chips is the perfect synthesis of the "Salt, acid, fat, heat" theory of cooking. Truly delicious food starts with the combination of those elements in exactly the right amounts.
There's a lot of great things you can do with spices. I love, love, LOVE Indian food, Thai food, Mexican food, Spanish food, Chinese food, Cajun food, etc, etc, etc. But if you don't understand how to make something delicious without spices, you'll never really understand how to make good food with them. It's always about fundamentals.
Edit to add: Here's another really good way to think about this; people to bring up British food and complain about a lack of spices, but you never see the same complaint about aglio e olio or caccio e pepe, two dishes that contain, respectively one herb and no spices, and one spice and no herbs (parsley, and black pepper).
It's exceptionally easy to do as a tourist. Last I visited, first we went to a restaurant and ordered and it was subpar. So then we were told "you have to go to a Chippy, if you want real fish and chips" so we did... they should have told us which "Chippy", they are not all the same.
That was the worst culinary experience of my life. I have never had a more oily nasty fried fish. The wet breading just fell off, and it tasted like very old oil. I threw out 2/3s of it, as did basically everyone else.
We ended up eating at indian restaurants the rest of the trip.
Oddly enough, I had the exact opposite experience last time I was in London. Amazing fish and chips, terrible Indian food. Worst saag paneer I've ever had. By far. And that's a low bar because I've had some really disappointing saag paneer.
Also, I was entertained when the South Asian guy at the Chippie asked me stuff like, "do you have a big car and a big house?" when he heard my American accent. I had to disabuse him of the notion that we're all wealthy. I wasn't even paying for that trip, it was an especially good contract work gig.
Are you a breakfast person? We normally just ate the biscuits from the hotel room and starved until lunch, but one day my dad and I was going to meet up with my mom and her sister for a traditional English breakfast. However we got lost and ended up in some tiny Cafe, God knows where. They were serving lasagna for breakfast, and it was delicious.
My mom and aunt actually found the place and had some beens and toast and blood sausage, they were not impressed.
I am definitely a breakfast person and a full English breakfast, minus the horrific beans on toast, is great. I'm not sure about lasagna for breakfast though. Seems like kind of a heavy breakfast meal.
To be fair, this is not helped by the fact that British people are often very bad at recommending good places to eat. A lot of people value familiarity over quality.
We were actually there for my uncle in laws wedding, so you would think we would have gotten better advice. But I guess weddings are busy...
The food at the wedding was amazing though. I can't even remember it all, they brought out so much food. I think there was venison and duck, and fish I have never even heard of before, it was over the top. But his parents were like old money wealthy, so I doubt that's common. It was also in like a minor castle, and the grounds were just gorgeous. I could have spent days just inspecting all the plants, so much variety of foreign plants and super cool hardwood trees.
That was the only great food we had, although the Indian food pretty good. Got old after a week though.
well, I gotta say, I lived in the UK, their standard for fish and chips is oily af; it's hard to enjoy the toppings and use the thing as a vehicle for sauces etc when it's super greasy from breading to fish. I've had better fish and chips in Canada and Belgium.
I heard once that when spices became so cheap that even the commoners could afford it, the upper class in Britain started to claim that really good food doesn't need any spices to taste good and that bland food is the best. This supposedly made the British cuisine way blander.
I thought it was cuz they lost a bunch of ships during wwii and then they had the rationing of foods, and hadn't recovered their flavor palate since then.
A lot of the "bland" food is just food that was made during the world wars that has evolved over time after the fact.
But to say British food has no spices completely disregards the whole curry scene over here. It's not just curry from India. A lot of "Indian" dishes were invented in the UK.
Aye like a lot of time that people are making fun of English cuisine they’re usually just making fun of meals that poorer families would make or that no one regularly makes in their right mind.
Yes, I've never heard or seen anyone from the UK so much as acknowledge to Lipton as actually being tea. TBD, though, I actually prefer our Bigelow teas to Twinning, though. Especially the Earl Grey.
Yeah, oregano, cumin, and such are spices. But I’m not arguing it isn’t a pungent plant used culinarily I’m saying it’s not used as a spice. A spice is used to add flavor to a dish, tea is more of an ingredient. It’s closer to strawberries in culinary use. By adding strawberries to something its flavor is so impacted we either specify that it’s a strawberry version of the dish. Tea is more like that. Coffee too.
Yeah some of those sound like decent novelties. Tea ice cream sounds good. But notice in each of these situations it’s being used far more like a fruit than bay or oregano would be. It’s never “do you know what this dish could really use? A bit of tea” no its “let’s build a dish to show off that we can use tea culinarily” its never curry with tea in its masala. It’s never used to spice up your rice. It’s never part of your dry rub. It’s never thrown into your soup or stew.
Man, it used to drive me nuts that people would say "spicy" or "too spicy for me" when they clearly meant "too hot" but then i started to pay close attention. They were using the term properly, they were actually bitching about the garlic and cumin and cardamon and white pepper and curry and anise and whatever else i was using. Mustard was too much. Yeah, some of them used spicy for hot, but those were the people who could handle spice or hot,
I look at it the other way around. The food was so horrible, England sent entire fleets of ships just to get takeout from India. It didn't matter that it took months on end and people lost their lives along the way, it was still worth it.
Disclaimer: All of the below comes with the obvious caveat that it has to be made by someone who knows what they're doing. Any country's cuisine is shit if you're eating at a shit restaurant. That's not about your choice of meal, that's your choice of venue.
Pies. Britain has basically perfected the savory pie. Steak and kidney, steak and onion, scotch pie, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, fisherman's pie... British savory pies are an explosion of flavour. Pair with a good stout or porter; the kind of beer that still looks black even when you hold it up to a light.
Good fish & chips is one of the most perfect meals ever created. Keep in mind that the condiments matter; you need the acidity and richness of a good malt vinegar to cut through that fattiness. Never get fish & chips in a pub or restaurant. Go to a proper chippy, preferably in a coastal town.
Stews are a British classic. Try a real Lancashire hotpot sometime, with pickled red cabbage and mashed potatoes. Absolutely stunning.
Get your ass down to a high quality carvery and try a roast dinner. Lamb or beef are the best bet, but chicken and pork are good too. The true test of a roast dinner is the quality of the gravy. It should be not too thick, and full of savory meaty flavour, not doughy or floury in taste. Also look for vegetables that have some colour on them, not just boiled. Roast lamb leg with a good mint sauce is a thing of beauty. Pair with red wine for lamb or beef, white for pork or chicken.
Haggis is a flavour explosion. The real thing, no plastic wrapped forgeries, served with the traditional sides of tatties and neeps, and a glass of really good single malt whisky.
Straight up, one of the best meals I've ever had was bangers and mash. I was at a high end London restaurant - I forget the name, but John Lennon used to eat there pretty regularly - and it was incredible. The potatoes were the perfect texture with just the right amount of salt and butter. The sausages were made in house, beautifully seasoned and cooked to perfection, and the gravy was stunning. It's a very simple meal, but simple done right isn't easy. In a simple meal there's nothing to hide behind. Every part has to be perfect.
Desserts. British desserts are phenomenal. Eton mess, spotted dick, and the absolute king of desserts, sticky toffee pudding served with thick cream. Unbelievably decadent.
Meanwhile, both the tomatoes in the baked beans and the potatoes used to make the fries/chips originated in the Americas and the guy who cooked it once experienced the taste of paprika. So there!
The only British person who actually knows how to use spices is Gordon Ramsey, and he gets a pass on not using them cause he actually knows how to cook good food.
He can’t handle spice. His 2 appearances on Hot Ones are their top-watched episodes. They’re also the best. He’s so funny. He had so much fun during his first appearance, he came back for their Holiday episode. It was awesome.
Desensitization based on routine is all there is to "handling spice". It is neither an achievement nor an ability. Anyone can get used to it by starting from small amounts and slowly increasing the spice level. Also, there are many spices, chili is only one of them.
Tbf, I've rarely had a chili that wasn't mild, unless I or a neighbor who likes it hot made it. You may want to avoid certain salsas (red or green) at restaurants and bodegas where actual ethnic Latin Americans eat, if you're not into spicy, though.
I've never watched Ramsey, and I'm not British, but a hint of cinnamon in ground meats is great. Cinnamon in savory foods is underrated in general, imo
I simply can't eat fries without mayonnaise... I do suspect that the mayonnaise we use for fries here is different from what you get in the states, though I've never been there so I can't say for sure.
A chicken or cheese sandwich or Southern coleslaw (acv, no sugar) is about the only time I will use mayo, very sparingly. And it's gotta be Texas Pete, copious amounts.
It's not even that they don't use spices they just haven't even tried to evolve their cuisine. They still eat the same bland boring shit from 100 years ago. Meanwhile the rest of Europe thriving. It's like they opened the books once 50 years ago to let chicken Tikka in and then immediately closed the books again. They can always point to that one dish and be like see.
Is it Germany where you can only buy shnitzel, sausage and cabbage in various different forms?
Or Italy, where they're so proud of their food it's basically illegal to serve anything that isn't Italian?
Or France where spice and chilli is outlawed, only garlic and herbs allowed?
It's true that a lot of traditional British food is bland, but there are way more Chinese, Indian, Thai, mexican, Italian restaurants in any town in England than you'll find anywhere in Europe.
306 Comments
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 93 pts · 2y
The meme is funny :)
That being said, the only UK foods I've had were made by expats here in the states. None of it was bland, with the exception of breakfast beans, "because they're meant to be mild to start your day" as I was told by a lovely liverpudlian.
She would do fish and chips, and the batter was well seasoned. Not heavily seasoned, but some pepper, a little paprika, and a bit of onion powder to give it some aromatic kick. Well balanced, and imo, as good as any of the southern fried fish recipes I've had.
The chips were obviously just salted and vinegar used per person.
But when we did pot luck at work, she would bring in what she called "good english food", which included some curry a few times.
But her shepherd's pie? Holy hell, that was some great stuff. She said it was really cottage pie because it was beef usually. But it had the usual pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs.
And the other expats I ate with were similar. Maybe different amounts of a given herb or spice, but it was in there.
I think the UK food thing is a meme in itself, and likely arose the way things usually do, with the majority of cooks just being bad cooks, rather than representative of a cuisine or the way things are done properly in that country.
MY_ANUS_IS_BLEEDING@lemm.ee · 76 pts · 2y
The reputation comes from the US military being stationed in the UK during the height of WW2 rationing when there was an extremely limited list of ingredients to cook with. They were unable to associate a country under an attempted siege from U-boats with a reduced supply of food.
We do have a love of beige food at times, but it's essentially our version of chicken tendies.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 20 pts · 2y
Ahhh, that makes sense. Kinda rough that the rep hasn't gone away yet, though.
Aggravationstation@lemmy.ml · 18 pts · 2y
Boomers made that bland war time food linger. They were children during and just after WW2 so it was part of their childhood nostalgia and they fed it to their own kids. Also we've had Indian/ Chinese restaurants in the UK for a while but they were mostly just in major cities at first so the average person still had little exposure to foreign or exotic food until the late 1970s/ early 1980s.
jaybone@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y
Literally by definition boomers would have been born after WW2.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y
Yeah this one was the silent generation
june@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
My ex mother in law and her mom both can’t eat any food that’s not a certain level of bland. Too much of any spice at all and they set it aside like an autistic kid with arfid. Which… come to think of it…
lightnegative@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Yep, this sums up everyone I know over 60 that is descended from British -immigrants- sorry expats.
Actual British people coming over now that still sound British seem to have much more refined taste. BIR-style curries are indeed very popular vs bland British "stew" / casserole
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
man if you make stew right it's the most flavourful thing out there. half a bottle of red wine, couple cans crushed tomatos, chop up half your intended vegetables( Carrot, potato, onion, green onion stems, parsnips and celery for me), brown the beef, dump it all in except the other half of your vegetables, bring the level up with strong beef broth till everything is covered, and simmer covered till it all except the beef dissolves into a brown gravy, then add the other half of your vegetables and serve when they are cooked. Bay leaves and rosemary and thyme and pepper of course too. Garlic. Usually enough salt from the beef broth.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
Also as an American we don’t really have room to talk. Yes there’s the iconic southern foods but even then, grits are bland and meh. But for the most part a lot of traditional American food needed to have spices rediscovered. It seems like for a long time our attitude was to use sugar, pre ground pepper, and maybe salt as seasoning for something that had any good texture cooked out of it.
prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
I went to the the UK when I was a teenager pre 9/11 and I remember the food being amazing imo.
But honestly I love savory food that just needs a pinch of salt to make it pop so maybe I’m the problem too.
SnipingNinja@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 2y
An aside here: but why is it that people from major cities aren't considered average? In many cases major cities are major because they have a lot higher density of people leading to more development and resources.
Dasnap@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y
We also had rationing for a good while longer than other countries after the wars (right into the mid-50s), so we have a whole generation who were pretty much raised with limited food options. That kind of national trauma sticks around and took a while to shake off.
01011@monero.town · 7 pts · 2y
It hasn't gone away because countless students from across the globe have moved there and found it to be true. While there is good food available in the UK it seems as if the average Brit is content to eat very badly and then supplement a terrible diet with copious amounts of alcohol.
martinb@lemmy.sdf.org · 7 pts · 2y
What else would you supplement a terrible diet with?
01011@monero.town · 7 pts · 2y
Coffee? Tea? Illicit drugs.
(They do all the above).
UpperBroccoli@feddit.de · 7 pts · 2y
It's the same with English beer. On the continent, people keep saying that Brits drink their beer lukewarm. When I was there, they actually had temperature displays at the tap in most pubs that usually showed something around 4°C (~39°F). For reference, that was in the Huddersfield area (between Leeds and Manchester) around 15 years ago.
AlpacaChariot@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
Well in this case the reputation for "warm beer" is true and I'm willing to die on this particular hill.
Proper cask ale should be served at between 8 and 12C, AKA cellar temperature, cool but not cold. Nothing beats a traditional pint of 'best bitter' in an old pub!
Plenty of people in the UK drink lager and other styles of beer that are more highly carbonated, stronger ABV, and served colder. Personally I'm not a fan but each to their own.
I live about an hour from London in a rural area with loads of great pubs but I find it difficult to find a nice beer in most parts of London. It's much easier to keep a keg of carbonated beer under pressure than a cask ale that you have to finish within a few days of tapping, which is why when a certain proportion of a pub's clientele start drinking other styles it just isn't worth it for the pub to keep real ale. Hopefully it won't become a niche thing.
bluewing@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
I've home brewed a lot of English ales and I agree that those ales should be served warmer. If you don't, the cold mutes and kills the subtle and rich flavors.
Lagers are good, but a good British Ale is something to savory with good friends.
egonallanon@lemm.ee · 4 pts · 2y
That's because of a lot Englishales are drunk at room temp/ slightly below though not as cold as refrigerated.
undergroundoverground@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
True and thats because they were invented before refrigerators.
yeah@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 2y
I don't think I'd recommend chilli peppers with your user name.
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
It's probably cause his spoon is too big.
Simulation6@sopuli.xyz · 11 pts · 2y
Case proven, all the good cooks left.
astreus@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 2y
My favourite "traditional" English meal is a good Steak and Kidney pie, made with an ale sauce. Seasoned with lots of pepper, Worcestershire sauce (anchovy sauce), onion and stock. Absolutely delicious.
Rinox@feddit.it · 2 pts · 2y
I think the issue is mostly in the visuals. When you look for traditional English food, it is usually a plate full of beige stuff, sometimes paired with really unappetizing boiled carrots and beans. The gravy being on the side instead of part of the dish doesn't do it any favors either.
Also I'd argue England has pretty low standards for what counts as "food". I've had to work in England for a month, and finding something fresh, healthy and tasty to eat was a real challenge. I've never been as fat as when I came home.
The epitome of the wasted potential of English cuisine is the fact that it's an island full of the best fishes in the world, yet the only fish you can find is battered cod. Why is it so hard to get a salmon fillet? You have Scottish salmon ffs!
VaultBoyNewVegas@lemmy.world · -5 pts · 2y
Shepard's pie is Irish btw. Not a surprise a scouser would be able to make a good one when Liverpool has a large Irish community.
astreus@lemmy.ml · 19 pts · 2y
Common myth, not true.
First recorded recipe for Shepherds Pie is from a Scottish cookbook from 1849. First recorded use of Cottage Pie is 1791 by an English clergyman.
Cottage Pie was used for both lamb and beef varieties until recently and was a way of eating leftover meats.
Venat0r@lemmy.world · -8 pts · 2y
I've heard that food in the US is generally bad, so maybe not the best comparison 😜 😂
NoIWontPickaName@kbin.social · 8 pts · 2y
He's Canadian.
You cant trust those frozen tree suckers
Maeve@kbin.social · 4 pts · 2y
How rude (although it was a clever insult and I literally laughed. I needed that. Thanks)!
dubyakay@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 2y
Are the trees frozen or the suckers?
MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 2y
Depending on the time of year, yes.
Maeve@kbin.social · 4 pts · 2y
They clearly never had soul food or Gullah/Geechee food.
Whitebelt_Dural@lemmings.world · 2 pts · 2y
I like the safety third crew but they've also ate dog food and didn't find much issue with it.
Venat0r@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
That's a really good point 😂
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y
Lmao!
A lot of people everywhere don't know how to cook. They don't even bother to try and learn, so they rely on corporate packaged foods and restaurants. That's a separate thing from the cuisine of a given place, or the cooking of people that do know how to.
That may seem like sophistry, but it is an important point to remember when talking about cooking when not joking around for fun. You can't really use people that aren't actually doing a thing, or have never learned how to do it as an representative example of what a country's core is. It's like athletics, you can't say that Ethiopians are bad ice skaters if the average person can't access time and equipment to ice skate in the first place. (Not picking on Ethiopia, it was just the first country that came to mind as not being very present in the world ice skating stage).
It's legit to say that the US has a major food education problem, as does the UK from what I've heard, but that is a different issue than the national cuisine.
Venat0r@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
True, it's not American cuisine that's bad, apparently McDonald's hamburgers taste better in NZ than the USA too, probably because all the beef here is grass fed.
PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks · 0 pts · 2y
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
heard that food in the US is generally bad,
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 61 pts · 2y
Meanwhile yanks with their two spices - butter and sugar
"Our food is the tastiest in the wuuuurld"
Aye but yous can't afford that coronary eh mate 😂
01011@monero.town · 59 pts · 2y
Is this where we pretend that Brits don't consume obscene amounts of sugar and butter?
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
No, there's no point pretending they're not fat cunts as well
But we're pretending they don't consume vast amounts of spices too. They're fat smelly cunts tbh
match@pawb.social · 4 pts · 2y
pretty sure you mean canola oil and hfcs
pyrflie@lemm.ee · 0 pts · 2y
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · -5 pts · 2y
I mean obviously you've never taken the time to explore the US. US food is utterly fantastic.
Our beer is better too.
Tomato666@lemmy.sdf.org · 14 pts · 2y
American beer is not in anyway better than European beer or even English beer.
Something something tastes like piss.
I think you Americans are beginning the long road to good beer with all your craft ales, but you've got a way to go yet.
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
American modern beers - Just keep throwing hops at it until it stops tasting like piss. Doesn't matter if it tastes more like a bunch of daffodils than beer, we'll just call it "craft" 😂
robocall@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
daffodils are pretty and make me smile
Maeve@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
"I wondered lonely as a cloud..."
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Nice spelling, Wordsworth
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
😂. Wandered, wondered. Oops
bluewing@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
Yeah, Prohibition killed all the beer we had and we did have good beer right up until then. And it's been a long road back. Those large US breweries are still far more interested in cheap ingredients made cheaply.
But you can find good craft beers scattered amongst the bad craft beers if you look. And home brewing is maybe more popular in the US than Europe, but I'm not sure of that.
Tomato666@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 2y
You make a good point about prohibition, I guess that will have had a significant effect. Maybe there are more artisan spirits in the US now having been driven by people with secret stills making moonshine in that period. It'll be interesting to see where you guys go with the relaxation of marijuana laws. Maybe people will be home breeding new strains.
bluewing@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
Oddly, moonshine and bathtub "gin" became quite the impetus for the popularity of cocktails, at least in the US. Since the added flavors tended to hide the rotgut taste of the illicit booze. And the loss of beer breweries had the effect of giving rise to ice cream parlors and soda fountains since saloons had to close. Plus as Minnesotan, I feel the need to apologize for the Volstead Act, as it became known, since Andrew Volstead was a Minnesota House of Representative and Chairman of the House Judicial Committee and was pretty instrumental in getting prohibition enacted. Scandinavian Protestantism (tm) is not a good thing by in large.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · -2 pts · 2y
Something something base an entire market off of a 30 year old meme. You have no clue what you are talking about. Just making up shit 🤣
How much time have you spent in the states?
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Base an entire market off a 30 year old meme
😂
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 13 pts · 2y
What's the difference between the US and a cup of yoghurt?
Yoghurt will have developed a culture after being left alone for 250 years. /j
Edit: Sorry, should have said "what's the difference between white Americans.
MrFappy@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y
We have so many unique individual cultures it’s absolutely ridiculous. E fuckin G, south central LA black culture, WASP rich ass folk, southern bumpkin, Texan, midwestern, New York. Those are a handful of examples, but each is so thoroughly unique, with different accents and culinary offerings, and dress styles ALL OF WHICH in some way influence cultures across the globe. Each state honestly has its own cultural offerings, but as a whole, to say that the U.S. doesn’t have culture is moronic.
MadBob@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 2y
Fair enough that the USA has culture but that's a bit far, considering the size of the place.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · -11 pts · 2y
It's a joke, relax.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · -3 pts · 2y
You have your yoghurt. I'll take the bbq, whiskey, and our massive dining industry that produces the best food on the planet.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · -3 pts · 2y
Lol. You can keep your bland Whisky (I'll take Irish, thanks) and your industrially processed junk food, filled to the brim with corn sirup.
lightnegative@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 2y
I'm not even American but lol at calling triple distilled Irish whiskey less bland than bourbon.
Irish whiskey is like the lager of whiskeys, about as bland as it gets
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
You guys don't age your common bourbons long enough though.
bluewing@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
It depends on where the bourbon gets made. Very generally, the temperatures cycles vary a lot more more than in Great Britain. So the bourbon "ages" faster than Scotch or Irish whiskys. So bourbons have to be younger and that can make them somewhat sharper in flavor. Plus the requirement of using new oak barrels also cuts the time spent in the barrel.
Maeve@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y
Yank here. Most of us were raised on American Exceptionalism which has been pounded into our head since birth, for a few generations. There's no point arguing this, because murica...
robocall@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
American here. I have never seen a fellow American refer to themself as a Yank. I thought that word was reserved for WWII British soldiers.
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
You never sang "Yankee Doodle," or "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on July 4, even as a kid? I'm southern as can be and these were staples on the Fourth, Memorial and Labor Days, as well as bright red hotdogs, chips (crisps), soda and Budweiser and PBR.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 2y
I thought lemmy was leftie enough to not be pounced by jingoists right away. TIL
Maeve@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
We'll you're arguing with Americans where "left" barely means "center" or "right
but not far right." * See also the DK effect.bluewing@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
Irish whiskey? Triple pot stilled to strip out all the flavors? Dang near vodka for depth of flavor. (I jest - I do enjoy a good Irish whiskey myself).
Now bourbon is the drink of the gods. Rich deep complex flavors that fill your taste buds with joy. It's so good the Scots and even the Irish use our used bourbon barrels to impart those complex flavors and taste to their whiskys.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · -7 pts · 2y
🙄👌🤣
I bet your one of those people who shit on Louisiana while forgetting Hungary is a thing 🤣.
It's always so obvious when someone who hasn't stepped foot in the country and gets their entire life view based on
Redditlemmy comments.Edit: oh we're on .ML of fucking course, this makes more sense. This is pointless you had your mind made up joining the instance.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 2y
Check my instance again, smartass.
Ididn't get the suffocating prevalence of corn sirup in the US from reddit/lemmy, but rather from health resources and people from the US.
For real: all that cultural bashing is pointless to begin with. But claimingthat the US has "the best food" when Italy, the middle and far east exist: come on!
Edit: oh no! The 'muricans found my comments. Better prepare for a state funded coup, enforcing neoliberalism through fascists in my country.
Maeve@kbin.social · 4 pts · 2y
It's in everything, along with plenty of salt and cancer causing dyes and artificial flavoring. Even our locally sourced, home farm based meats and vegetables are laden with chemicals and virtually zero nutritional value because hardly anyone let's soil lie fallow, and doesn't use a tin of Miracle Grow and weed killer. I'm my specific area, you can't even find chicken feed that's nutritious for the birds and almost no one free-ranges. The closest you'll find in my area are a pig that's given table scraps in addition to feed, and no one knows what's in either chicken or hog feed, unless it's cracked corn, and well... You get it.
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
I'm very sorry and embarrassed most people from my country are this way, and very sorry for how you've experienced us itt. I really like Mediterranean and Thai food, though I'm not particularly good at making them from scratch. I did enjoy a decent-enough-for-frozen-but-by-no-means-decent eggplant Parmesan the other day, and the standard American version of pad Thai a couple of months ago, when I was out in a larger town. No lettuce rolls, though.
NoIWontPickaName@kbin.social · 0 pts · 2y
You seem very... defensive about your choices here.
obelix@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y
I know you’re probably just trolling but LOL.
01011@monero.town · 5 pts · 2y
You've never had Cajun cuisine. Or good Tex-Mex. Or soul food. All brilliant when made by the right chef.
obelix@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
I have, and you’re right, it’s delicious. The silly, throwaway comment about beer was what sent me. 😂
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
American "beer" lol. Laughs in German.
Edit: Grumpy Muricans, your downvotes only prove my point!
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
We do dopplebock far better here.
pimeys@lemmy.nauk.io · 5 pts · 2y
But finding the actual great German beer, the blessed helles, is not super easy in US. People seem to think all these bocks are super common in Germany, but it's actually helles what everybody drinks (and pils in the north). Helles is extremely hard to brew correctly, it requires a very specific temperature and pure ingredients.
I spent most of my vacation in US last year finding a good helles from a bar. I found one after many tries, and the closest I could get to a bavarian helles was in Weaverville, in Leveller Brewing Co. I went to thank the owner for this great beer, and he told me he studied brewing in Bavaria and brewing that beer took a lot of trial and error.
Edit: somebody soon comes to tell how easy it is to find helles in US. Yes, but it often doesn't taste how it should. Or you get some old bottled stock of Augustiner that is not a same thing as fresh Augustiner in Munich.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 2y
I've never once been in a town without a beer place within 20 minutes that has more selection than you could try in your entire life before dying of liver failure. Christ most grocery stores have at least an aisle dedicated to food selection.
This is entirely made up.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
So you say the only good beer you got is a beer you copied from us?
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 2y
Lol. As if you've ever even tried the local bavarian breweries (the stuff they sell on Oktoberfest doesn't count)! xD
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
While I haven't lived there I've done several trips through the country. Maybe 7 weeks in total? I'd choose Belgium if I were to choose a regional winner.
01011@monero.town · 0 pts · 2y
American Pizza > Italian Pizza.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Correct.
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
American pizza= more greasy than Italian pizza. That's why you think it tastes better
robocall@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Some American pizzas are more greasy than Italian pizza, but not all. America has so many varieties of pizza that Italians would dismiss as not pizza.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 2y
Because they are pretentious. They'll give you shit for ordering cappuccino at night.
SnipingNinja@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 2y
What? Why would they give you shit for that?
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
Because it's not culturally acceptable. Seriously, try it. It's insane.
Maeve@kbin.social · -1 pts · 2y
I've never had a decent American beer. PBR is the closest to decent I've ever had.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
I appreciate you admitting you've never stepped foot in an American beer store.
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
And I appreciate your admitting you ASSume way too much. Murica, heck yeah!
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
If the best beer you can find was PBR you're incompetent. Calling me an ass because you went directly to bitten of the barrel swill. Jesus Christ lololol.
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
Whoosh!
Let me break it down: I never said any of what you just ASSumed, twice now. You didn't make an ass of me twice, however. And are quite intent on proving my point of American exceptionalism. You haven't even the wherewithal to look it up, nor feel embarrassment for it, which is why other cultures generally find us not only ignorant, but obnoxious as well.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
👌👍 you are just making shit up you read on the Internet and justifying with insane circular logic. Deranged shit 🤣
robocall@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
America has beer at the grocery store like Bud light, Coors light, and PBR, which all kind of taste the same to me. but most cities have local micro breweries for fresher beer, and more distinctive regional flavors.
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
C'mon, any Bud variety is bested by the others.
NoIWontPickaName@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
Depends what you are looking for.
I've had awesome stouts that were so stout they could double as a meal, and I've had island beers that were nice for a long hot afternoon of fishing or cooling down after out side work.
Tbf, im not a beer snob though and choose primarily based on activity and temperature of day.
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
I usually like Newcastle Summer, I'm not a fan of Stella. Blue Moon is acceptable. But since neither that nor Newcastle is sold as singles near me (and a 12 oz or pint not even once a week, at most twice a month is the most I'll drink at one time), that usually means Heineken. I've 2 pint cans in the fridge now (I prefer bottles), but that is because I'm the last month, a neighbor has brought me three, in return for small favors. And the first was lovely, to wash* down a nice potato poon. It balances the sweetness nicely.
ETA: tbh I hate stouts, but I'm really not a beer drinker. When I drank liquors occasionally, I usually preferred a pricier tequila or single malt Scotch, and being on limited funds, that curbs that, nicely.
The only time I've ever had Irish whisky was in Bailey's, but if anyone can recommend a good Irish, I'll keep it in mind.
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
Newcastle Summer?
Beer that tastes like rain, wet sausage rolls and tracksuit armpits, I'm guessing
Maeve@kbin.social · -1 pts · 2y
American beer! No thanks.
SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social · 2 pts · 2y
You're really missing out! In my opinion, PBR is the best of the "cheap and shitty" tier of mass-produced beer that rednecks and poor college students drink to get smashed. It's not good, exactly, but somehow nostalgic to me for drinking around a campfire. The U.S. has plenty of mass-produced beer that's still mediocre, but better than PBR, and some that's even pretty decent. It's in the craft breweries that you'll find the really great American beer, though.
Maeve@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
When I was a kid, Old Milwaukee came 8 ponies to a pack for less than $3. It was extremely popular, especially the shotgunnable cans. Thank heaven a friend's dad had a still, is all in saying.
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
I've been to craft breweries and several tastings at various ones. I just didn't find much that agree with my palate, but as I said, I'm not a beer person, in general. My friend back home used to make a rather nice home brew. I believe he may have used molasses to some extent, but it's been a very long time ago, and most of my alcohol consumption was from home brewed corn or fruit and heavily distilled. Except my grandmother's fruit concoctions, consisting of preserves, jams, jellies and way too sweet wines. They still beat Boone's Farm, MD and Triple Peach, though.
SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social · 1 pts · 2y
Haha, okay, so as not-a-beer-person, I guess you're not really missing out. Fair enough.
Maeve@kbin.social · 0 pts · 2y
No, but American beer is still nasty.
MY_ANUS_IS_BLEEDING@lemm.ee · -4 pts · 2y
Been to the US a few times. Your food tastes extremely average and the only difference to anywhere else is that it has about 3 times the kcals and half the nutrition. I've had heartburn and constipation virtually every time I've visited.
And your beer is possibly the worst in the world. It's pisswater.
With opinions like that I'd be surprised if you've even left your own state, let alone the country.
Maggoty@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 2y
Where the heck did you eat? Corporate McSteakhouse? If the response when asked about beer is Bud or Coors then blink twice, you need help.
StereoTrespasser@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y
C'mon, stop it. We Americans are bad at many things, but no one can refute that Americans have created some damn good beer over the last two decades.
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · -4 pts · 2y
Bri'ish food is some of the best in the world too. Because we know how to use spices and not high fructose corn syrup
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world · -3 pts · 2y
Name a British food that uses spices that wasn't brought by colonization.
UckyBon@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
Are you a native American or one of those colonizers?
Maeve@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y
You already know ..
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world · -8 pts · 2y
That has nothing to do with the topic at hand, you're just trying to change the topic, and think that somehow calling out America's history of colonization (by not only Britain mind you) is some sort of "gotcha" moment.
But I'll bite. Personally, European descent. But many native friends and family members, and lots of time volunteering with local native non-profits and political campaigns. Which is likely more than 99% of Americans could say about any sort of native support.
I'm on the west coast, you know where all the natives were forced to move. Many of the "illegals" the bigots complain about in my area are actually Native Americans or have native ancestry.
But none of that is about the topic at hand, food and Britain's lack of utilizing the spices they spent so much effort to get.
UckyBon@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
🤪
AlpacaChariot@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
Wew lad
Maeve@kbin.social · -1 pts · 2y
Your asked them to name a spice they had that wasn't brought by colonization. They were being entirely relevant to your question. I believe that's called "moving the goal posts." I also just stuck my foot in my mouth elsewhere. Lol
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
Eels
Tomato666@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 2y
Used to be a speciality of the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 2y
Sheperd's pie
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
A major part of that is obviously potatoes, which originated in South America. They were brought back to Europe through colonization of the Americas. Just like tomatoes and corn.
For spices though, looking up a few recipes to check it looks like usually thyme, rosemary, and parsley are used, which are Mediterranean and Western Eurasia. So maybe... My memory of English colonialism and time-frames closer to home is more lacking.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 2y
Dammit, forgot the potatoes.
If I took a guess, then thyme, rosemary and parsley have been brought to the country waay back when the british isles where being conquered instead of doing the conquering.
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · -2 pts · 2y
And how, in your wee head, does the fact that it came about due to colonisation make it not British?
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world · -7 pts · 2y
You are clearly making a poor joke, but... Butter is literally what the French are known for. Sugarcane is from the South Pacific and sugar itself originated in India.
Southern and Creole cuisine originated in America however, and that uses a ton of spices on par with native Indian cuisine.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 21 pts · 2y
Industrial use of high fructose corn sirup is all American Capitalism, though.
... And southern france hardly uses butter btw.
Lol, what? Also: it's not about where the stuff came from but rather what the cuisine does with it. Italian or German cuisine doesn't become south american all of a sudden cause of tomatoes and potatoes.
Pietson@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
I don't think it's fair to claim either region has poor taste in food beyond as a joke, but if you dismiss the fact that American food has a lot of corn syrup because that's a result of American capitalism, you should also dismiss the claim that Brits don't use a lot of spices because that was a result of the war
Sweetpeaches69@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Just curious, but what does Southern France use as their fat to cook with, then? I'm visiting in a month.
FlorianSimon@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 2y
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 2y
Olive oil, just like any other mediterranean cuisine. In that climate, butter goes rancid in a heartbeat.
Maggoty@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Look I feel sorry for the Italians and the Germans but their food is American now. It's just the way the world works. :)-
pyrflie@lemm.ee · 46 pts · 2y
Maeve@kbin.social · 4 pts · 2y
Jamaican curried goat is divine, and it must be Jamaican curry, and added water must be tricked very slowly down the side of very hot, cast iron Dutch oven and simmered quite a while. I was fortunate enough to have a Jamaican neighbor show me the trick. And to my American compatriots, sweet potatoes are not yams.
arin@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Thank you Indians
Leviathan@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 2y
Clearly you've never had rich friends, they're notorious for having everything and never using it.
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee · 29 pts · 2y
Most popular dish in the UK is Tikka Massala.
But:
Fat, carbs and protein do not come purer than fish and chips.
foo@programming.dev · 9 pts · 2y
And vinegar so vinegary that it blows the taste buds of your descendants for 500 years
sailingbythelee@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 2y
Exactly. Many people have an ignorant view of British cuisine, as though only foods grown in the British Isles are British. All kinds of foods and dishes from all over the world have been shipped, used, and adapted in Britain since at least the time of the Roman Empire. Heck, most of what a British, European or North American person would see on the menu of their local Indian restaurant is not traditional Indian food at all, but rather Anglo-Indian.
robocall@lemmy.world · -15 pts · 2y
Yes, there have been a few comments mentioning Tikka masala, but can you name another British dish with flavor? I don't think so.
AlpacaChariot@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y
None with flavor, plenty with flavour
MadBob@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 2y
Cornish pasty, apple crumble, scouse, trifle, haggis, rarebit, Sunday roast, shepherd's pie, tatty scones... you can see why this "no flavour" joke is getting tiring.
KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 2y
Even shitty store brand haggis has a great flavor profile for a sausage. Yes, its a sausage: its meat, salt, spices, and other fillers in an animal casing. Fight me.
But its scottish food
MadBob@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 2y
I don't eat animals myself but the vegan version is very good I have to say. Likewise with the vegan Cumberlands you can get, or at least could about five years ago from the Co-op.
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
pepper steak pie
Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 2y
Let's kick off with curries! We've been eating 'curry' since 1598, so longer than a lot of other countries have existed. As well as chicken tikka masalla, we've adapted or invented a few, such as:
For other British dishes with flavour, try (in no particular order):
Specal@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
I saw that marmite on toast in there, it's my favourite breakfast
undergroundoverground@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
How do you feel about thanks giving dinners and apple pie?
Edit: because they're both British.
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
Turkeys are native to the Americas.
Now that I think about it, so are potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, corn and cranberries. Thinking about my own Thanksgiving dinner table, the only thing I can identify as an Old World food are yeast rolls.
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
That's cause it was ham and duck with onions, leek and parsnips before.
undergroundoverground@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Its almost as if they just swapped out the chicken for turkey, having discovered and been using potatoes for years beforehand.
Nothing on the apple pie then? Just the one you thought you could refute, it would seem.
By your wild "logic" that would make every pork dish ever Chinese and Southern fried chicken Indian, as the pigs we eat today and chickens come from China and India respectfully.
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y
Yeah, apples aren't native to the New World and apple pie wasn't invented in the Americas. It's not specifically British, either; it seems to have emerged independently across Western Europe in the middle ages, and was first brought to the Americas by the Dutch rather than the English. Hell, not even the quintessential American pie apple was invented here; the granny smith is Australian.
The British invented roast turkey about as much as they invented roast bison. You want to get into more specific recipes, I'd say chicken tikka masala is British and chicken parmesan is American, but I'm not letting the British have right of way over "get bird, add heat."
Pumpkin pie is kind of a strange one; the first thing you'd call a "pumpkin pie" was more of a savory soup eaten by Dutch settlers in Massachusetts in the 1600s; the first pumpkin served in a pastry crust was French, and the modern pattern of "sugar pumpkin puree in a shortbread crust" was invented a few minutes after the US Constitution was ratified.
Sweet potato pie is less ambiguous; it seems to have popped into existence fully formed in the American south in the 18th century.
Basically all corn products including popcorn and cornbread were known to the Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans arrived.
The first known recipe for cranberry sauce as we would recognize it today was written in 1796 in the United States.
Green beans are native to Central America, green bean casserole was invented in New Jersey in 1950...
Again, what of this is particularly British? An American thanksgiving meal is as British as pizza.
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
Beast of a comment. Found all of that really interesting 👍
undergroundoverground@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 2y
Apple pie is from England, even if you don't want it to be. Its not even about it not being American but it having flavour and being nice to eat.
They swapped out chicken for turkey and used the exact same recipe and cooking style. Declaring it unconnected changes nothing.
Green beans is a substitute for the exact same green veg you get with a British roast meal. If I put peas into a stir fry, it doesn't make the meal not Chinese lol.
Again, how can you not see those mildy adapted British things as British?
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 2y
Because I'm from a country with an actual national identity of its own, not some washed up little island whose national museum has on display a lot of things stolen from elsewhere and not much of its own, because their national culture has extremely little to show for itself.
I don't have to pretend we invented (checks notes) cooking food to feel like have any kind of national identity. You do, and it's hilariously pathetic.
anticurrent@sh.itjust.works · 22 pts · 2y
Money can't buy you taste 😉
flubba86@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y
Well, the whole spice trade was literally wealthy people buying taste.
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
...eh...profiting in a commodity trade doesn't mean you...Ever see any midwestern farmer actually eat chickpeas? They love the bushel price most years though.
electric_nan@lemmy.ml · 20 pts · 2y
Hey, they also needed more people to play cricket with.
saltesc@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 2y
I like the little flag. Classic move claiming fish fingers for the empire.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y
Fish don't have fingers, dolt.
BreadOven@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 2y
Tell me you haven't had proper British food without actually telling me.
Don't blindly believe everything you hear.
Beans on toast can be done well also.
robocall@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
my favorite is when they serve it hot! yum
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
i do that all the time, but my own recipe, which is essentially hopped up chili beans on garlic toast. So i start with frying four pieces chopped up bacon in a bean pot, then add half an onion chopped n fry that soft, then a can of the heinz bbq chipotle beans, half a cup of E.D. Smith Baja Chipotle bbq sauce, half tbsp ancho powder, half tbsp jalapeno powder, quater tbsp white pepper, half tbsp garlic powder, simmer that all up and serve on and with thick cut buttered garlic toast. and to put the lie to any stereotypes bout regional cuisine, i'm doing this shit in western canada. I have a restaurant here, but this particular recipe is a bit too hot for most my customers.
BreadOven@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
That sounds good. I've never seen Heinz chipotle beans though (in Canada). I'll have to keep an eye out.
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
They're marked as Barbecue in the big print, the chipotle is in very small print underneath. You could just start with the more easily found deep browned beans or whatever.
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
My father is British. My grandmother was British.
There is no way to make British-style beans on toast palatable to people outside of Great Britain. I'm sorry.
There are plenty of British foods I will absolutely defend as terrific. I will murder a wedge of caerphilly cheese and I sometimes import Rowntree's blackcurrant fruit pastilles, I love them so much... but beans on toast? I can't go with you down that road. Also, Daddies Sauce. What the fuck is wrong with you people? Including my father. How do you put that shit in your mouths?
And don't even get me started on Marmite.
KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y
That bloke is gently handling those pies.
yeah@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y
We use a lot of herbs, garlic and mustard traditionally.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y
Chicken Tikka Masala entered the chat.
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y
Indian food?
shadowspirit@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y
Origin is Scotland I believe...Glasgow.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka_masala
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 2y
It was popularised by cooks from India living in Great Britain, but I don't believe that makes it any less Indian. Just as the chimichanga wasn't invented in Mexico, but is still considered Mexican food.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 2y
Chicken Tikka Masala is a British national dish and that is common knowledge.
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 2y
If by common knowledge, you mean that a significant portion of the population believes it, I'm not sure how reliable that evidence that is. People will believe a whole lot of strange stuff.
On topic, even the first paragraph of the Wikipedia page states that it was "popularized by cooks from India living in Great Britain". Regardless of where it was first created, this is clearly the product of Indian immigrants. I don't believe their heritage should be ignored just because they moved. Although, I don't want it to sound like I believe in a 100% black and white distinction here. It's clearly a fusion dish with British influences. The original chicken tikka was a lot dryer and the "masala" sauce was added to make the dish creamier to appeal to British tastes.
However, I don't go around claiming General Tso's chicken isn't Chinese food, just because it was first made in New York; or that the chimichanga isn't Mexican food, just because it was originally made in Arizona; or that a Cuban sandwich isn't Cuban, just because it was first made in Florida. These dishes wouldn't exist without the immigrants who modified their cultural recipes to adapt to a new environment.
To me, chicken tikka malala is an Indian dish with British influences.
E: Tao to Tso.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
So let's agree that it's neither Indian nor British, but a fusion of the two, created in Britain by immigrants or their descendants and becoming a national dish loved by people in Britain regardless of their cultural background.
Banik2008@infosec.pub · -1 pts · 2y
Go to China and tell them that General Tso's is Chinese cuisine, I dare you.
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · -2 pts · 2y
"I dare you"
How could you think this possibly warrants a dare? Do you really think people are this confrontational in real life? When traveling in other countries, I have only had positive interactions when attempting to find any common ground with locals. In this case, the worst thing that could happen is you share a laugh and they offer for you to try real local cuisine.
Kind of related, the duck tongue and chicken's foot I had earlier this year in Malaysia wasn't that bad.
robocall@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
I'm happy Great Britain was able to make one interesting dish 50 years ago, but the cuisine could use a couple more seasoned recipes.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
I will not argue against that.
milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee · 17 pts · 2y
Embrace; Expand; Extinguish
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 16 pts · 2y
i was told by a brit that american biscuits were "salty scones"
and i have never wanted to complain more in my life. Especially given the american propensity to make shit sweet as fuck.
lightnegative@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y
It's true, the "biscuits and gravy" biscuits are closer to scones than what a Brit would think of as a biscuit.
Also, biscuits and gravy, wtf
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 2y
What's wrong with biscuits and gravy?
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
Biscuits with sausage gravy doused in hot sauce and a couple fried eggs make a great breakfast
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
In this case I prefer fresh cracked black pepper to hot sauce. No other notes.
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
I think he's a trucker. the biscuits and gravy at a Love's I could see dumping hot sauce on. Not generally though.
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
bluewing@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
That fresh black pepper makes biscuits and sausage gravy killer!
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Oh of course, I load up the gravy with more pepper than most folks like
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
he just hasn't tried it made by a competent cook yet
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 2y
do the brits not have bread?
That's pretty much what a biscuit is here. Also what do you mean wtf biscuits and gravy slaps.
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
I may lose my Yank card for this, but I'm not a fan myself. That said, it's just scones and bechamel sauce. Hearty, meaty, salty and what you can do with the rendered fat from greasy breakfast sausage*. It's basically hangover food that caught on.
(* There's a subset of traditional American food that stems from doing a lot with very little, while having a complete disregard for cholesterol and calorie intake. Assuming that wheat and dairy are the cheapest things in your pantry, you get stuff like this. See "scrapple" for another example.)
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
I had the distinct pleasure of explaining what biscuits and gravy were to a confused 6th Doctor Who actor Colin Baker. To his credit, he said he'd like to try it.
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 2y
ah, it's you again. Anyway. Gotta hate, i mean love the brits, and the wacky shit they get up to.
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
I'm everywhere!
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 2y
judging by the amount of posts/comments, yeah, makes sense.
johannesvanderwhales@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 2y
Ain't nothing wrong with fish and chips
KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml · -4 pts · 2y
I actually went and had some last night and jesus christ my palate was offended. Even when swimming in malt vinegar and tartar sauce, I just couldn't stand it. I can fix this:
The sun never set on the British empire, and they never used the spices they stole.
johannesvanderwhales@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y
That kind of just sounds like you went to a bad restaurant.
reverendsteveii@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
No true....Englishman?
Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works · -1 pts · 2y
100%, they did. Good fish & chips doesn't need fixing.
The thing about spices in cooking is that - as great as they are, and as much as they enhance flavour - you shouldn't need them to make good food.
Fish & chips is the perfect synthesis of the "Salt, acid, fat, heat" theory of cooking. Truly delicious food starts with the combination of those elements in exactly the right amounts.
There's a lot of great things you can do with spices. I love, love, LOVE Indian food, Thai food, Mexican food, Spanish food, Chinese food, Cajun food, etc, etc, etc. But if you don't understand how to make something delicious without spices, you'll never really understand how to make good food with them. It's always about fundamentals.
Edit to add: Here's another really good way to think about this; people to bring up British food and complain about a lack of spices, but you never see the same complaint about aglio e olio or caccio e pepe, two dishes that contain, respectively one herb and no spices, and one spice and no herbs (parsley, and black pepper).
Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y
It's exceptionally easy to do as a tourist. Last I visited, first we went to a restaurant and ordered and it was subpar. So then we were told "you have to go to a Chippy, if you want real fish and chips" so we did... they should have told us which "Chippy", they are not all the same.
That was the worst culinary experience of my life. I have never had a more oily nasty fried fish. The wet breading just fell off, and it tasted like very old oil. I threw out 2/3s of it, as did basically everyone else.
We ended up eating at indian restaurants the rest of the trip.
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Oddly enough, I had the exact opposite experience last time I was in London. Amazing fish and chips, terrible Indian food. Worst saag paneer I've ever had. By far. And that's a low bar because I've had some really disappointing saag paneer.
Also, I was entertained when the South Asian guy at the Chippie asked me stuff like, "do you have a big car and a big house?" when he heard my American accent. I had to disabuse him of the notion that we're all wealthy. I wasn't even paying for that trip, it was an especially good contract work gig.
Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y
Are you a breakfast person? We normally just ate the biscuits from the hotel room and starved until lunch, but one day my dad and I was going to meet up with my mom and her sister for a traditional English breakfast. However we got lost and ended up in some tiny Cafe, God knows where. They were serving lasagna for breakfast, and it was delicious.
My mom and aunt actually found the place and had some beens and toast and blood sausage, they were not impressed.
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
I am definitely a breakfast person and a full English breakfast, minus the horrific beans on toast, is great. I'm not sure about lasagna for breakfast though. Seems like kind of a heavy breakfast meal.
Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y
To be fair, this is not helped by the fact that British people are often very bad at recommending good places to eat. A lot of people value familiarity over quality.
Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y
We were actually there for my uncle in laws wedding, so you would think we would have gotten better advice. But I guess weddings are busy...
The food at the wedding was amazing though. I can't even remember it all, they brought out so much food. I think there was venison and duck, and fish I have never even heard of before, it was over the top. But his parents were like old money wealthy, so I doubt that's common. It was also in like a minor castle, and the grounds were just gorgeous. I could have spent days just inspecting all the plants, so much variety of foreign plants and super cool hardwood trees.
That was the only great food we had, although the Indian food pretty good. Got old after a week though.
tiredofsametab@kbin.run · 2 pts · 2y
Counterpoint: some people eat food so covered in spices/herbs/etc. they lose the ability to taste more subtle flavours.
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
well, I gotta say, I lived in the UK, their standard for fish and chips is oily af; it's hard to enjoy the toppings and use the thing as a vehicle for sauces etc when it's super greasy from breading to fish. I've had better fish and chips in Canada and Belgium.
JackbyDev@programming.dev · 1 pts · 2y
It's almost like some people have different preferences. Wild.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 15 pts · 2y
I heard once that when spices became so cheap that even the commoners could afford it, the upper class in Britain started to claim that really good food doesn't need any spices to taste good and that bland food is the best. This supposedly made the British cuisine way blander.
robocall@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 2y
I thought it was cuz they lost a bunch of ships during wwii and then they had the rationing of foods, and hadn't recovered their flavor palate since then.
MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works · 17 pts · 2y
A lot of the "bland" food is just food that was made during the world wars that has evolved over time after the fact.
But to say British food has no spices completely disregards the whole curry scene over here. It's not just curry from India. A lot of "Indian" dishes were invented in the UK.
Nythos@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 2y
Aye like a lot of time that people are making fun of English cuisine they’re usually just making fun of meals that poorer families would make or that no one regularly makes in their right mind.
MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 2y
I mean it's usually just cheap, lazy food. I like a good beans on toast every once and a while. Sometimes you just want a no effort meal.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 2y
I don't think flavor palates degenerate that quickly. Especially with that many Indian residents.
Black616Angel@feddit.de · 15 pts · 2y
British women and British cuisine... The birth of a seafarer nation.
FrankTheHealer@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y
The Brits took to the seas. The Irish took to the bottle.
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
This is the funniest thing I've read today. It makes so much sense now. 🤣
Maeve@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
I'm sorry but star pie will in no way ever be a preference for me. I've never had it and do not wish to have it.
Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 2y
Don’t get high on your own supply.
Guv.
the_third@feddit.de · 11 pts · 2y
Honytawk@lemmy.zip · 11 pts · 2y
What do you think tea is made of?
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 24 pts · 2y
Leaves?
match@pawb.social · 4 pts · 2y
mfing brits will make tea and I ask what kind and they say "Lipton"
martinb@lemmy.sdf.org · 18 pts · 2y
Nobody drinks Lipton in the UK
Maeve@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y
Yes, I've never heard or seen anyone from the UK so much as acknowledge to Lipton as actually being tea. TBD, though, I actually prefer our Bigelow teas to Twinning, though. Especially the Earl Grey.
Whitebelt_Dural@lemmings.world · 3 pts · 2y
Yorkshire or Tetley, usually
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
Does anyone use tea as a spice?
Honytawk@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 2y
Tea is spice
Spice isn't necessarily spicy. It also contains herbs.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Yeah, oregano, cumin, and such are spices. But I’m not arguing it isn’t a pungent plant used culinarily I’m saying it’s not used as a spice. A spice is used to add flavor to a dish, tea is more of an ingredient. It’s closer to strawberries in culinary use. By adding strawberries to something its flavor is so impacted we either specify that it’s a strawberry version of the dish. Tea is more like that. Coffee too.
Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
Whatever a Bay leaf is, tea is too. Same process.
Maeve@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y
Interesting. I never heard tea referred to as such and won't use it in speech, but it's a fascinating bit of trivia, for me.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
But extremely different culinary uses.
Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
I asked chatgpt for ideas
Black Tea Infused Chicken: Marinate chicken in brewed black tea with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and honey for a flavorful twist.
Black Tea Glazed Salmon: Create a glaze with brewed black tea, honey, soy sauce, and a dash of lemon juice to brush over baked or grilled salmon.
Black Tea Poached Pears: Poach pears in brewed black tea with cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of sugar for a delicious dessert.
Black Tea Ice Cream: Infuse heavy cream with brewed black tea, then mix with sugar and vanilla before churning into ice cream
Maeve@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
Fascinating. Hopefully someone itt have tried some of those and gives a critique.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Yeah some of those sound like decent novelties. Tea ice cream sounds good. But notice in each of these situations it’s being used far more like a fruit than bay or oregano would be. It’s never “do you know what this dish could really use? A bit of tea” no its “let’s build a dish to show off that we can use tea culinarily” its never curry with tea in its masala. It’s never used to spice up your rice. It’s never part of your dry rub. It’s never thrown into your soup or stew.
SnipingNinja@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 2y
Tea has been used to flavour a dish, not in leaves form but brewed and then added to the broth, there's a chole recipe with tea used as such
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Man, it used to drive me nuts that people would say "spicy" or "too spicy for me" when they clearly meant "too hot" but then i started to pay close attention. They were using the term properly, they were actually bitching about the garlic and cumin and cardamon and white pepper and curry and anise and whatever else i was using. Mustard was too much. Yeah, some of them used spicy for hot, but those were the people who could handle spice or hot,
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y
I look at it the other way around. The food was so horrible, England sent entire fleets of ships just to get takeout from India. It didn't matter that it took months on end and people lost their lives along the way, it was still worth it.
KombatWombat@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
The taste of their food and the beauty of their women made the British the best sailors in the world.
ninjabard@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y
And then purposefully mispronounce almost every foreign food.
Threeme2189@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
Marscaponey comes to mind
Zerush@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 2y
After some trips to GB and eating there, I am happy to live in Spain
John_McMurray@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y
Jeez bud. Ya think of this yourself?
Echrichor@feddit.uk · 7 pts · 2y
robocall@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
What British meals do you recommend?
Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
Disclaimer: All of the below comes with the obvious caveat that it has to be made by someone who knows what they're doing. Any country's cuisine is shit if you're eating at a shit restaurant. That's not about your choice of meal, that's your choice of venue.
Pies. Britain has basically perfected the savory pie. Steak and kidney, steak and onion, scotch pie, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, fisherman's pie... British savory pies are an explosion of flavour. Pair with a good stout or porter; the kind of beer that still looks black even when you hold it up to a light.
Good fish & chips is one of the most perfect meals ever created. Keep in mind that the condiments matter; you need the acidity and richness of a good malt vinegar to cut through that fattiness. Never get fish & chips in a pub or restaurant. Go to a proper chippy, preferably in a coastal town.
Stews are a British classic. Try a real Lancashire hotpot sometime, with pickled red cabbage and mashed potatoes. Absolutely stunning.
Get your ass down to a high quality carvery and try a roast dinner. Lamb or beef are the best bet, but chicken and pork are good too. The true test of a roast dinner is the quality of the gravy. It should be not too thick, and full of savory meaty flavour, not doughy or floury in taste. Also look for vegetables that have some colour on them, not just boiled. Roast lamb leg with a good mint sauce is a thing of beauty. Pair with red wine for lamb or beef, white for pork or chicken.
Haggis is a flavour explosion. The real thing, no plastic wrapped forgeries, served with the traditional sides of tatties and neeps, and a glass of really good single malt whisky.
Straight up, one of the best meals I've ever had was bangers and mash. I was at a high end London restaurant - I forget the name, but John Lennon used to eat there pretty regularly - and it was incredible. The potatoes were the perfect texture with just the right amount of salt and butter. The sausages were made in house, beautifully seasoned and cooked to perfection, and the gravy was stunning. It's a very simple meal, but simple done right isn't easy. In a simple meal there's nothing to hide behind. Every part has to be perfect.
Desserts. British desserts are phenomenal. Eton mess, spotted dick, and the absolute king of desserts, sticky toffee pudding served with thick cream. Unbelievably decadent.
Classy@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y
Spotted dick
Echrichor@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 2y
teamevil@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
TacoButtPlug@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 2y
!remind me to see any answer to this lol
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
Britain conquered India, many other parts of Asia and much of the Americas and yet they still eat Marmite. Willingly.
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
bovril too, huuurk
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
Meanwhile, both the tomatoes in the baked beans and the potatoes used to make the fries/chips originated in the Americas and the guy who cooked it once experienced the taste of paprika. So there!
fne8w2ah@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
Myself: douse the fries with chilli sauce. 🌶😋
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 2y
The fish recipes I have seen use Turmeric
BearGun@ttrpg.network · 2 pts · 2y
"Never dip into your own supply"
RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
The only British person who actually knows how to use spices is Gordon Ramsey, and he gets a pass on not using them cause he actually knows how to cook good food.
gregorum@lemm.ee · 4 pts · 2y
He can’t handle spice. His 2 appearances on Hot Ones are their top-watched episodes. They’re also the best. He’s so funny. He had so much fun during his first appearance, he came back for their Holiday episode. It was awesome.
I highly recommend the watch.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Desensitization based on routine is all there is to "handling spice". It is neither an achievement nor an ability. Anyone can get used to it by starting from small amounts and slowly increasing the spice level. Also, there are many spices, chili is only one of them.
Maeve@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y
It's great for stomach troubles, arthritis though.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
I love chili, I just don´t like the glorification of desensitizing ones taste.
Maeve@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
Tbf, I've rarely had a chili that wasn't mild, unless I or a neighbor who likes it hot made it. You may want to avoid certain salsas (red or green) at restaurants and bodegas where actual ethnic Latin Americans eat, if you're not into spicy, though.
gregorum@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
It was a joke, mark. A Christmas joke.
Son_of_dad@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Then he goes off and tells me to do something stupid like put cinnamon sticks in my chili, the Brits can't help themselves.
Zehzin@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
Cinnamon, good. Chili, good. I can see where he's coming from.
0ops@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y
I've never watched Ramsey, and I'm not British, but a hint of cinnamon in ground meats is great. Cinnamon in savory foods is underrated in general, imo
Maeve@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y
I may try that. Why not? Nutmeg is amazing in Alfredo, so I'm willing to try it. More toward fall, though. It's too hot in spring fur such heaviness
EmperorHenry@discuss.tchncs.de · 0 pts · 2y
cerement@slrpnk.net · 0 pts · 2y
… Americans and mayonnaise …
robocall@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 2y
Europeans and mayonnaise... like who wants to dip french fries in a big pile of mayo?
Moghul@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y
Me. It's delicious.
Akasazh@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 2y
Dutchies smother their fries in it.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Me! Chilli- and/or garlic-mayo is the best thing that can happen to fries, right after Tzatziki!
rockerface@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
My sister would. She loved mayo since she was a kid
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 2y
Mayo alone: ick. Mayo combined with Ketchup: heavenly.
IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
But call it aoli and you fancy.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Heresy! Aioli does not contain any Ketchup!
TheRealKuni@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Just call it “tomato aioli” and you’re fine.
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Barbarian!
settoloki@lemmy.one · 3 pts · 2y
Add a squirt of lemon juice and you'll have what the kebab shops here call thousand island sauce
robocall@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
mayo with bbq sauce is more addictive than meth
Maeve@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
Throw in dill relish and it's Thousand Island dressing. I worked in a restaurant making it.
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y
Rose Marie sauce 😗👌
Nacktmull@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 2y
Rev3rze@feddit.nl · 2 pts · 2y
I simply can't eat fries without mayonnaise... I do suspect that the mayonnaise we use for fries here is different from what you get in the states, though I've never been there so I can't say for sure.
porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y
cmbabul@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Don’t put that on all of us, the Midwest is responsible for most of that
altima_neo@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 2y
Yeah, the rest of us prefer Chipotle Mayo
cmbabul@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
I’m more of a straight hot sauce guy, I don’t need egg goop on my chicken sandwich no matter how they dress it up
ultimitchow@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 2y
what is a chicken but very mature egg goop?
Maeve@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y
A chicken or cheese sandwich or Southern coleslaw (acv, no sugar) is about the only time I will use mayo, very sparingly. And it's gotta be Texas Pete, copious amounts.
Jimmycakes@lemmy.world · -7 pts · 2y
It's not even that they don't use spices they just haven't even tried to evolve their cuisine. They still eat the same bland boring shit from 100 years ago. Meanwhile the rest of Europe thriving. It's like they opened the books once 50 years ago to let chicken Tikka in and then immediately closed the books again. They can always point to that one dish and be like see.
cerulean_blue@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 2y
Which parts of Europe is that?
Is it Germany where you can only buy shnitzel, sausage and cabbage in various different forms?
Or Italy, where they're so proud of their food it's basically illegal to serve anything that isn't Italian?
Or France where spice and chilli is outlawed, only garlic and herbs allowed?
It's true that a lot of traditional British food is bland, but there are way more Chinese, Indian, Thai, mexican, Italian restaurants in any town in England than you'll find anywhere in Europe.
gallopingsnail@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 2y
Sounds like a cope to me.