British Cuisine

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British- Cooking and Food

Overview of British Cuisine History
Although the British Empire occupied once a quarter of the world’s land, had a quarter of the globe’s population, and is responsible for the industrial revolution, its cuisine has been described as a simple and even very poor, until recently. The climate and the fact that it is an island affected the cuisine. During the British Empire era, ingredients and cooking concepts were brought from the European countries with which Britain interacted, as well as from North America, India and China. Today, the Great Britain comprises only four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The industrial revolution, which started on British territory during the 18th century, was responsible for the decay of the national cuisine. From that moment and until the middle of the 19th century, most of the people were engaged in industrial activities and the other countries began to tell that the British cuisine is neither complex nor worthy to be noticed. The controlled distribution of the food during World War II also resulted in a regress of the British cuisine. After the war Britain confronted with a wave of immigration. People who came to UK brought from their countries new cooking methods and ideas. During this period, countries which once were part of the Empire began to affect the cuisine again. As evidence in this case stands India. Also, European countries, such as France and Italy influenced the British cuisine in the post-war era. The spaghetti Bolognese (a traditional Italian food), chicken tikka masala (Indian food) and chicken with lemon (a Chinese dish) gained popularity in the 1960’s and were adapted to meet the taste of the Britons.

The industrial revolution was the beginning of so-called “take-away food”. Fish and chips, mushy peas, steak and kidney pie with mashed potatoes are only a few dishes that fit in this cooking style.

Britain has never had a good reputation for its cuisine, although the desserts and puddings made in here are very popular. The dishes made from meat and vegetables – known under the name of “meat and two veg”, as well as the later take-away food are responsible for the poor reputation. When compared to the Frech cuisine, the British cooking style proves not to have such refined dishes.

Cuisines of Great Britain
The British cuisines can be differentiated either by the cooking style or by the region of the country that they represent. By cooking style, there are two cuisines: traditional cuisine and the new cuisine. The regions from Great Britain which are proud to have a cuisine of their own are: Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. It should be mentioned that the English cuisine is the traditional cuisine.

By Geographic Area:
 * Scottish Cuisine
 * Welsh Cuisine
 * Northern Ireland Cuisine

By Style:
 * British Traditional Cuisine
 * British New-Cuisine



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British Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for an British Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.


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Preparation Methods for British Cooking
The cooking methods used in Great Britain are the usual techniques used in Europe and in Northern America. Actually, we can say that the cooking methods from the United States of America are British. However, Britons use the following techniques: boiling, seasoning, smoking, drying, salting, roasting, microwaving, baking and frying. These aren’t all the techniques used and weren’t all used since the beginning of the British cuisine. In time, the number of the dishes grew and so did the cooking methods.

Special Equipment for British Cooking
Most British dishes don’t require you to purchase any special tools. However, having a coffee grinder helps with roasting and grinding spices and maximizes their volatile oils, which, in turn, provides your food with more flavor. British cuisine does not use special equipment, whatsoever. It is good to know that when preparing a British dish, the utensils that are used are available in most of the kitchens around the world. Egg rings, spatulas, forks, spoons, knives, containers for the ingredients, boxes with spices – these are the usual tools which are needed. Scales for weighing the ingredients and thermometers for cooking the foods at certain temperatures should be used.



British Food Traditions and Festivals
The Britons organize food festivals in order to display their national dishes. The goal of these events is to celebrate the traditional foods, introduce new dishes to the world, present new cooking tools and new techniques for preparing the foods. Also, they plan competitions, with these occasions. People want to prove that the British cuisine is not as poor as it was once. The most important festivals are: International New Products Forum, Food and Drink Expo, Food and Bake, Northern Restaurant and Bar, Natural Products and Organic Products Europe, IFEX Belfast, A Taste of the Dales, The Scottish Specialty and Fine Food Fair, National Vegetarian Week, The London Specialty and Fine Food Fair. These are only some of the events that are organized in the United Kingdom.

People in British Food
Some of the chefs or cookbook writers became famous. The most important names in the British cuisine are:
 * Eliza Acton
 * "Mrs Beeton"
 * Fanny Cradock
 * Johnnie Cradock
 * Elizabeth David
 * Clarissa Dickson-Wright
 * Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
 * Keith Floyd
 * Jane Grigson
 * Ainsley Harriott
 * Graham Kerr
 * Nigella Lawson
 * Rustie Lee
 * Jonathan Meades
 * Jamie Oliver
 * Gordon Ramsay
 * Gary Rhodes
 * Nigel Slater
 * Delia Smith
 * Rick Stein
 * Antony Worrall Thompson
 * Helston Blumenthal

British Cuisine Related Recipes

 * Category British