2006-11-15 23:30:33 · 36 answers · asked by ? 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Ethnic Cuisine
Some interesting answers here. I was more referring to the standard of food eaten in Britain than Brit food as a genre. I am actually British and spent some years abroad defending our gastronomy to disbelieving foreigners! When I returned I couldnt believe the slop served up in a lot of restaurants and the high prices attached. I guess I just hadnt known any better before. Its a bit better within London but you have to agree that the overall standard of restaurants in the UK, whether Indian Chinese, Mexican etc is not high and most peoples evening meals at home consist of some E-number ready meal from Tescos warmed over which costs half the price of a something from the fresh aisle, madness!
2006-11-18 08:15:37 · update #1
Nope it's worse
2006-11-15 23:33:20 · answer #1 · answered by Barry G 4 · 3⤊ 6⤋
British cuisine is actually quite good, (the sunday roast with all the veggies cooked to perfection, a good shepherds pie, roastbeef and yorkshire pudding, etc. ... there are many wonderful recipes in british cooking!)
The problem is most british are not "gourmet food minded". So they do not "tend" their cooking very much...
Pub grub can be excellent, and many small restaurants have wonderful and delicious food.
There is one thing I've often asked myself: How can a country that is surrounded by water on all sides have so few fish dishes (other then the famous batter fried fish n' chips, which are only good about once every fifth time you buy them, they are usually too greasy and a bit yucky, but when you find a GOOD place they can be superb!) Although I do remember eating absolutely delicious fish in a town called Whitstable on the kentish coast!
And another thing the sweets and desserts are also fantastic...for example: a good Devonshire cheesecake, Bakewell Tarts, christmas cake, etc....
To tell the truth, I'd love to go back to the UK and discover more good places to eat!
:-)
2006-11-15 23:58:39 · answer #2 · answered by abuela Nany 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
British food was at one time, was generally of rather average quality. That is not the case any longer. In recent years both standards and attitude towards food have been raised beyond recognition!
We now offer some of the finest cusine anywhere in the World. And London is regarded by many as being the Restaurant capital of the World.
Indeed, the famous British chef Gordon Ramsay is now leading the way in New York City!
2006-11-16 00:00:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
How can you clump everything eaten in Britain together like this!!! What do you mean by British Food? Food grown or produced in Britain? Food cooked in Britain? Traditional British Recipes? British modern cuisine? I love well made traditional British food like Fish and Chips, Shepherd's Pie, Sunday Roast. Steak & Onion pie and Fisherman's Pie for example. I like Beef Chow Mein, Chicken Dupiaza, Lasagne and Burger as well which a lot of British people eat. I think the food served and produced in Britain is generally of a very good standard and like any where else in the world, you get what you pay for.
2006-11-16 20:13:55 · answer #4 · answered by Andy M Thompson 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, of course it's not!
And what are these people comparing it to, anyway? Usually people nominate French, Chinese, and Italian as the superior cuisines, but these people aren't looking at the bigger picture - i.e. that EVERY country originally had a very limited variety of dishes available, but TRAVEL has improved the situation for EVERYONE!!!
China - It's made up of loads, maybe hundreds, of smaller countries. It wasn't ALWAYS that big!! So the traditional recipes AND the local varieties of food from MANY countries have been rolled up into the style of cooking we call 'Chinese'.
Italy - where would they be without pasta? Created by the Chinese! Where would they be without bread? They had it in Egypt first!
France - they have a good reputation for cuisine BECAUSE they've been an international hub for centuries!
ALL good 'cuisines' combine ingredients and recipes from many other countries! Therefore, British MUST have 'good' cuisine, because nowadays we have an ENORMOUS variety of ingredients - and we use recipes from all over the world!!
Anyway, there's nothing WRONG with meat or meat-pie, potatoes, and 2 or 3 veg served with gravy...!!! There's nothing wrong with fish and chips either - but it's a MUCH better world when you can eat a variety of different foods, with interesting flavours!
2006-11-16 11:15:26 · answer #5 · answered by _ 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The French used to be regarded as the gastronomes of the kitchen but they lost the plot long ago. Nowadays, go to any classy restaurant or 5 star hotel anywhere in the world and you will find the Chef is either British or German. Doesn't answer your question directly but it says a lot about what is or isn't preferred these days.
2006-11-16 21:38:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No it's worse!
* * * * * * * * * *
Haggis, fish and greasy chips...
What is okay is the amount of different dishes and cuisines found in Britain, great choice.
But these are Italian, Indian, Middle East, Chinese foods not British.
2006-11-18 02:57:58 · answer #7 · answered by Vegon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. When you're on an empty stomach you'll be happy to consume almost anything. I prefer brown sauce with my meals, hot mashed potato is the best, and pork sausages, on a winter's day.
2006-11-16 18:23:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I am American, and I have to admit, British food does not have a lot of variety. Also, I'm a vegan, and its hard to find vegan dishes in Britian, compared to Asia. But, British food doesn't taste bad.
2006-11-16 08:14:00 · answer #9 · answered by Jennifer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think Chicken Tikka Masala is as British as you can get now, or at least its the most popular meal eaten in Britian, which I beleive makes it British.
Actually, this is quite good.
2006-11-15 23:49:37 · answer #10 · answered by fizz 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Although it doesnt have all the spices and flavours of our far eastern friends dishes, you simply cannot beat a Sunday roast cooked by your mum.
Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, loads of veg, yorkshire puddings and lashings of thick gravy.....unbeatable!
Other than that we pretty much steal everyone elses cuisine, and serve everything with chips!
2006-11-15 23:38:05 · answer #11 · answered by Carl E 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋