3 foods to change someone's opinion about British food

[Flakeisanakedtwirl]

I've heard it for years, and whenever I start to believe that actually it's a myth and we've got some really decent food in the UK, I find out about some comedian or other minor celebrity who's just visited and cried their hungry stomachs around our country.

Surely we have something that people would love? As title says, if you could choose 3 foods / meals that'd hope to change someones opinion about our food, what would it be?

Obviously I have to do my own list so I think....

1. Extra mature Cheddar
2. Beef and guiness stew in giant Yorkshire puds
3. Crumpets

Good question

Eccles cake
Steak pie (homemade crust and filling)
All the beers, obviously
Cheese, all of them

You won't. If a person comes from a strong culinary culture, you stand no chance. There's a reason everyone from Japan to USA and in between laughs at British food, it doesn't happen just because 'they're meanies and they hate us'.

^
Yes we stand no chance. Strange how were all still alive really.

With regards to any cuisine, it depends on the chef

@CienAnosDeSoledad in your opinion a Greggs sausage roll is revolting.
Personally.....I like them and they seem to sell quite a few 😂

Well I personally think you can't beat a proper Pie and mash with liquor - not gravy! Old school London cuisine at its finest 👌🏻

Toast? Do many other places have hot buttered toast with melted butter.

The perfect slice of toast is like the perfect cup of tea, it can happen at any time when the stars align.

Definitely agree about a really good extra mature cheddar cheese.

Roast dinner.

Various pies - cottage, shepherds, steak and ale.

Ooh, salted butter definitely. You need to put enough on so it's dripping off your elbow 😁

My American in laws adore the following when they visit us in the UK:

-Roast dinner (pot roast is the nearest thing apparently)
-Yorkshire Puddings (see above and similar are called popovers in the US)
-Shortbread
-Salted butter. MIL goes through bricks of it
-Fish and Chips
-Bovril (yes I was surprised at this one)
-Crumpets
-Welshcakes
-All the cheese options

In another vein, the Indian cuisine we have (not something my in laws state has many/any options). MIL will happily pick up a giant samosa to snack on from Morrisons. Also, fresh food 'to go' options in supermarkets, meal deals etc. Again not really a thing where they are.

Probably didn't really answer the questions, but wanted to show some love to British produce!

Nice chocolate?

Also fruit cake should never be dry

I'm ethnic Chinese and a lot of the food mentioned will not impress Chinese at all. (I mean the ones who have strong preference for Chinese food). The culinary tradition is too different. Fuchsia Dunlop did an amazing job exploring this in her book Invitation to a Banquet. There's a chapter on the difference between what the two cultures see as good food.

She also explains the origin of UK Chinese takeaways. They are very far from what Chinese considers as good food.

For example Fuchsia Dunlop discussed why roasts are not considered good food in Chinese culture. It's linked to how it's prepared.

Fish and chips is far too oily. Cheese is not liked at all. Definitely not salted butter. I'd say no to sticky toffee pudding too. For example, Cantonese ends a meal with fruit or a light sweet soup. Deserts are usually a lot lighter. (Fuchsia Dunlop also explained the difference between Chinese soup vs European ones. Chinese ones are brothy and thin, and the soup you get from Chinese resturarnts here are not the type that's normal).

British breads are also a no. The types that are popular are a lot lighter and sweeter.

Listing theoretical dishes is missing the point a bit.

It’s all very well if you can offer someone an absolutely beautifully cooked example of a roast dinner or traditional pie, or some artisan cheese. But a big part of why British food gets a kicking reputationally is that cooking skills are so poor in this country compared to a lot of places.

We might have some great traditional foods, but we produce a lot of substandard examples of them. This isn’t a culture that emphasises the value of learning to cook really well as a basic underpinning of a good life.

Cream tea
Sticky toffee pudding
Apple crumble
Sunday roast
Fisherman's pie

I wouldn't call anything with Guinness British. Still delicious!

But I guess a really good fresh fish and chips from somewhere traditional but not too touristy, near the seaside, with mushy peas.

The bacon here is better than some other places, so a bacon and egg sandwich on a nice fresh white bloomer. Though tbh I'm more of a baguette or bagel fan. Not British at all then!

Steak and kidney pie is lovely. So that with mash and cabbage?

I feel like most 'British' food is done just as well by the Irish and Scots. Hence the Guinness I suppose.

In honesty the only thing I can think of where British food really shines is sausages. I know other cultures make sausages but they are either too lean or too heavily spiced to eat on their own (but good as a cooking ingredient).

Of course, this is partly because many cultures don’t eat pork and pork makes the best sausage; I suspect if the Turks or Moroccans ate pork they’d have invented a sausage that’s better than ours.

We don’t use spices and herbs that much in the UK and so our food is going to be beaten by the punchy flavours of other countries (except for those few people who prefer bland food). I think 200+ years ago herbs were much more widely grown and used in this country, it’s a shame this has changed.

Coming from a European heritage I find it laughable that people are suggesting shepherds and cottage pie which are basically sloppy mince with mashed potato on top. Also steak and kidney pie when kidney are an abomination!
But I will say that a traditional steamed pudding served with custard is to die for and the cakes are good. Also cream teas.

A Brit slagging off Chinese food in a similar manner would be sneered at for being insular and unsophisticated, yet apparently it's fine for other cultures to turn their nose up at Stilton, puddings and roast beef. Gotcha.

I mean, even France has Apericubes....

Summer pudding
Marmite :)
Steak` & kidney pie

I don't think you've had a proper shepherd's pie. I'm veggie now, but can't imagine it would work with supermarket mince, the meat has to be in flakes, not those weird tough tubular lengths you get in the supermarket. My nan used to mince in Brussels Sprouts in with meat to hide some greens too. It was my absolute favourite

A lentil shepherd's pie would probably come closer to the OG.

Hmm.... I've been living here for 15 years and the only thing I like is Cheddar cheese and Cornish pastry. I do feel that the general British cuisine is quite poor, bland and cheap carb-rich. You can find most of the dishes mentioned here in this or that form in many other European countries.. e.g. you got fried breaded cod in many seaside places in Europe in the 1980s, so I really don't think this is a particularly British dish. Plus, most of the local people here that I've known can't cook (well or at all) and don't really care what they eat or don't know what good food is.

Cranachan made with the best Perthshire raspberries.

Cheeses.

Many varieties of apples, plums and other fruits that were developed here and can't grow in warmer climates.

Lamb and fresh seafood like langoustines, crab and lobster that can be unattainable in many countries.

My Shepherds pie (never use beef) is not sloppy, I can assure you. There is nothing that I crave more, in the wintertime, other than a nice lamb hot pot, of course.

Cheeses
Sausages
Beers
Puddings
Apples ( we have the best apple growing climate)

That’s it! But it’s enough.

Proper northern pork pie. Preferably with black pudding