What would you cook for foreign visitors to impress?

[carriewintermeadow]

We have a (14 year old) visitor from Germany coming next week for 6 days. His family have in the past commented that they're not keen on British food. He's quite picky too.

I'm not a fantastic cook, but I get by. I'm planning to fetch fish and chips one night, I'll make a lasagne one night, do a roast chicken with all the trimmings another night.

What would you consider to be good British food?

My German parents always want to have Indian takeaway when they come over. They also love cream teas and full English breakfasts.
My brother adores all kinds of crisps - they are a party snack in Germany, the thought of crisps as part of any kind of meal will be mind boggling.
English White bread is only for toasting, if bread is an issue baguette or bread rolls should be ok.
Offer Marmite - but with the appropriate warnings! When I first came across it I thought it was some kind of sweet molasses... I like it now, but couldn't stomach it for years.
Beef stew and traditional roasts go down well, Yokshires are a much admired thing and gravy is normal - it's "sauce".
I would let guests try fish and chips, but make sure not to let any vinegar near it!

my german visitors also like cheese on bread/ploughman style meals.
mature cheddar or stilton are well received as are cold meats like honey roast ham or roast beef.

You're lucky carrie . If the Germans are anything like the French people they think the english exist on boiled to buggery cabbage, soggy chips, as we said , and good roast beef.

We live 6 months in between France and England and we had a bonfire party, we served pumpkin soup and our guests were amazed that the food tasted of anything.!! Which is odd considering they eat more Mcdo's than us !!

Sausage, mash, fried onions, and red cabbage

Agree with no mass-produced white bread.

Have also had comments about "Why do the English have mint with everything?" Er, we don't. Mint sauce with lamb if you want. The Germans I know don't go for hot curries, though they don't mind a milder curry.

Some of the worst food I've had has been in Germany (that may not be unconnected to ex's mother putting a ton of salt on everything), but I've also had some very good food. Ex liked pretty much everything I fed him, but I never did anything like steak and kidney, as he's not keen on offal. It's not that different from the sort of thing I do. I don't eat fish, but we did have proper fish and chips (or sausage and chips in my case) on the front at Lyme Regis.

If it was a first visit, I'd definitely do roast beef (unless they're vegetarian.) Probably wouldn't do sausages, because some Germans are a bit obsessed by Wurst.

If you did do toad-in-the-hole, as someone suggested upthread, don't do a literal translation, as my dear Mama did when we had a French exchange student. I was desperately trying to explain it was sausages, and no amphibians were involved at all...

Oh, a kebab in Germany is a very different experience from getting a doner on the way home from the pub in Britain. (A much better experience than a UK doner. It might even contain real meat in Germany.)

Well, today we've had roast chicken, roast and mashed potatoes, cauliflower cheese, various and gravy. He ate quite well.

Sunday we had lasagne with chips and salad, that went down well. Today we had fish and chips, which he wasn't too keen on, although he did eat quite well.

We've also had stew with dumplings, which he wasn't too keen on, and roast pork with mashed potato and veg and heavy, that went down well. He's asking for toast with jam for breakfast, so that's easy He's mainly drinking tea or lemonade.

Tonight we're going to have an Indian takeaway