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[whatevermort]

Nope. It delicious. Also, the teeth thing is seriously fucking old now.

 

[jesu]

The thing about Haggis is that it basically tastes nothing like what you would expect given its meat content. The flavour comes from the spices and seasonings, mostly. That's the reason why there's people that generally hate offal and stuff but love Haggis, it's really nice. It's pretty versatile too, you can stuff it in chicken, for example, which is amazing.

It's also a good pizza topping imo

mmm, balmoral chicken with peppercorn sauce, delicious.

 

[Gawge]

All right, BritGAF.

I'm in Yorkshire for another 4 weeks before going back to America (I was studying abroad): Which foods do I need to have before going back?

I've already had:

• English Breakfast
• Pasties (these vary pretty wildly in quality, I find)
• Yorkie Bar (what a weird idea for a candy bar, but it somehow works?)
• Pork pie (I don't get this one. It's nothing but a hard chunk of pork inside a pie. Am I supposed to eat it with something?)
• Doner kebab (Holy shit. Doner on naan - so fucking good)
• Haggis and Stovie in Scotland (Surprisingly good)
• Fish n Chips (these vary wildly, too - had some pretty shit fish n chips once)
• Indian food (a cop told me that Bradford was the 'curry capital of the UK.' Was he just fucking around? I've never heard that before)

The further East you go, the better the Fish and Chips. The coastal towns like Scarborough, Bridlington or Hornsea are good options. If you happen to go to Hull - then get Patty and Chips (or get fish as well).

 

[Dennis]

Dem Cornish Pasties. iirc all other pasties have to be called simply pasties. Only if they come from Cronwall are they allowed to be given the distinguished title of Cornish Pasty. I could be totally wrong though.

Pasties would be a must.

I think I would want to try this Cornish dish as well:

 

[Pinkuss]

The further East you go, the better the Fish and Chips. The coastal towns like Scarborough, Bridlington or Hornsea are good options. If you happen to go to Hull - then get Patty and Chips (or get fish as well).

If in Hull as well make sure you get 'American' (only sold in Hull and surrounding areas) chip spice too

 

[Blood Red Sky]

Pasties would be a must.

I think I would want to try this Cornish dish as well:

One day I want to serve stargazy pie at a dinner party just to see the reactions.

 

[I'm an expert]

In this thread.. people call other countries' food shit.. then debate the quality of fish sticks and french fries as the national culinary treasure..

 

[terrisus]

The funny thing about this post is that we don't actually have that stuff here in Italy. Alfredo, garlic bread, spaghetti with meatballs etc. This is all food that originated in America and that does not exist here.
You guys just have no idea what actual italian food is, I bet you don't even know what a Carbonara is.

Hey, if you want to send me some stuff (or bring me over to Italy for a bit), I'm all for it.

 

[Qasiel]

I have been thinking about doing a vacation in Cornwall.

So Cornwall-GAF, how is your food?

I love Cornwall! Heading back myself in July.

Definitely go for a Cornish Pasty. Although you can go for the "traditional" type of meat and veggies wrapped in pastry, there are many places in Cornwall that offer different types, such as different cheeses and even fruit fillings (in fact, the Pasty sometimes came in 2-course varieties (one part meat, the other part fruit) back in the days of the Cornish mining era).

Also, go for a cream tea at some point too. This is a pot of tea and scones, clotted cream and jam on the side. For it to be truly Cornish, you put the jam on the scone first and then put the clotted cream on top (if you're in Devon, it's cream first, then jam).

Lastly, try the ice cream. A lot of "Cornish" ice cream is made from clotted cream, which gives it a distinct creamier taste than regular vanilla ice cream. It's also not as sweet, but very delicious.

 

[poppabk]

Shepherds Pie
Sunday Roast

These are the only traditional British meals I like.

I don't know if a Parmo has come up in this topic, but that is the most vile creation ever thought up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmo

My brother brought one home after a night out once and I had a tiny bit and felt sick. Its the richest, fattiest thing I have ever tasted!

The parmo, like everything else can be great or terrible. A takeaway parmo is drunk food, but at a decent restaurant it can be great.
Interestingly it seems like it was created by an American according to that wikipedia link.

 

[RulkezX]

In this thread.. people call other countries' food shit.. then debate the quality of fish sticks and french fries as the national culinary treasure..

I haven't seen what you are referring to , but are you meaning Fish and Chips ?

 

[explodet]

Your telling me it's a rail sandwich?

I was really trying to see something redeeming in that picture.

I only recently learned what a rail sandwich was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_sandwich

In British humour, the phrase British Rail sandwich refers to sandwiches sold for consumption on passenger trains of the former British Rail (BR). Its use principally arose in British popular culture through comedic references to the food item as emblematic of the unappetising fare available aboard Great Britain's railway service during the period of nationalisation from 1948 to 1994.

According to former BR caterer Myrna Tuddenham, the poor reputation of BR sandwiches likely owed to the practice of keeping the sandwiches "under glass domes on the counters in refreshment rooms until the corners turned up". Historian Keith Lovegrove wrote that it was "a sandwich of contradictions; it could be cold and soggy, or stale and hard, and the corners of the isosceles triangle-shaped bread would often curl up like the pages of a well-thumbed paperback".

I think this picture was deliberately taken to make it look as unappetizing as possible.

 

[NintendoGal]

Slightly off-topic, but it really bothers me that here in the US (as others have stated) we refer to a freaking pie with BEEF in it as a Shepard's pie as opposed to a COTTAGE pie, which is what it is!

Spoiler

I'm aware that they technically are interchangeable. It still doesn't sway my argument because it lets you know what type of protein is being used. Extremely important for flavor!

Everytime I go to a restaurant and they have Shepard's pie on the menu and don't list ingredients, I have to ask if it's lamb or not. Annoying and I haven't even been to Britain.

 

[Malreyn]

Watching the Tudors I've wanted to try Swan Pie only to find out that its been outlawed for hundreds of years...(all swan's belong to the king...or something)

 

[Gawge]

If in Hull as well make sure you get 'American' (only sold in Hull and surrounding areas) chip spice too

Absolutely!

Though not on your chips from a Fish and Chip shop, only on Takeaway chips (e.g. with a burger/kebab/pizza).

 

[spekkeh]

English cuisine used to be godawful (and that's coming from a Dutchman, the only culture in the world with worse food), but it got a lot better in recent years. At least in and around London even some pub grub goes down really well.

And in all my travels down the US east coast I don't think I've eaten very well a single time. Even finding a food outlet that doesn't soak everything in grease is a hassle. I'm sure there's something somewhere, but the majority... Is clearly descended from the British.

 

[TeddyBoy]

All right, BritGAF.

I'm in Yorkshire for another 4 weeks before going back to America (I was studying abroad): Which foods do I need to have before going back?

I've already had:

• English Breakfast
• Pasties (these vary pretty wildly in quality, I find)
• Yorkie Bar (what a weird idea for a candy bar, but it somehow works?)
• Pork pie (I don't get this one. It's nothing but a hard chunk of pork inside a pie. Am I supposed to eat it with something?)
• Doner kebab (Holy shit. Doner on naan - so fucking good)
• Haggis and Stovie in Scotland (Surprisingly good)
• Fish n Chips (these vary wildly, too - had some pretty shit fish n chips once)
• Indian food (a cop told me that Bradford was the 'curry capital of the UK.' Was he just fucking around? I've never heard that before)

You've had most of the good stuff, just visit a pub a couple of times in the country and get sausage and mash and then Cottage or Shepard's pie and you'll be pretty much set.

If you want something a bit different, take a trip to a small village with a tea shop and get some tea with scones with plenty of jam and clotted cream.

Bradford is definitely the curry capital of the UK, Brafords even got a nickname of Bradistan by its locals

Watching the Tudors I've wanted to try Swan Pie only to find out that its been outlawed for hundreds of years...(all swan's belong to the king...or something)

I'm pretty sure they made eating swans illegal because they were endangered of going extinct in the UK. I think there was talk at some point of repealing the law because now there's too many swans.

 

[zoozilla]

Scotch eggs
Toad in the hole (might be hard to find, most likely place would be a pub)
Bangers and mash
Steak pie

Also Bradford is my home town and yes it is the curry capital. I'd recommend trying to get a table at akbars or mumtaz.

The further East you go, the better the Fish and Chips. The coastal towns like Scarborough, Bridlington or Hornsea are good options. If you happen to go to Hull - then get Patty and Chips (or get fish as well).

If in Hull as well make sure you get 'American' (only sold in Hull and surrounding areas) chip spice too

You've had most of the good stuff, just visit a pub a couple of times in the country and get sausage and mash and then Cottage or Shepard's pie and you'll be pretty much set.

If you want something a bit different, take a trip to a small village with a tea shop and get some tea with scones with plenty of jam and clotted cream.

Bradford is definitely the curry capital of the UK, Brafords even got a nickname of Bradistan by its locals

Thanks for all the replies, guys. I do plan to visit Scarborough, so I'll definitely try to get some fish + chips.

 

[Pinkuss]

Absolutely!

Though not on your chips from a Fish and Chip shop, only on Takeaway chips (e.g. with a burger/kebab/pizza).

I dunno; I'm quite partial to a pattie/chips with chip spice (and normal salt/vinegar). Couldn't be doing with it if had gravy/peas mind. And of course comes as standard with takeaway chips up here... have to ask for it without if you're crazy and don't like the stuff.

If I ever move I'm stocking up!

 

[triplestation]

They just boil everything I heard

RIGHT

PAN

Beef Wellington

 

[Freshmaker]

No. Like the teeth jokes, it's all based on (admittedly true) stereotypes from 30 years ago.

There's a huge amount of superb restaurants in the UK, Alain Ducasse just released a book about eating in London, some of the worlds top restaurants are based here and cookery shows seem to dominate television constantly. Orthodontistry is provided on the NHS as well so the teeth thing is really only for the older generations. (I'm 35 and had headgear and braces, so the full works...).

Not so sure on the national specialities though. As much as I love fish and chips, or traditional British food, I don't think we have anything as ingrained as say the French. We're very good at mixing other nationalities food with our own though!

They may be amazing, but they also are always closed. (Seems like the country closes at 8pm.)

My main source of food in England was corner shops and Pizza Hut.

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

Don't be silly. You can't beat a bit of Tripe And Onions.

 

[Fevaweva]

Beef Wellington >>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[daviyoung]

They may be amazing, but they also are always closed. (Seems like the country closes at 8pm.)

My main source of food in England was corner shops and Pizza Hut.

the country? where exactly were you?

restaurants are open to at least 11pm most nights, even ones in quiet towns

these generalisations and excuses for eating rubbish are hilarious

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

Went traveling around the UK way back when, most of the food was pretty good, just different from what I am used to. I'm used to more tang/spicy dishes but I enjoyed what I ate on my trip.

 

[Mdeezy]

I mean just look at their teeth

Really?

 

[Gawge]

I dunno; I'm quite partial to a pattie/chips with chip spice (and normal salt/vinegar). Couldn't be doing with it if had gravy/peas mind. And of course comes as standard with takeaway chips up here... have to ask for it without if you're crazy and don't like the stuff.

If I ever move I'm stocking up!

Living over in Lancashire for a few years, I have discovered a lot of takeaways here have a similar substance which they call "red salt". Of course, not quite the amazing Chip spice, but it fills a gap (also, you actually have to ASK specifically for it).

 

[Krabardaf]

not UK based, but went about ten times there and I'm ok with it. I think they have bad food habits, but not necessary bad food.
Plus I feel there is like a healthy food revival, at least in London, with many affordable restaurant / food that aren't super greasy. The town is so diversified you can find about anything from anywhere in the world. The markets also provides plenty of vegetables and fruits.
I also love British specialities ( full breakfast at the regency cafe, damn ), and they have great pastries.

What I really miss there however is decent bread, never found any in a supermarket. feels strange.

 

[Mobius 1]

I will say that English breakfast is by far my favorite.

 

[Stoof]

Soul food - Just way too heavy.
Cajun - Dumping a bucket of spice into a stew is not good cooking.
Texmex - Just no.
BBQ - Slow cooked BBQ is very decent, I'll agree.
Northeast - Seafood is always good.
Northwest - ...Coffee?

If that's what you consider Cajun you must've had some bad Cajun

 

[Rest]

Are you cornish? They also try to claim bagpipes and kilts.

No, I'm American. But I've long been curious about haggis and have looked up its history. The earliest written record come from northern England, not Scotland.

 

[daviyoung]

A haggis historian.

LOL

 

[XShadows69]

Out of curiosity, is this what is known as "bangers 'n mash?"

This is bangers 'n mash. Sausages with buttery mash potatoes and (onion) gravy.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

today i had

two birdseye chicken breasts

long stem brocolli

button mushrooms

baby potatoes

on a plate

who invented that

 

[Fusebox]

Slightly off-topic, but it really bothers me that here in the US (as others have stated) we refer to a freaking pie with BEEF in it as a Shepard's pie as opposed to a COTTAGE pie, which is what it is!

Spoiler

I'm aware that they technically are interchangeable. It still doesn't sway my argument because it lets you know what type of protein is being used. Extremely important for flavor!

Everytime I go to a restaurant and they have Shepard's pie on the menu and don't list ingredients, I have to ask if it's lamb or not. Annoying and I haven't even been to Britain.

A Shepards pie in Australia is a beef mince pie with a mashed potato topping.

 

[DECK'ARD]

A Shepards pie in Australia is a beef mince pie with a mashed potato topping.

How have Aussies got it wrong as well!

 

[Fusebox]

How have Aussies got it wrong as well!

Looking at the top google hit recipes it seems to be all about that mash potato topping regardless of the protein.

 

[suedester]

Shepard's pie is made with lamb, hence the Shepard bit. Pretty self explanatory really.

 

[Fusebox]

Shepard's pie is made with lamb, hence the Shepard bit. Pretty self explanatory really.

Oh yeah I believe him, that's how it should be ideally but with regards to naming it's no longer the case around here.

Let's just take solace in the fact that both Australia and the UK know what an entree really is.

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

Food from the gods:

Steak & Kidney pudding

Sticky Toffee pudding

England >>>>>>>>>>>> *

 

[killer_clank]

sticky toffee pudding is just the best thing

 

[Towels]

All right, BritGAF.

I'm in Yorkshire for another 4 weeks before going back to America (I was studying abroad): Which foods do I need to have before going back?

I've already had:

• English Breakfast
• Pasties (these vary pretty wildly in quality, I find)
• Yorkie Bar (what a weird idea for a candy bar, but it somehow works?)
• Pork pie (I don't get this one. It's nothing but a hard chunk of pork inside a pie. Am I supposed to eat it with something?)
• Doner kebab (Holy shit. Doner on naan - so fucking good)
• Haggis and Stovie in Scotland (Surprisingly good)
• Fish n Chips (these vary wildly, too - had some pretty shit fish n chips once)
• Indian food (a cop told me that Bradford was the 'curry capital of the UK.' Was he just fucking around? I've never heard that before)

Have you had black pudding with the English Breakfast? Make sure you try that.

You simply must try a hot roast pork sandwich. With stuffing, crackling and apple sauce. It's the king of all sandwiches.

Meat and Potato pie with relsih and mushy peas. (if you can find it, Hendersons relish) Not from a supermarket though. Find a good cafe. Or a Sandwich Shop, they sometimes have homemade pie.

P.S the cop wasn't joking. Bradford is the curry capital.

 

[Blood Red Sky]

Food from the gods:

Steak & Kidney pudding

Sticky Toffee pudding

England >>>>>>>>>>>> *

Just replace the lager with Guinness and I'm in.

I made butternut squash and lentil soup for dinner (even toasted and seasoned the seeds, then popped them on top), but that looks infinitely better.

 

[Log4Girlz]

If British food is so gud how come you never see British restaurants anywhere outside their territory?

 

[Fusebox]

If British food is so gud how come you never see British restaurants anywhere outside their territory?

British food doesn't come from restaurants it comes from pubs.

 

[Rest]

It seems like every picture of British food is brown. Where's the color, chaps?

 

[Log4Girlz]

It seems like every picture of British food is brown. Where's the color, chaps?

You know what else is brown? Poop.

 

[Skellig Gra]

British food doesn't come from restaurants it comes from pubs.

There aren't many "british pubs" outside of the UK either. Plenty of irish ones though.

 

[Calibus]

Sticky Toffee pudding

Not gonna lie -- that toffee pudding looks shag-worthy. And that's coming from a non-dessert person.

 

[Freshmaker]

the country? where exactly were you?

restaurants are open to at least 11pm most nights, even ones in quiet towns

these generalisations and excuses for eating rubbish are hilarious

Tower of London was the only proper meal I got, and I wouldn't call it proper.