Although curry is considered the most popular dish and is almost everywhere in Indian restaurants, modern chefs are paying more and more attention to traditional British food.
It doesn't have the best reputation in the world and many people think that the Fish&Chips there is the pinnacle of cuisine. On the one hand, London offers urban gourmet pleasures at the highest level, and the British Isles offers authentic local products.
In the last decade, the intermediate path between fast food and traditional dishes has been developing strongly in Great Britain - these are classic dishes adapted to modern times. The creation of only these can be followed through the most famous local pop chefs, such as Jamie, Nigella and Gordon.
A hearty breakfast to start the day
British cuisine has gained a bad reputation for being quite difficult to stomach. It's basically simple and locals swear by the four-meal rule. The region has always been known as the land of "beef eaters" and most of the traditional dishes revolve around beef. A classic Sunday meal is roast beef with Yorkshire pudding on the side. What remains from Sunday, the British turn into delicious Monday sandwiches. The classic British breakfast is known all over the world and always serves a strong menu - it can start with hot or cold cereal and continue with egg, bacon, sausages, roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, baked beans, toast and jam, tea or coffee.
Pubs are a popular destination for weekday lunch and usually consist of bread, cheese, pickles and cold meats. A popular and simple lunch is Cornish pastry - a pie with meat, potatoes and vegetables. Dinner is richer than lunch and some traditional dishes include ti cottage pie - minced meat and vegetables in meat juice covered with a mashed potato crust.
Carrot pie, bacon, steak with egg, sausages with puree, and black pudding are often on the table. The latter is not some chocolate dessert, as it may sound. It is a black sausage (known as blood sausage) that is filled with blood and pork fat. It is usually eaten for breakfast. In addition to everything, the English use a lot of sauces. The lamb is accompanied by onion, mint and herb sauce, the pork is served with apple sauce, and the roast beef is served with horseradish sauce, English mustard or meat jus. Ketchup is also extremely popular. Great Britain is an island country, so fish and seafood have always been eaten here. Unfortunately, this is mostly consumed in the form of the already mentioned Fish&Chips, a dish that some say has become an institution. Locals usually take it with them and eat it by the coast, they rarely bake it themselves at home. In addition, smoked fish is a specialty. And where is said fourth installment? It is a famous afternoon tea party, which is a sophisticated meal. This can be experienced in larger hotels, where it is served at four in the afternoon and consists of a sandwich (a popular filling is smoked salmon and pickles), followed by desserts and, of course, hot tea with milk or lemon. Outside the hotels, locals have adapted the classic tea party to their own taste, but tea remains a popular drink.
Irish and Scottish specialities
The basic dishes of different regions of the British Isles are similar, but differ in certain specialties. Oatcakes and pastries are common in Scotland, and Scottish beef is one of the more prized meats. The most famous Scottish delicacy is Haggis, which makes some people drool and others' stomachs turn. The dish is made from sheep offal. Trachea, lungs, liver and heart are boiled and then minced. This is mixed with beef tallow and oatmeal. All this is stuffed into a sheep's stomach, which is sewn up and cooked for three hours. Modern times have brought with them the vegetarian Haggis, which has only oatmeal in common with the original, but is said to be very tasty.
And if we look at Ireland, the cuisine there is based on fresh vegetables, fish, oysters, mussels, bread. Potato dishes, black pudding and a lot of fast food are also at home.
Local ingredients - an attribute of the surrounding islands
In recent years, the British islands (Shetland, Channel, Orkney) have also been promoted from a gourmet point of view. It is an authentic experience, as there are still small bakeries and small butchers who only offer their products. Local ingredients are the main attribute of these islands. Among the milk products on the Orney Islands, the most attention is paid to the local ice cream, which is rich and creamy and is served in every restaurant. Mutton and Shetland lamb also enjoy a special reputation in the Shetland Islands. Fish dishes are at home everywhere, among which trout, salmon and mussels are the most common on the plate.
