Food and Drink: Did You Know?

Tea Tradition Although drinking tea is widely believed to have originated in Britain, the custom was introduced to the English Royal Court by Catherine de Braganza, the Portuguese wife of Charles II, in the 1660s. Initially too expensive for anyone besides the wealthy, tea eventually became available to everyone, and the popular afternoon tea tradition took root. ▶
His Simple Sandwich The Earl of Sandwich, an English aristocrat, loved gambling so much he couldn’t bear to stop, even briefly enough to eat. To solve this problem, he asked for his meat to be delivered between two slices of bread, enabling him to pick it up in one hand to eat it, inadvertently creating the world’s most popular convenience food. ▶
Fish and Chips This iconic British dish traces to the 16th century, when Sephardic Jewish immigrants to England brought the custom of coating and frying cod with them. (In Jewish tradition, no cooking is allowed on the Sabbath, so fish was wrapped in batter to preserve it for the following day.) The addition of fried potatoes, or chips, to the fish traces to the late 19th century, when the first fish and chip shop opened in the 1860s. ▶
	It's a Dessert ◀ Spotted Dick, sometimes called spotted dog, is a popular English treat made from steamed sponge cake, flour, sugar, milk, currants/raisins, and suet (lard or animal fat for cooking derived from kidney or other organs). Dick is an English nickname for pudding. The dried fruit stirred into this sweet treat gives it its spots.
Full English Breakfast Known for its hearty components, the Full English Breakfast traditionally includes bacon, fried egg, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, and grilled tomatoes. Bubble and squeak (potatoes and cabbage) may be included as well. The meal evolved from the gentry's lavish breakfast spreads in the 13th century. ▶
Love for Foreign Flavors Chicken tikka masala is often referred to as "a true British national dish." It epitomizes the influence of Indian cooking on British cuisine and was allegedly invented in Glasgow, Scotland by a Bangladeshi chef. One story says he added tomato soup and spices to satisfy a customer's request for a juicier chicken dish, while another says the soup was added to boneless chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, which is called chicken tikka. ▶
Cornish Pasty The traditional British pasty was originally made in Cornwall in southwest England as a lunch for Cornish miners. The crust was made thick and crimped, making it easy to hold, and was discarded, as the miners' fingers had arsenic on them from their work. ▶
	Bread Pudding ◀ Yorkshire pudding is a baked bread pudding that originated in northern England. The earliest recipes for the dish date back to the 1730s, when cooks began using the fat that dripped into the pan while roasting meat to cook batter puddings.
Thank an American While considered a staple in modern British kitchens, baked beans are not traditionally British. They were introduced to the country by an American man, Henry Heinz, owner of the Heinz food company. It was 1886 when Heinz Baked Beans were first sold at the Fortnum & Mason department store in London. ▶
Worcestershire Sauce This famous sauce was accidentally created by two chemists in Worcester, England in the 1830s, when attempting to replicate an Indian sauce. The initial result was deemed too strong and was left in the basement to age, only to be discovered later as delicious. ▶
Popular Yet Mysterious Scotch eggs are a popular British dish, made by coating a hard-boiled egg in sausage meat and breadcrumbs before frying it. It's served hot in restaurants and pubs and is known as a common picnic treat. What is not known is the dish's true origin. Claims to the egg invention are made by a London department store and a Yorkshire restaurant, though the latter used fish paste to coat the egg. Additionally, some claim the Scotch egg could have originated from North African recipes, transported to England via France. ▶
	Cheddar is Better ◀ Originating from the village of Cheddar in Somerset in the 12th century, cheddar cheese is the most popular cheese in the United Kingdom, which accounts for about half of sales.
Eton Mess Eton mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries or other berries, meringue, and whipped cream. First mentioned in print in 1893, it is commonly believed to originate from Eton College and is served at an annual cricket match. ▶
Bramleys Are Best Bramley apples are considered the best British cooking apple due to their sour flavor and fluffy texture when cooked. Their history traces to 1809, when a young girl named Mary Ann Brailsford from Southwell, Nottinghamshire planted a pip from a kitchen apple into a pot. The seed grew into a seedling that was planted into their cottage garden. ▶
Have You Had Haggis? Often considered the national dish of Scotland, haggis is a savory pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt. The mixture is traditionally boiled with stock in the animal's stomach for up to three hours, but today artificial casings are often used instead. ▶