British Cuisine

Although there is ample evidence of a rich and varied approach to cuisine during earlier historical periods (particularly so amongst wealthy citizens), during much of the 19th and 20th century Britain had a reputation for somewhat conservative cuisine. The stereotype of the native cuisine was of a diet progressing little beyond stodgy meals consisting of "meat and two veg". Even today, in more conservative areas of the country, "meat and veg" cuisine is still the favoured choice at the dinner table.

Traditional British fare usually includes dishes such as fish and chips ; roast dishes of beef, lamb, chicken and pork; both sweet and savoury pies and puddings, as well as regional dishes such as the Cornish pasty and Lancashire Hotpot .

This process of increased variety and experimentation in food inevitably dovetailed with the very profound impact that the post-war influx of immigrants to the UK (many from Britain 's former colonies in the Caribbean and Indian sub-continent) had on the national cuisine. The new communities introduced new and exotic dishes and ingredients to the British repertoire and national consciousness. In some instances, British tastes fused with the new dishes to produce entirely new dishes such as the Balti , an English invention based on Indian cuisine that has since gained popularity across the world. Many of these new dishes have since become deeply embedded in the native culture, culminating in a speech in 2001 by Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook , in which he described Chicken Tikka Masala as 'a true British national dish.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_United_Kingdom#Food