6 classic British dishes

6 classic British dishes

INTO’s Michelle digs into some fish and chips.

British cuisine is a strange and mysterious thing to many international students. Why do Brits eat Yorkshire “pudding” as part of a main course? What’s a “banger”? And is there really such a thing as “pork scratchings”?

So we thought we’d ask Michelle Cheng, a Chinese-American exchange student interning with INTO City University London, to give you her rundown on some traditional British food…

When I found out I was coming to London, I had so many questions in my mind. Does it rain all the time in the UK? Does everyone talk in a British accent? And do people really drink a pint in the middle of the day?!

But my main question was – is the food good? I realised that the only way to find out would be to try it. Here’s my review of some classic British dishes:

Pass the napkins – traditional British afternoon tea.

1. Afternoon Tea
Before coming to London, I rarely drank tea. But when I noticed British people adding milk and sugar to it to make it taste better, I started drinking it every day! A really special experience was having afternoon tea in the garden of the Crowne Plaza hotel with my friends. We had scones, sandwiches and desserts – it was delicious.

Full English breakfast. But the big question is – will you have it with red or brown sauce?

2. Fish and Chips
Now one of my favourite British foods! I tried it in the pub in my first week in London and have probably had it about five times since then.

3. Full English Breakfast
My friend and I tried this in a cafe at the end of our street. I was surprised to see so many different things on one plate – eggs, hash browns, sausages, bacon, beans, mushrooms and black pudding! Sadly, I wasn’t a big fan but everyone visiting the UK should order it at least once.

4. Sausage (“Bangers”) and Mash
This is a simple dish but it’s really popular over here – my British friends often order it in the pub. I didn’t think it looked that special but it’s actually pretty tasty and also easy to make.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding – the classic Sunday pub lunch.

5. Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
This was unlike anything I’d ever tasted before. The roast beef was really good but I didn’t really like the Yorkshire Pudding (which is a sort of savoury pastry). I’m glad I tried it though.

6. Chicken Tikka Masala
Of all the food I’ve tried here, this British-Indian classic has become one of my favourites. I never ate Indian food in the US but now I have it whenever I can. I really hope I can find this in Boston…

Trying all of these British dishes was a really fun experience – I recommend that you sample them all!