When talking about England, you might imagine cleanliness, order and established norms and rules. When it comes to the cuisine of the country, it is much more than this.
English cuisine is the continuation of the traditions of its imperial past, in an odd combination with European cuisine on one hand and with the traditions of former colonies, such as India, on the other. The island location, as well as the climate, are among the other factors determining its character.
In traditional Old English cuisine, typical dishes included roasted and sauteed meats, various types of pies and fish. Today, mostly under the influence of French, Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisines, the English menu contains beef and mutton ever more often. Usually these are grilled or oven baked.
And when it comes to meat, English cuisine has given the world beefsteak and roast beef. Among the traditional English recipes, mutton leg with blackcurrant jelly stands out.
Domesticated and wild fowl, especially turkeys and ducks, also play a key part. The meat dishes attain their characteristic taste after the addition of different sauces - Worcestershire, Cumberland, tabasco, ketchup and others.
The big specialty in England is salt dough with meat. It is used to make muffins and other baked goods.
In English cuisine, other meats are often substituted with freshwater and seawater fish. They are boiled or grilled, served with white, mushroom or tomato sauce. Among seafood delicacies, oysters are famed to be the most popular, known for their superb quality.
Around the world, it is the typical English breakfast that is most well-known. It is recognized for its quantity, diversity and high calories.
In its classic form, it consists of fried bacon, ham, boiled and fried eggs, smoked meat, bread, jam and of course - tea.
Another important aspect of daily life is afternoon tea (five o'clock tea), an unchanging tradition created centuries ago. While initially tea was served on its own, today every proud hostess serves sandwiches and cookies as well.
Lunch in England is light, primarily consisting of the usual sandwich. In contrast, dinner is quite hearty and fatty. Normally it is made up of meat, fish and chips, various sauces, soups.
Besides heavy foods, English cuisine has a significant presence of vegetables. Asparagus, carrots, cauliflower and cabbage are the most eaten, prepared into salads, sauteed or served as a garnish. Baked beans are a delicacy.
Desserts in English cuisine are doughy. Muffins are characteristic, famous worldwide.
Check out some amazing English recipes: English cake with beer, easy English dessert with meringues, English pie with chicken livers, English cake, English teacake.
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