The Brits have a reputation for terrible teeth, terrible weather and terrible food. Whilst the reputation of the former might still exist, things are definitely changing for the better for the country’s foodie rep. However, if you are visiting the UK, there’s a good chance you may encounter polarizing British dishes that even Brits can’t agree on. Here are some classics that the British—and almost everyone else—either love or hate.
Full English Breakfast
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A full English breakfast is not for the faint-hearted. Whereas a European continental breakfast is known for being light, with cold cuts of meat, cheese, pastries and fruit, a full English is the total opposite. Typically made up of eggs (as you like them), beans, bacon, sausages, toast or fried bread, tomatoes and mushrooms, a fry up is often eaten as a hangover cure, workman’s breakfast or a weekend treat. (Despite what you’re told, most people in the UK don’t eat a full English for breakfast every day.)
Extras often include hash browns and black pudding, a blood sausage that has a crumbly, dry texture. These additions may not be traditional, but they are definitely a welcome addition to any fry up of mine.
Sunday Roast
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Meat and veg slathered in gravy, Sunday roast is an institution, and not just because of the food. Largely enjoyed in pubs, Sunday roasts are a way to bring families and friends together, and like the full English, its “traditional” components are often contested. On your typical roast dinner plate, you’ll find meat ranging from chicken and pork to lamb or beef (nowadays, you’ll likely find a veggie option like veggie Wellington or nut roast on the menu too) accompanied by roast potatoes, greens, carrots and the star of the show: a Yorkshire pudding. A plate full of beige can often be off-putting for those unaccustomed to roast, but for the Brits who live it, a Sunday roast is an unbeatable meal.
Pie and Mash
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Traditionally found in the East End of London, pie and mash shops are unfortunately a dying piece of history. If you can get over the way the dish looks—pie and mash that often appears to be floating in an exuberant amount of green sauce—the main elements of the meal are actually pretty harmless. The pie element of the dish is traditionally filled with minced beef, but there are now plenty of options available, including varieties that cater to vegetarians, and it’s served alongside mashed potatoes. The green sauce that the pie and mash is drenched in, known as “liquor,” which confusingly isn’t boozy at all, is actually a gravy made from parsley, which is what gives it its fluorescent green color.
Jellied Eels
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Jellied eels are a traditional working class favorite and are associated, like pie and mash, with the East End of London. As an East Londoner myself, I have to confess, I’ve never actually tried a jellied eel… nor do I want to. In the 1700s, eels were commonplace in the Thames (the river that passes through London), so eels were harvested as a popular and inexpensive dish. The method of preparing them seemingly hasn’t changed since then either. The eels are first boiled in herbs and allowed to cool. As they cool, the eels produce their own gelatinous coating; hence the name, jellied eels. I’ll leave that one to your imagination.
Curry Sauce and Chips
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Chips served with curry sauce are more likely to be found in the Northern part of the country. However, as the dish has grown in popularity, it’s easier to find what was once a much more regional delicacy all across the UK. The curry sauce is usually mild and abundantly slathered on chips, with the taste bearing similarities to German currywurst.
Mushy Peas
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Bland, paste-like in consistency and green, mushy peas are usually served as an accompaniment to fish and chips—and they divide Brits all across the country. Personally, I don’t get the hype, but along with vinegar, ketchup and salt, for many people, fish and chips isn’t fish and chips without a side of mushy peas. Not just your humble garden pea cooked into mush, mushy peas are usually made with marrowfat peas and butter or cream, which helps give them their creamy texture.
Beans on Toast
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The ultimate comfort food, beans on toast is the pinnacle of an easy, quick and satisfying dinner when you can’t be bothered to cook. The same baked beans you would eat with your full English breakfast are heated (in a pan or the microwave) and served on toasted bread. Some people go for plain old beans on toast, while others opt to grate cheese on their beans as well (and I am wholeheartedly in support of this decision). For me, beans on toast without cheese means you shouldn’t have even bothered in the first place. Those who don’t love beans on toast generally cite the dish’s simplicity, which some regard as boring.
Haggis
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A Scottish delicacy, haggis isn’t something you’ll find on every menu across the region, but it’s well-loved by the Scots and is a sought-after dish by tourists from the rest of the UK and other parts of the world. Haggis is a dish that consists of minced sheep’s innards (heart, liver and lungs) boiled in a sheep’s stomach. For the Scots, it’s commonly consumed on Burn’s Night in January, which marks the birthday of celebrated Scottish poet Robert Burns. It’s a hearty dish on what is no doubt a bitter winter’s night, but admittedly, it’s not for everyone.
Marmite
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Not a dish but a hotly debated British staple, Marmite had to make it onto the list. “You either love it or hate it” is literally the brand’s slogan—and the marketing team couldn’t be more on point. Marmite is a sticky brown paste composed of yeast extract and fortified vitamins such as B12 and folic acid. Sounds great, right? For those in the “love” camp, it’s best enjoyed smothered on toast or crumpets with a healthy serving of butter. Those people are lucky because Marmite is currently having a bit of a mainstream moment, from the marmite pizza at popular London pizza joint Yardsale and this feature in a spaghetti recipe by TV cooking legend/goddess Nigella Lawson. Others find the flavor far too strong. It turns out that your genetics play a role in whether you’ll enjoy Marmite or not.