this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2025
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England, Britain, it's the same and of course the capital of Europe - France, OP. And the best English food? Curry. Says it all really. Scottish or Irish (yes, I know!) food is actually decent.

[–] Darkard@lemmy.world 70 points 1 week ago (3 children)

British food is still made either like the Luftwaffe is flying overhead or we are celebrating the fact that the war is over and we can cook with butter and oil again. There's nothing in-between.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We'd hope y'all could come up with something better than deep-fried butter tho

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Uhh, what could possibly be better than deep fried butter?!?

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[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 58 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Thanks to successive waves of immigration in the 20th century from India, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, Africa, China and others we actually have a pretty diverse and vibrant food culture.

Sadly a lot is still dominated by roast dinners and meat and two veg (one of those veg is always potato) but go to any major city and you'll likely find excellent quality restaurants from pretty much every culture on earth.

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world -2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Thanks to successive waves of immigration in the 20th century from India, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, Africa, China and others we actually have a pretty diverse and vibrant food culture.

OK, but the idea is that it's the indigenous food that represents the place in question. The Indian (subcontinent), Caribbean, African, Chinese, etc cuisines count as the food culture of those places, not british food culture.

Don't be like germans who are stupidly deluded enough to say "The döner was invented in germany" , when , no, it wasn't invented in germany, it was invented in the ottoman empire. Also, Hans isn't out back in the kebab shop busting his ass making that gigantic log of meat, it's Ahmet. If you want to argue that derived foods that are based on local ingredients are part of the food culture of that place, that's a more interesting debate that isn't cut and dry; no one is selling kapsolon made with gouda cheese in İstanbul, nor are they making Tacos al Pastor with pork and pineapples.

British food is good. Kinda simple, but good. Just not legendary. It's like a more mid version of itallian food; relies too much on fat and carbs and meat to feel delicious and satisfying, instead of advanced techniques or "just right" spice blends.

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

My point is that those immigrant communities have brought their food and their culture with them and they've created fusion dishes that have created a unique food culture, one that has itself been exported back abroad. Like I've said elsewhere, most of the dishes people associate with Indian food were actually created in Indian restaurants in Britain.

If only indigenous food counted, American cuisine is hominy and fry bread and Indian food is lentils.

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world -1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Like I’ve said elsewhere, most of the dishes people associate with Indian food were actually created in Indian restaurants in Britain.

the absolute arrogance of this statement. Disgusting.

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Lol, do some research. Tikka Masala, Balti, Korma, Butter Chicken, poppadoms, chutneys, all invented in British Indian restaurants.

I make no personal claim to any of them so how can it be arrogant at all.

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world -1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

Onto what, an Indian guy slightly changing the recipe for a curry leading the brits claiming that any curry served outside of india is based off the tikka masala? Get your own fucking cuisine to export you lazy gits.

EDIT: Here's his original bullshit :

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

If you're not prepared to actually have a civil conversation, kindly fuck off you idiot.

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world -1 points 6 days ago

No. The train was an indian invention, the reason countries except for britain and india have trains is because they are adapting to the mass transit ideas that are indian.

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 0 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Quite why you felt the need to attempt to call out my edit is beyond me, since I didn't remove anything from the original, it's just clear that critical thinking is somewhat beyond you and so in thought I'd save you the difficulty of doing even 30 seconds of reading and gave you some examples.

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[–] PoopBuffet@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Sounds like you have had some shit roast dinners. A good roast dinner is amazing. I love all the foreign foods we have access to now as well, but our traditional cooking gets a lot of shit when really it's just bad cooks. Although we do also have stuff like jellied eels and mushy peas, so I'm not saying it's all good...

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 16 points 1 week ago

I love a roast, it's one of my favourite meals, but a shit roast is proper shit.

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[–] SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 16 points 1 week ago

I went eating at an Italian restaurant in, I don't know, somewhere in the Highlands, and I haven't been aware that it was run by Scottish people, including the kitchen. Our trip had many highlights and was really cool all in all, but that food has to be the deepest trench we had to pass through.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Careful! Facts will damage the worn-out, out-dated stereotype!

[–] But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Yes but those are restaurants, im assuming grandma is still serving up run over peas and boiled potatoes

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[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 40 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I think the problem is that after the Second World War, Britain's economy was so shot to hell that folks had to keep eating like the Luftwaffe was still blitzing London. That kept going on long enough to introduce generational trauma into British cuisine.

[–] hraegsvelmir@ani.social 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

To me, another be part of it is that the British seem to have an awful penchant for giving delicious things names that sound like Victorian euphemisms for something awful. Spotted dick and toad in the hole sound like they would be ways for Victorians to talk about their STIs, and I'm unsure what exactly Gentleman's Relish would mean, but it strikes me as some sort of medieval form of punishment on the peasants.

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[–] cattywampas@midwest.social 19 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Rationing in the UK went on until 1954, nine years after the war ended.

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[–] EarlGrey@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (8 children)

British Food is awesome. It's not very colorful or ultra complex but it's the kinda food that warms the soul.

  • A good Sunday Roast with yorkshire pudding, lamb, roasted potatoes, peas, and gravy
  • Fish and Chips served with a good curry or mushy peas
  • Fresh warm scones with clotted cream and jam
  • A proper fry up with a cup of tea
  • Beef Wellington
  • Pie Mash
  • Meat pies
  • Bridies
  • Scotch Eggs
  • Minemeat Pies
  • Spotted Dick (Yeah yeah)
  • Treacle Tart
  • Banoffee Pie

There are few things that bring me more joy than popping into a Greggs on a cold rainy morning for an overheated cup of generic tea and a sausage roll.

[–] jpeps@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Some other great British dishes:

  • Tikka Masala
  • Shepherd's/Cottage Pie
  • Sticky Toffee Pudding
  • Cornish Pasty
  • Crumpets
  • CUSTARD
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[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago (10 children)

Shepherd's Pie (with beef, though, I only like lamb in gyros, and only then when it's a blend with beef), minced meat pies, good chicken pot pie, and Yorkshire puddings are all great. Bangers and mash with the right sausage is great. Fish and Chips are generally great but the flavor and texture of the batter can vary significantly.

[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago (2 children)

(trivia: a Shepard's pie with beef is technically called a "cottage" pie!)

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[–] tunetardis@piefed.ca 23 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I once had a conversation with my boss who was well-travelled. He said the secret to Europe is to eat in the Catholic countries. If you must spend time within a Protestant country, look around for a Catholic enclave within it. Not only will the food be superior, but people will be falling over each other to make sure you are well fed.

I looked at him incredulously. How can you say that? It's such a sweeping generalization! And then I went to Europe…

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[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 22 points 1 week ago (7 children)

It’s ok, we all think American food is shit too.

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[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago

Fuck Reddit and Fuck Spez.

[–] not_woody_shaw@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Chicken Tikka Masala. Nuff said.

[–] ordnance_qf_17_pounder@reddthat.com 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

British-Asians truly improved British cuisine. Tikka Masala is next level!

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 1 points 6 days ago

Nah, too much cream. Here in Australia it’s like every curry is masala, even if it traditionally wouldn’t be.

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[–] gedhrel@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I can confirm that no "Brit" uses a semicolon like that. We're not barbarians.

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[–] sunbunman@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Say what you will about British food, but a full English breakfast is the best thing after night out drinking.

[–] Wolf@lemmy.today -2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

We have something similar in the US, but we leave out the beans because we are not savages.

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 week ago

So every morning then

[–] JadenSmith@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Mostly a stereotype perpetuated by cheap or hastily found dining places.
When you get fish and chips from a good place that handles fresh catches, there is considerable flavour, yet buy from the fast food place in the middle of a high street and you'll get a soggy representation from the frozen cod.
Same situation with a good roast, or a cottage/shepherds pie, or pie and mash that isn't just a casserole with a hat, etc.

Honestly I've stepped foot in 39 US States so far, and it's a similar thing there. I just think the "British food bad" thing has stuck as humour, there's plenty of theories about it I won't get into but it's just a thing I suppose.

[–] cRazi_man@europe.pub 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I think you've unintentionally reinforced how bad British food is.

In any other country, I don't need to go looking for gourmet chefs and fine dining luxury ingredients for the food to taste good. In most countries I've been to, I could step into a backstreet little "fast food" type restaurant and it still tastes good; whether that's in Italy, Spain, Thailand, Singapore, Croatia, Austria, America, India, etc etc.

A gourmet chef with the finest ingredients can make anything taste good. And that's what it takes to make British food taste good.

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[–] West_of_West@piefed.social 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Dunno man I just roasted a couple sausages, yorkies, sauted mushrooms, butter peas, and gravy. It's pretty damn good.

[–] Zron@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago

Yorkies

My man is so desperate for flavor he’s eating the neighbor’s dog. Blink twice if you need help.

[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

British food is a lot like the english countryside - lots of earth tones in the palate and everything sounds different (but after your third slice of hamlet you realize it's all basically the same)

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