Foods to Try in England

Posted on May 17, 2013

Happy Friday! These are the foods and snacks I would recommend NOT leaving England without trying first!

1. A Cider. I want a cider as I type this. About 300 years ago it was known as “English champagne.” It still is in my mind. Thatchers, Scrumpy Jack or Westons Organic

2. Cadbury. You’ll never go back to Hershey’s. I also love Crunchies and Twirl bars.

3. Yorkshire Puddings (I can eat them like they are going out of fashion.) It’s a delicious bread for sopping other delicious things up. The closest American food would be a popover, I suppose, but I’m not 100% happy with that comparison.

Delicious Yorkshires!*

4. Any Sunday Roast Dinner. (Probably because it comes with Yorkshire puddings.) Any roasted meat, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, gravy and a vegetable. (Like turnips, carrots, peas, etc.)

5. Pimm’s Cup. Pimm’s liqueur mixed with English lemonade (in England lemonade is a lemon flavored, carbonated drink, similar to Sprite or 7-Up ) and mint, oranges, cucumber and strawberries.

6. Bubble and Squeak. The first time Sam made it for me I was like, “What the eff are you doing to my food?!” And then I ate 4 helpings. Basically you smash leftover vegetables and potatoes together and fry it lightly. It’s magnificent.

7. A curry. Enough said.

8. Sausage and Mash. aka “Bangers and mash” but no one I’ve lived with has actually called it that…

Sausage and Mash. Excellently delicious *

9. A fry up. Also known as a full English. An English breakfast that includes bacon, beans, potatoes, sausage, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and toast or fried bread. (Sometimes black pudding which I promptly give to someone else). It’s best at “greasy spoon” type places.

And last but not least:

10. Fish and chips. Except that I don’t eat fish. So me aside, this is probably the mothership of English food for tourists and Brits alike. (Since I’ve been out of town Sam has had at least 5. I fear for his arteries!)

Traditional fare that does not sit well with me?

Pasties. (Of any variety.) It’s kind of like a homemade hotpocket but with thicker pastry. I’m just not really a meat inside a pastry girl.
Scotch Eggs. A hard-boiled egg, wrapped in sausage meat and coated in breadcrumbs and baked.
Black Pudding. It’s sausage made of congealed blood.