5 Classic British Dishes You Have To Try Once In The UK
1. Fish and Chips 🐟🍟
Well, obviously we have to put this first. You simply can’t come to the UK without trying fish and chips! There are really 2 kinds you can have. There is the classic style, with soft chips sold in paper, which you can get from any fish and chip shop.
You should add salt and vinegar if you want the absolute classic. Alternatively, you can get the posh style (I personally prefer this one), which you will find in most pubs. Why not try both?
2. English Breakfast 🍳🥓
Another classic. Brits don’t actually eat this for breakfast very often - they probably wouldn’t live very long if they did! Crispy bacon, succulent sausages, fried egg, baked beans, black pudding, mushrooms, tomato, hash browns and buttered toast – any combination of these can make up an English breakfast, also known as a “fry up”.
You’ll find some places serve it all day if you don’t fancy eating so much for breakfast.
3. (Sunday) Roast Dinner 🍖🥔🍗
This is probably the most historically typical British meal, usually eaten on a Sunday. Although you can often get a serving of meat, potatoes, roast vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy at your average pub or carvery; for the full experience, you should share the meal around a big table with lots of people for that moment of anticipation seeing all the food laid out in the middle like a Game of Thrones style feast.
There are a few restaurants you can find that will do a feast style Sunday roast if you book in advance, but you may just have to try to get yourself invited to a British friend’s house.
4. Tikka Masala 🥘
South Asians are the largest ethnic minority in Britain and as such you will find a lot of Indian restaurants in the UK. When the majority of immigrants came over around 1950, Brits weren’t used to the spicy and complex flavours in traditional Indian curries, so Indian restaurants came up with curries which would be more appealing to curry newbs.
Tikka Masala, a sweet and creamy curry, is the most famous of such inventions. Similarly, Thais can often find Indian spices a bit overwhelming, so if you’re not used to Indian food this can be a good introduction (though you may want to add some extra chili ;D).
5. Toad in the Hole/Yorkshire Pudding 🍽
Don’t’ worry, it’s not really toad! Toad in the hole is a dish where pork sausages are baked inside Yorkshire pudding batter. Yorkshire pudding, for those that don’t know, is a type of eggy batter, baked to have a crispy top and soft interior.
Despite being called a “pudding”, it is not sweet. Enjoy this dish with brown or red sauce; or with a healthy bath of brown gravy. Yum!
If any of these dishes have got you drooling over the prospect of visiting the UK, be sure to get in touch with us to find out more about applying to work, study, or visit.
