English cuisine - Page three - By food author Howard Hillman

More English cuisine
tips and insights

Food tips you can trust

English
beverages

Beer

The English are primarily ale (not lager) drinkers. The strong, hoppy bitters is the most popular.

Cider

Both hard (sometimes quite potent) and soft ciders have many fans.

Tea

England is a tea (not coffee) drinking nation. Its citizens soundly prefer black over green teas. The brew is usually served with milk and sugar.

Afternoon Tea vs High Tea

The first is a late afternoon "snack meal" served with tea (see photo above). The fare includes scones or biscuits spread with butter, jam and clotted cream - and small, crustless, open-faced sandwiches.

Some establishments call their Afternoon Tea a High Tea. But a true High Tea is a grander and more complex affair, a meal in itself.

Cheese and seafood

Cheese

England produces world-acclaimed cheeses, including the tangy Cheddar and creamy blue-cheese Stilton.

Seafood

Because no part of England is farther than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the sea, fresh seafood is readily available. Dover sole is the finest catch.

Other English cuisines

Modern British cuisine

This term defines a several-decade-old movement that aims to cook traditional English dishes skillfully using the best and freshest local ingredients. The crusade has been successful in raising English culinary standards.

Anglo-Indian Cuisine

It describes a cooking style that uses Indian spices with English ingredients. It originated when British colonists brought back home a lust for Indian seasonings. Renowned Anglo-Indian dishes include Country Chicken (curried chicken) and Kedgeree (made with rice, lentils and smoked fish).