Blog Post – Cultural Foods

England is home to the popular, iconic and treasured dish called Fish & Chips which is made with crispy cod or haddock fish fried in batter and paired with chips (french fries) that are fried twice in the classic manner and served with malt vinegar, lemon &/or tartar sauce. Fish & chips is a common dish that is known as “Britain’s favorite take out food” (The Spruce Eats, 2019). Stemming back to religion, fish and chips has become the traditional dish to consume on Friday night suppers. Refraining from eating animal red meat on Fridays is known as the Friday fast, practiced by those of the “Christian religion in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist Churches” (FineCooking, 2019). . Followers of the faith traditionally refrain from eating red meat on Fridays as part of a penance to mark the day of Christ’s death. In the 1950s, the standard meal on Friday consisted of macaroni & cheese, tuna noodle casserole or fish sticks. Although the rule is loosely followed today, meat abstinence and Friday night fish fry is still commonly practiced among many traditions. With that said, another traditional dish from the United Kingdom is called bangers and mash, consisting of sausages made with pork, lamb or beef paired with mashed potatoes and usually topped with a rich gravy. The name of these British sausages ‘bangers’ originates from the early 20th century during the time of World War I. Sausages were a popular dish among the British working class, though when the war broke out in 1914 meat was in a drastic short supply. To continue productivity and accustom the meat they did have, cheap fillers and a high amount of water were used in sausages “which caused them to pop and explode rather violently in the cooking pan” (Noble Hops, 2019), resulting in the establishment of the name ‘bangers’. Today, this dish is often served in pub style restaurants and is one of the UK’s most popular meat-based dishes. What I found interesting is that I have never heard of the dish bangers and mash until researching it; although fish is a popular food of choice in the English traditions, it is found to be very common here in the United States where bangers and mash doesn’t seem to be served anywhere in the United States. Following the common Friday night fish and chips meal, bangers are the most consumed food on Saturdays in the UK more than any other day of the week, according the article History of Bangers & Mash by Noble Hops. Fish & chips and bangers & mash are some of the most popular, traditional meals in the United Kingdom. I have researched and tried both meals myself which I can say they are both very appetizing, pungent meals. I look forward to experiencing all the great food options that England has to offer that are not common here in the United States.