4 Statement UK Food Favourites

UK Food

Due to the nation’s many diverse cultures, Brits are spoiled for choice when picking statement UK food favourites from a list. You’re likely to see an equal number of people voting for a traditional meat and two veg roast dinner, as those preferring a contemporary classic katsu curry recipe.

At the top of any UK favouites menu, you’ll always find these iconic dishes…

Traditional Roast Dinner

The classic roast dinner has long topped the list of statement UK food favourites. What’s not to like about a plateful of succulent and moist, crispy skinned roast chicken, a mountain of golden roasted potatoes, a side of stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, and a selection of veggies – all drenched in delicious gravy?

A traditional roast dinner, served with all the trimmings, perpetually scores highly because it unites families around the dining table. But while the British staple brings family and friends together, it also divides them when deciding what constitutes a proper Sunday roast dinner.

Some people like to argue that creamy, buttery mashed potatoes win over roast tatties, while others claim that the meat element must be silverside of beef. The pickiest of eaters will refuse to have Brussels sprout on their plate, but may be tempted to try bread or mint sauce. Other acceptable variables include: rosemary and garlic studded roast lamb, Dauphinoise potatoes, honey glazed carrots and parsnips, and braised red cabbage.

Whatever your preference may be, there’s no doubting that this statement UK food will remain a firm favourite for years and decades to come.

Fish & Chips

When most people abroad think of British cuisine, the humble dish of fish and chips often springs to mind. The quintessentially British fare typically consists of battered cod, with deep fried potato chips and a side of mushy peas. It’s often served soaked in salty malt vinegar and wrapped in paper. ‘Scraps’ are entirely optional.

Jewish Dutch immigrants can be credited with bringing the popular dish of fish and chips to the British Isles. The meal was originally reserved for Friday dinner, for religious reasons. It wasn’t until the first fish and chips shop in the country, in 1860’s Oldham, Greater Manchester, introduced the nation to the culinary joy of ‘fast food’ that the dish became an instant hit. Today, there’s great debate about which type of potato makes the best chips, and whether fresh cod or haddock is best.

The next time that you’re diving into a paper wrapper filled with freshly cooked fish and chips, you may want to take a moment to consider the fact that the British classic is served over 382 million times a year, and is also the most Insta-worthy UK dish, boasting an impressive 1.7 million hashtags!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Not all of the most popular statement UK food favourites have British heritage. When Bangladeshi chefs migrated to the UK during the 60s, they customised their dishes in order to appeal to the British palette, that wasn’t accustomed to exotic flavours and spices. As a result, chicken tikka masala was created.

The enticing curried chicken dish, that’s usually served with rice, is an Anglo-Indian invention of epic proportions. The dish is so popular that it’s served in restaurants and pubs all over the UK. It can also be found in the ready-made aisle of your local supermarket. In the Indian subcontinent however, you won’t find chicken tikka masala anywhere.

The recipe of this UK food favorite traditionally includes skinless and boneless chicken breasts, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cayenne and plain yogurt. The marinated chicken is complemented with masala sauce that’s made with onion, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cumin seeds, crushed tomatoes, ginger, yogurt, cream, cilantro, sugar and garam masala.

Katsu Curry

Neck and neck with the Anglo-Indian chicken tikka masala, for statement UK food favourite status, is the hybrid Japanese dish of katsu curry.

Unlike the traditional hot and spicy curry of the Indian subcontinent, katsu boasts a unique flavour profile. During the Meiji era, the British introduced the Japanese population to curry that is Western-style in origin and taste. The first katsu ever made featured beef served with vegetables, and a sauce made with a thickened, curry powder infused roux. By the 1930s, pork was the preferred meat for katsu served in restaurants all over the country.

In a bid to make Japan a more modern nation, creative chefs adopted a westernised approach to cooking and spicing. For a katsu curry recipe to be authentic it must include a number of key elements: panko breadcrumbs, deep-frying, and a creamy, tangy and sweet sauce. There’s no denying that katsu’s popularity is down to the balance of curry in its delectable sauce. That’s because the Japanese Westernised style of Indian spicing is mild enough to tempt anyone who doesn’t like to eat spicy food.

Although a katsu curry recipe traditionally uses pork or chicken as the meat element, it’s perfectly acceptable to swap it for a plant-based meat-free fillet or a tofu cutlet, if you’re vegetarian, vegan or health conscious.