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Durian - an open and shut case.

5. Sossidges In the 1970s (and later) in Britain, one of the most popular television shows, broadcast on a weekend evening, was “That’s Life” hosted by one Esther Rantzen. It started out as a consumer protection show, challenging semi-legal or dishonest practices in stores etc., but soon changed into a general light entertainment show – and when I say “light”, I mean feather-light. The episode most people remember featured a talking dog named Prince, which was claimed to be able to say “sausages”! This went viral as we never said then, and to this day, British people of a certain age often pronounce “sausages” as the dog supposedly did. The fact that the dog’s owner was manipulating the mutt’s mouth and throat and very obviously using ventriloquism didn’t bother anyone! Prince was able to “say” a few other words, but, significantly, it was sausages that struck a chord with the British people, so important are they in British cuisine (as they are in many others). So, it is no surprise that the asinine YouTubers have to include sausages in their must-see list of what to eat in the UK. That sausages are included in the full breakfasts discussed above isn’t enough for them, because in their deluded minds sausages are what the British live on! We eat little else! There is no denying that we eat a lot of sausages, but what these people want to eat is that classic “Bangers and Mash”. So, off they all go like 19th century explorers to discover exactly the same places that every other of the breed has already found. What they don’t realise as they rhapsodise over their lunch is that most of them aren’t eating “bangers and mash”, at all! I lived in Moscow in the latter days of the Soviet Union, when food was very scarce and what was available was very poor quality. Cabbage and gristle stew was the mainstay, unless you were a top ranking communist or a pampered foreigner. I’ve mentioned this in detail here. Several years later, long after the USSR collapsed and food supplies were again available normally, a fashion arose among a certain segment of the Muscovite population. Restaurants opened specialising in cabbage and gristle and became briefly popular! This reminds me of the YouTubers seeking out war-time food which most people hated at the time. “Bangers” were made out of the sweepings of the abattoir floors mixed with cereal and water, causing them to explode when cooked, hence the name. Cheap and nasty. Apart from the fact that they would probably be illegal now, standards have risen and, although the British still love a sausage, they want something non-explosive. Supermarkets now all sell what they call “premium sausages”, or something similar, while their regular sausages are what the WWII housewife could only dream of.. And although there are many cafés and pubs offering “bangers and mash” on their menus, the sausages are a lot better than war-time bangers. In fact, it is actually more common now to see the dish described as “sausages and mash”. Any café selling real “bangers” wouldn’t last the week. So, what is the dish “bangers and mash? Simply, fried sausages served with mashed potato and an onion gravy. This is a simple, filling dish which is easy for the café or pub to prepare in large quantities. The sausages today will range from decently well made and seasoned to specialist artisan sausages. And not all sausages are served with mash. 25 years ago, I regularly ate lunch in this pub near London University, where I worked. In fact, I ate there the day before I left for China. Here is the menu from that day - it changed regularly. Also, in 2019, I ate this traditional London sausage from a street food stall. Delicious. For those wishing to taste real, traditional, regional sausages (and some newbies) made by real human beings here is a round up up some of the best types. Cumberland Probably the best known traditional sausage is the Cumberland sausage. This has been around for about 500 years and is noted for its special shape. Rather than being formed into links, it is usually one long sausage, coiled into a spiral. In 2011, the “Traditional Cumberland Sausage”, to give it its official name was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, meaning its specifications and area of production are legally protected.. Cumberland sausage consists of coarsely minced pork, seasoned with black pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, thyme and sage (we don’t use herbs and spices?). The meat content is a minimum 85%, often higher. But the word to look for is that “Traditional”. Some supermarkets do sell mass-produced Cumberland sausage without that word and meat content can fall as low as 45%. Without “Traditional”, there is no protection. Image by Andy / Andrew Fogg; licenced under CC BY 2.0 Lincolnshire Lincoln sausages are also made with coarsely chopped pork and breadcrumbs / rusk, but this time flavoured with sage, pepper and onion. Minimum meat content is 70% and natural casings are used. Sulphite is is usually added as a preservative (450 ppm maximum). Image by Chris Mear; licenced under CC BY 2.0 Oxford Oxford sausages date back to the 18th century. The John Nott’s sausages in the menu I show above are a type of Oxford sausage made from a recipe on page 488 of his book, “The Cook's and Confectioner's Dictionary: Or, the Accomplish'd Housewife's Companion” (link to digitised edition), published in 1723 (not 1720 as the menu claims). However, they were truly popularised by being included in Mrs Beeton’s “Book of Household Management” (link to downloadable version, recipe on page 837) published in 1861. John Nott's recipe for Oxford Sausages Unusually, the Oxford sausages are traditionally made from a 50:50 mixture of pork and veal and are highly spiced with pepper, cloves, mace, sage, and nutmeg and flavoured with lemon and herbs. In recent years, their has been a movement against veal by the animal rights mob, so some makers, though thankfully not all, are substituting lamb or going for 100% pork. Image by Kaihsu Tai; licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 Newmarket Newmarket pork sausages are, surprisingly, from the horse-racing town of Newmarket in Suffolk, England. Their are two varieties, each made by a different Newmarket family. In 2012, the two were awarded joint PGI protection. Image by Allexbrn; licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 Manchester Manchester sausages are made from pork, traditionally flavoured with white pepper, mace, cloves, ginger, sage, basil and nutmeg. Marylebone The Marylebone sausage is named for Marylebone, an area in north-central London. They are seasoned with mace, ginger and sage. Gloucester Traditionally, Gloucester sausages are made using pork from the rare-breed pig, Gloucester Old Spot and are flavoured with sage. In 2010, the Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders' Club was awarded Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status by the EU, meaning that pork labelled as Old Spot, must be the real deal. Lorne Sausage This might be stretching the definition of sausage a step too far for some, but in Scotland, we are proud of our beloved Lorne sausage (even if we rarely call it that). It is made with beef and spiced with black pepper, nutmeg and coriander seed. Unlike most sausages it is not cased in intestines, natural or synthetic, but pressed into a square shape and chilled. It is then cut into square slices. So, in most of Scotland, it is referred to as “square sausage”. Square sausage is usually used as part of a full-Scottish breakfast, but also (my favourite) often served sliced in a bread roll with ketchup or brown sauce. Its shape and size make it a perfect fit. There is a fascinating article here giving the history of the Lorne sausage and the origin of its name (plus a recipe). Public domain image Black Pudding Many countries have their versions of blood sausage and black pudding is the British one. Well, actually at least two. Scottish and English are slightly different. The name “black pudding” causes some confusion. It shouldn’t. The original meaning of “pudding” was Today, the word retains its original meaning mainly in Scotland and Northern England. Black pudding meaning a “kind of sausage made of blood and suet, sometimes with the addition of flour or meal” appeared in the early 16th century. Both are made with pig’s blood and oatmeal, but the English variety contains large lumps of fat. It is also spiced. Scottish black pudding does contain fat, but it is finely ground and seldom visible. English black pudding is spiced (see recipe below), whereas Scottish is not, leaving the natural flavours to dominate. Opinion varies as to which is the better, with participants in the discussion split mostly by region of birth. I prefer the Scottish version, not for any puerile nationalism or prejudice, but because it is clearly better! Stornoway black pudding, from the capital of the Outer Hebrides island of Lewis and Harris in Scotland’s far-west, has PGI status and is widely considered the best of the Scottish type. Image by me. There are many other British sausages. Pork and apple is a favourite and I regularly ate venison sausages from this man's farm shop. Most European sausages are also easily available in supermarkets. The best place for British sausages, however, remains good old traditional butchers'shops. Sadly, a dying breed. If you roll into a British café today, unless you are very unlucky, you are not going to be met by a plate of congealing fat and detonating pink slime. You are more likely to find something like this. Enjoy!

Although it rarely reached 40℃ in Scotland, 30℃ was possible in summer and the same thing happened. Every week, two pupils were designated "milk monitors". Although many of my classmates were happy to get out of class, I hated to be chosen for this task. We had to colect the stinking milk from where it was sitting in the sun behind the school canteen. We had to carry the crates and visit each classroom and dole out a bottle to each kid. The crates were heavy and cut your hands and the stink of rotten milk had me gagging the whole time. It marked me for life. I've never drunk milk since. I like cheese (even the smelly ones) and good yoghurt (usually home made), but that is my total dairy intake. I drink my coffee black.

Beef and Brussel Sprouts à la Chinoise. Beef marinated with garlic, ginger, chilies, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and potato starch. Brussel sprouts (already quite small) were halved, blanched then drained and left to dry. Stir fried the sprouts for a couple of minutes then added the beef. Continued to stir fry until the beef was done, then added the marinade and a little oyster sauce. Served with rice.

I think that is true anywhere in the world. It has nothing specifically to do with Britain. Not all home cooks, wherever they are, are brilliant at what they do. Some aren't interested and cooking is just an unwelcome but necessary chore. Many people just see food as fuel. Members here mostly live to eat; most people do the opposite. Others are just incompetent or inexperienced. I have a good friend here in China who appreciates good food, but simply cannot cook it. My mother, who was French, was the same. I've had dull cooking in homes all over the world, including India.

Well, as one old person, I can recommend a 30 cm (just short of 12 inch) cast iron wok. These seem to be the smallest on offer here. And smaller woks work just fine! They have the benefit of being lighter. I still use 34 cm woks, but as the years go past, it's becoming more difficult to life and toss the things.

No. I'm not qualified. It's over 40 years since I lived in France and over 20 since I last visited. I have mentioned that I have eaten some awful food in France, though. However, the best is excellent and ruinously expensive, while cheaper, more simple places can sometimes surprise. In good or bad ways!

I just came across this. The most common size for a domestic wok here is 35 cm - just under 14 inches. And they are commonly used to cook multiple dishes at one meal, for a lot more than two people. The way to go. The vast majority of woks used in China on a daily basis are carbon steel. I wouldn't buy anything else.

Ham amd cheese sandwiches are certainly a thing in Britain - very common. They come cold (untoasted) and hot (toasted or fried), in which case they are called "ham and cheese toasties". In fact, ham and cheese sandwiches are common all over Europe. Think croque monsieur in France, toast in Italy etc. I made one (untoasted) yesterday, here in China.

That is a variant on the Shanghai Greens I posted. A Cantonese variant. They are the same plant as I posted - Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis. Never referred to as Baby Bok Choy, here, as I said. Chinese vegetables are a minefield when it comes to names.

If you mean the first image, then yes it's sometimes known as Shanghai Bok Choy but more commonly Shanghai Qing meaning Shanghai Greens. Yet I see it called Baby Bok Choy all the time on the interwebs and magazines etc. The second vegetable I showed is what is called Baby Bok Choy here. There are several brassicas with white stems and crinkly leaves, soo I'm not sure which one you mean. I mentioned this in more detail in the Chinese Vegetables Illustrated topic from a while back.

This was delivered to my door about 15 minutes ago. Durian! Just over 2 kg worth. A friend decided to send it to me! The apartment is smelling of durian - not a bad thing in my book, but there are nay-sayers!

...and another Sichuan flavour spotted today 麻辣小龙虾味 (má là xiǎo lóng xiā wèi) - Hot and numbing crayfish flavour, hot and numbing meaning the Sichuan staple of chilli peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. I didn't buy them.

Oyster balls in fish stock with garlic, ginger, chilli and Shanghai greens (which you probably call baby bok choy, but no one in China does. Baby bok choy in China is something else!) 上海青 ( shàng hǎi qīng) - Shanghai Greens 小白菜 (xiǎo bái cài) - Baby Bok Choy

...spill tomato puree https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jun/02/english-road-left-looking-like-a-horror-film-after-tomato-puree-spillage

Interesting. I most commonly see it dried here. It isn't great. I did bring back a bunch of fresh, young krachai from Cambodia a few years back. That was wonderful

Some people like durian! (Also, posting in the food funnies topic).

I've seen Beijing Duck flavour here, too. Never been tempted.

Nothing to forgive. I do occasionally wake up eager to respond to an eG post that I only dreamed someone had made. While totally forgetting others which are real!

I did use them in one meal which I posted in the Dinner topic on Sunday. In fact, you saw my post and "liked" it! The remainder (about 2/3rd of them), I vacuum packed and bunged in the fridge. I will use them again in the next day or two. In fact, you saw my post and "liked" it!

Yes, even long before my moving to China, I regularly counted my blessings for not inheriting that gene or whatever it was. Ha! I haven't thought of Weetabix in decades. I do remember my father taking a dry Weetabix and buttering it like a slice of toast and eating it. But he was a very strange man in many ways! I read they now do an organic version. The world was waiting for that!

I too, have no real recollection of weekday breakfasts in my schooldays - or even later. There must have been something, though. On annual holidays (vacations) my parents would treat us to a Kellog's selection pack of individually boxed servings - this was a major treat. Sunday breakfast though was special for me, too. All sat around the table with bacon and egg, for sure. Black pudding definitely. Fruit pudding, too. I don't remember beans or tomatoes. I never ate a mushroom until I was in my 20s. My mother's twin sister had a life-threatenting allergy to mushrooms. Once, in their 70s, my mother and her twin were flying from the UK to Australia after their elder sister died there and one of the meals served on board the flight contained mushrooms, despite the crew having been told of the allergy. My aunt took one bite, spat it out and went into anaphylactic shock. The plane had to make an emergency landing in Korea* to rush her to hospital. It was touch and go as to whether she would survive. She finally recovered and made it to Australia. The airline compensated her generously without argument. This is why we were never served mushrooms at home. Despite the twins being identical, my mother was not allergic and actually quite liked mushrooms the few times she ate them, but she preferred to avoid them and certainly not feed them to us in case we had inherited any strange allergies. We haven't shown signs of any food allergies, although my sister is similarly allergic to bee stings! All my siblings and their kids are mushroom-OK. * Fortunately, South Korea.

4. Breakfast Time "Full English Breakfast" - image by Joadl; licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 Large breakfasts have been a tradition in Britain since the 1300s. Over the centuries, they have slipped down the hierarchy from being exclusively enjoyed by the aristocratic classes, through the aspiring middle classes and finally landing on the working classes. Well, not quite finally, as we shall see. Back in the day, the aristocrats would have huge feasts for breakfast before heading out in the cold to shoot innocent mammals and birds for their amusement. Occasionally, they would shoot each other, too – not often enough, in some people’s view. The immoderate size of the morning meal served two functions. First, it set one up for a long day trekking across the windswept moors slaughtering almost anything that moved, edible or not. Secondly, it was a way of showing off one’s wealth. The more lavish the breakfast, the more elevated you must be! Ingredients would include not only the now common bacon, sausage and eggs etc., but also pheasant, lamb or calves kidneys on toast, pigs’ cheeks, collared tongue, kippers, pork pies etc. By the 19th century and the Industrial Revolution, the aristocracy was in decline. Money was now more and more in the hands of a rising middle class of industrialists and traders. They were largely a conservative bunch who adopted the ways of their perceived ‘betters’, taking over the role of preserving the traditions of the glorious past. They acquired the houses, country estates, guns and servants and continued the tradition. WWI saw the beginning of the end of big houses full of staff to pander to every whim of the owners. WWII saw the end almost completely. The large breakfast then became the property of the working classes and became more standardised. Back bacon, sausages, baked beans, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding and fried or toasted bread (sometimes both), accompanied by a pot of tea. Seldom coffee. Back bacon - Public Doman image Incidentally top tourist tip: Never refer to sausages as “bangers” unless you are referring to the dish “bangers and mash”. Saying something like “Can I have two bangers with my breakfast, please?“ will be met with howls of laughter. Not that people won’t know what you mean; but we never use the word outside the title of the specific dish, about which I will mutter later. There are, of course, many variations, especially regionally. People today talk of the full English, full Scottish or full Irish, but they are all basically the same. The Scottish breakfast often additionally includes haggis, Lorne sausage, white pudding or fruit pudding, while the Irish usually has soda bread and/or potato scones. (incidentally, in Northern Ireland, the meal is called an Ulster Fry. And often colloquially, in the rest of Britain, just called a "fry-up".) Lorne Sausage - Public Domain image These breakfasts were normally served in cafés or caffs as they are often called in London. And not only at breakfast time. You still see cafés with signs offering “all-day breakfasts”. So, although some remain, most of these places have long gone. With the decline in manufacturing in Britain since the mid-20th century, the need for the calories of the large breakfast before a hard day’s manual labour has largely gone. Also, both a growing awareness of the health issues relating to fried food yet at the same time an increase in Fast Food chains has had a huge effect on their viability as businesses. The last time I ate anything like a full breakfast was about 40 years ago in this café in North London. No, I don't remember precisely what I ate. Image by Ewan Munro; Licenced under CC BY-SA 2A Today, some of these remaining cafés still offer “full breakfasts”, but few people actually order them. Instead they will choose a “pick and mix” breakfast, selecting two or three items out of the full Monty. So, I might have bacon, sausage and egg while my friend may go for black pudding, egg and beans. Partial "full" breakfast. Black pudding, egg and beans, for some reason served with bread and butter ratherthan the uwsual fried fried or toast. I forget why. Look on YouTube and the like and you will find scores of videos entitled something like ”10 dishes you must eat in England” “England” may be replaced by “London”, “Scotland” etc. What is interesting is that these so-called influencers have their near identical lists of clichés and all end up going to the same places which they have heard about from the last person to post a video. There are some times queues of influencers! It is amusing (for all the wrong reasons) to watch these clowns attempting to eat their massive breakfasts while spouting nonsense about its history or even about exactly what they are eating. Alternatively they go to places which only really cater to tourists and serve breakfast with strange additions, but missing traditional items. Hash browns are American and chips do not belong on a “full English” and are only added by bad restaurants to fill the diners up as cheaply as possible. There are a number of these people who go to one expensive chain steak-restaurant in London, thinking it’s a typical example of the real thing. The breakfast comes with things such as roast beef marrow and pork chops in addition to the usual. And they serve home-made baked beans. Only canned Heinz beans made to the British recipe are permitted by law! They were introduced to the UK in 1886, shortly before Victoria’s death and almost immediately joined the new standard in the new Edwardian reign. These additional items are what were part of the traditional pre-Victorian breakfast but which disappeared from the dish in the early 20th century. The YouTube people don’t realise that this is atypical and explain that this is what the English working man eats every morning. Utter bilge. There is one bad-mannered idiot who goes around London totally misunderstanding everything he sees and eats, yelling at people in what he imagines to be a “London accent” and making sexist remarks to young women walking past. The cretin should be deported – from the planet! I’ll visit some more of the YouTube “top 10 type British foods” over the next few days. Some will be pleasant; many less so.