None of that FOREIGN MUCK

[jcdenton08]

What is ironic about this is that 'British' cuisine is absolutely horrible. How many 'British' restaurants are there out there? Greasy spoon cafes for sure - oddly, I didn't spot a single greasy spoon cafe when I lived in Denmark.. or was travelling all over Europe. America is the closest we have food-wise, and they too are one of the most obese nations in the world - even they have more history and pride in their food like burgers, hot dogs etc.

But as most have said, it's a generational thing, all the people I've known who have been 'funny' about food from other cultures have been the old, racist type.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I only drink 'Yorkshire' breakfast tea from Taylors of Harrowgate so dont go saying that comes from abroad.

Yorkshire is in England?

When did that happen?

 

[clapham_gull]

What is ironic about this is that 'British' cuisine is absolutely horrible. How many 'British' restaurants are there out there?

It isn't and the country is full of restaurants that serve traditional English food these days.

The Greasy Spoon appears to have almost died out.

 

[Perry Milkins]

It isn't and the country is full of restaurants that serve traditional English food these days.

The Greasy Spoon appears to have almost died out.

No it hasn't CG. There are numerous cafs around. In the morning they turn out the full englaish for the skilled labourers on their way to site. during the day they are the bedrock of cafe society.

 

[jcdenton08]

The Greasy Spoon appears to have almost died out.

No they haven't.

 

[drew]

What is ironic about this is that 'British' cuisine is absolutely horrible. How many 'British' restaurants are there out there? Greasy spoon cafes for sure - oddly, I didn't spot a single greasy spoon cafe when I lived in Denmark.. or was travelling all over Europe. America is the closest we have food-wise, and they too are one of the most obese nations in the world - even they have more history and pride in their food like burgers, hot dogs etc.

But as most have said, it's a generational thing, all the people I've known who have been 'funny' about food from other cultures have been the old, racist type.

If you consider British cuisine just to be personified by the greasy spoon then you must be the most narrowminded poster on this thread. There are some great traditional british meals, a good sunday roast to name just one. However, in this country we are probably far more cosmopolitan with our restaurants than many other countries and probably mix different styles because of it. The curry's and chinese meals are anglicised but what is wrong with that. I suspect that over time these types of restaurant will slowly start to offer more traditional meals on their menus.

As for the original post, I very much suspect that once upon a time someone described potatoes as 'foreign muck'!!!!

 

[jcdenton08]

If you consider British cuisine just to be personified by the greasy spoon then you must be the most narrowminded poster on this thread.

That is a ridiculous comment.

We, the British, have no proper cuisine as we have no heritage in food. Simple fact. Being a tiny island with no particular strength in any resource, almost everything is imported anyway so we can't base our diet over the previous centuries on any particular source or strength we have. In Asia, for example, they eat a lot of rice because it is readily available and cheap. In Denmark, there are more pigs than people which naturally means the same. In Norway, they eat a lot of fish because of the fantastic reserves available to them.

'Sunday Roast' as British cuisine? You're having a laugh. Everybody knows British food is a joke. Why do you think there are American fast food restaurants everywhere? Argentinian steak houses? Italian restaurants? A sunday roast is about the only thing we do better than anybody else; even then, a Swedish smörgåsbord is far, far more enjoyable.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

In slight defence of Programme Seller's comments, some of the food served up in restaraunts IN CHINA, is pretty unpalatable to western tastes. Some of it was f***ing GRIM. Almost RAW chicken, with ALL the nasty GUTS and EYES and FEET and that chopped up in the dish.

Grim.

Ordering Chicken and chips in a Chinese or Indian HERE, is fairly sad and unimaginative.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The only thing I have turn down was barbequed rat and that was simply because there was not enough to go round for the whole family whom I had befriended.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Oh, I'd just like to add, that really good Indian and Chinese chefs LOVE stopping what they are doing, to rustle up some chips. Particularly if the customer has been spouting off about FOREIGN MUCK and all that.

I imagine ordering such a dish, in the wrong place, may just see your dish embellished with some very special 'foreign muck'

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The only thing I have turn down was barbequed rat and that was simply because there was not enough to go round for the whole family whom I had befriended.

Weekend in Portsmouth?

 

[Mellotron]

Rule ONE of restaurants:

Never be rude to waiters/chefs/staff until AFTER your food has been prepared and served.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Weekend in Portsmouth?

Yes, when I lived in Southsea

 

[BensGrandad]

Some years ago when going for a chinese or curry after the pub became fashionable I took mum and dad to a chinese. Mum was fine no problem dads answer was I will just have some chips because you dont eat a meal late at night just cheese and biscuits.

 

[Stoo82]

Rule ONE of restaurants:

Never be rude to waiters/chefs/staff until AFTER your food has been prepared and served.

If thats your rule, you really are going to some shit restaurants.

 

[CHAPPERS]

We, the British, have no proper cuisine as we have no heritage in food..

Hmmm. Funny how British chefs are amongst the most respected in the world isn't it. No 'proper cuisine'? Bollocks.

 

[clapham_gull]

That is a ridiculous comment.
We, the British, have no proper cuisine as we have no heritage in food. Simple fact. Being a tiny island with no particular strength in any resource, almost everything is imported anyway so we can't base our diet over the previous centuries on any particular source or strength we have. In Asia, for example, they eat a lot of rice because it is readily available and cheap. In Denmark, there are more pigs than people which naturally means the same. In Norway, they eat a lot of fish because of the fantastic reserves available to them.

Very simplistic argument which ignores the fact that other cuisines considered to be "authentic" have also been heavily influenced by imported food.

Portuguese introduce Tempura to Japan and probably were the first to take chillies to India.

Never really understood that when it happens here, it's seen as somehow "impure".

 

[Trufflehound]

That is a ridiculous comment.

We, the British, have no proper cuisine as we have no heritage in food. Simple fact.

...

'Sunday Roast' as British cuisine? You're having a laugh. Everybody knows British food is a joke.

Nonsense. You are confusing 'bad cuisine' with 'bad cooking'.

Well-made British food, like roast beef, steak and kidney pie, fish and chips, Cornish pasties, Cumberland sausage, cottage pie, Lancashire hotpot, etc. etc.. can be a thing of beauty (unless you're a vegetarian perhaps).

The problem is there are so many sub-standard chefs out there who don't know how to cook the damn stuff properly. Pub grub can be exquisite, but if you randomly choose somewhere where they just whip something out of the freezer and bung it in the microwave, then it can be awful. The sub-standard ingredients used in some cheaper meals don't help much either.

Choose carefully and British food can be a joy.

However, in the context of this thread, I have absolutely no interest in eating it when I go on holiday to Greece or Thailand or wherever...

 

[jcdenton08]

Hmmm. Funny how British chefs are amongst the most respected in the world isn't it. No 'proper cuisine'? Bollocks.

Yes, the CHEFS are British but they don't just cook British food do they our chefs cook all kinds of cuisines because we don't have one! So far, the British cuisine has been summed up as fry ups and a Sunday roast. Are you saying that's all they cook? Dear me

 

[jcdenton08]

Nonsense. You are confusing 'bad cuisine' with 'bad cooking'.

Well-made British food, like roast beef, steak and kidney pie, fish and chips, Cornish pasties, Cumberland sausage, cottage pie, Lancashire hotpot, etc. etc.. can be a thing of beauty (unless you're a vegetarian perhaps).

The problem is there are so many sub-standard chefs out there who don't know how to cook the damn stuff properly. Pub grub can be exquisite, but if you randomly choose somewhere where they just whip something out of the freezer and bung it in the microwave, then it can be awful. The sub-standard ingredients used in some cheaper meals don't help much either.

Choose carefully and British food can be a joy.

However, in the context of this thread, I have absolutely no interest in eating it when I go on holiday to Greece or Thailand or wherever...

So you're saying the opposite to Chappers, that the average British chef is to blame?