Written by Guest Poster: A Victorian Time Traveller
Since this is a foodie focused travel blog, I thought it would be fun to do a few infographics featuring foods and drinks from around the world. What better place to start than with British food and drink?! I’ll be covering 5 splendid infographics: tea and coffee in Britain, the best of British food, funny British food names, British food inventions, and weird British Foods.
A bit of a surprise for this Belly Post. My first guest blogger! Actually, he isn’t a blogger at all. They don’t have blogging where he is from or should I say, for accuracy’s sake, when he is from? I present Victorian Gent and Professor, Cobblers Bumfluffington the 3rd!
He appeared in my room last week which is unusual because the rift in space and time is normally only open on Wednesdays. After learning about blogging, computers, the internet he was really interested to write help write this post.
Guest post
Professor Bumfluffington the 3rd.
What an astonishing world you have built full of miraculous contraptions that humanity of my age dare only dream but still your age is beset by a multitude of similar ills of my own age. And yet, there is cause for hope. Great strides forward have been made and it is my fondest wish that humanity will continue its upward momentum.
I Cobblers Bumfluffington the 3rd have travelled in a magnificent contraption of ingenious design through time itself. It is an honour to help in the creation of this electronic magazine. I shall do my very best to elucidate you on the topic of British food and drink!
5 British food and Drink infographics
Tea and coffee in Britain
I shall briefly regal you with the history of tea in Britain. It was first introduced to the UK by the British East India company in the early 17th century. The first tea shop was opened in 1717 by a fellow named Mr Twinings which is still selling tea in Britain. In fact, Twinings tea is the world’s oldest brand logo!
And now a brief history of coffee in Britain. Once again we must thank the East India Company for the introduction of coffee into this green and pleasant land. Coffee arrived in Britain early in the 16th century. Coffee grew rapidly in popularity and by 1675 there were estimated to be well over 3000 coffee shops!
Long has tea been the beloved drink of choice in Great Britain. But coffee has not been idle and the battle not yet won for coffee is on the rise and coffee houses once more sprout like mushrooms. Despite the rise of coffee, tea is still the choice of Great Britain.
Does coffee have it’s own dedicated UK Tea & Infusions Association! I think not! Click the link to discover everything tea: how to drink tea, the history of tea, how to brew tea, and much more including a live count of cups of tea consumed in the UK!
Best of British food
British Pie Week is celebrated on the 1st week of every March. Harken to the wise words of The Pierate for he is the master of British Pies. He also heartily recommends Pieminster for they produce most excellent pies!
Puddings! The UK is unique in it’s steamed desserts. Do try sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream!
British beer is not served warm but at room temperature just as a good wine is. Try an IPA a style which I am informed is popular in the Americas but given to the world by the UK!
My futuristic friend assures me that Walkers Crisps are purveyors of most excellent sliced fried potatoes. He recommends highly Thai sweet chilli crisps but you may prefer the more traditional British crisp flavour such as prawn cocktail?
The UK has over 750 varieties of cheese! Take that Mr Frenchman! Read this most illuminating guide to British Cheese.
Funny British food
Our next food infographic makes light of a few strange names we have here in the UK. Traditional British food has, indeed, some rather hilarious names for food that may stretch your incredulity! It’s true, or my name is not Cobblers Bumfluffington the 3rd!
My personal favourite funny food name is Spotted dick. It was funny when I was just a young pup wet behind the ears in the schoolyard but it remains funny to this day. I think Its hilarity shall never fade.
What is your favourite funny or strange British food name? Please do leave your thoughts in the comments section!
Food Britain gave the world
Other great foodie nations may lay damnation at the door of this verdant isle, yet it is true that UK food has gifted the world with many fine wonders. Bereft of them we would be at all the once poorer.
What would drinks be without the fizz? How could the world carry on without cans of suspect pink spam or beans in a tin? Is it not true we are gastronomically impoverished without pie? And what of the sandwich?! Most mighty and all conquering of UK food!
I sampled this modern marvel of chicken tikka masala and declare it a sumptuous taste sensation. It is my fervent wish that such creamy curried chicken be available in my own time.
Weird British food
Traditional British food and drink have its fair share of challenging and weird foods and our last UK food infographic sheds a light on those unwholesome sounding foods.
While much might seem unsalubrious to your tastes these things are indeed delicious. Apart from Marmite which I do not care for. My futuristic host claims that he enjoys it. I suppose you either love it or hate it.
Would you sample one of these “weird” British foods and which one? Or possibly you have already partaken of their dubious joys?! If so, what did you try? If you are not from the UK then surely your own country most boast some of its own dubious and strange foodstuffs. What are they?
We would be delighted to hear down below in the comments section.
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s another Belly post. My time travelling friend has left to return to his own time. He has taken with him a small jar of marmite. I really hope that doesn’t alter the timeline! Even small things can have dramatic effects. Imagine! We could end up in a world where the president of the united states is a bright orange businessman! Imagine!
I truly hope you had fun reading this and you learned a little about British food and drink. If you did enjoy this then please could you share it?! This helps the site grow just like my belly!
If you are interested in foods from other countries then you will enjoy my last post all about Thai food! It is Thai-TASTIC! <–Copywrite pending. Read Amazing real Thai food guide
If you have any thoughts about this article then I would really love to hear from you in the comments section below. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more fantastic travel foodie articles.
Until next time, happy & delicious travels.
Every foodie will enjoy reading this blog. Never been to England, but the foodie in me appreciate the different delicious British food delicacies. 😋 However, the Haggis dish is a no no for me. I have eaten liver, chicken gizzard, kidney, but the sheep’s organ meat gives me the creeps. Then again, the greedy me may enjoy it.