Originally Posted by Iqoniq:
“I think my wife nailed it when she said British food is "safe". Her mum and her make loads of Israeli food, and I'll take shawarma as an example. When she makes it there's stuff like tamaia (like a garlic sauce) or a really hot chilli one, and the meat is already seasoned as well. For some people those two can be deal breakers. It's got flavours that people may not like. English food doesn't have strong flavours usually by default. We have things that we may add as garnish such as mustard or horseradish, but they're optional extras. On your average roast dinner, there's nothing that's really going to assault your taste buds.”
“I think my wife nailed it when she said British food is "safe". Her mum and her make loads of Israeli food, and I'll take shawarma as an example. When she makes it there's stuff like tamaia (like a garlic sauce) or a really hot chilli one, and the meat is already seasoned as well. For some people those two can be deal breakers. It's got flavours that people may not like. English food doesn't have strong flavours usually by default. We have things that we may add as garnish such as mustard or horseradish, but they're optional extras. On your average roast dinner, there's nothing that's really going to assault your taste buds.”
I think that's true, but isn't there a tradition in British cooking of using strongly - or at least distinctively - flavoured ingredients? Rather than adding herbs and spices to a bland dish, we start of with strong flavours like game, fish, or beef than has been hung for a while, and we have strong cheeses like mature Cheddar or Stilton, Stinking Bishop etc.
I'm a vegetarian but my idea of authentic British food would be smoked salmon (or other smoked fish), good quality beef and game with seasonal vegetables, and locally-produced strong cheeses with apples and pears. No need to add a lot of spicing because the food is already rich in flavour.
Oh, and maybe a battered sausage as an amuse-bouche.




Well played, sir.