Anything that uses potatoes or tomatoes is a bit dubious for a purist.
The essence of 'British Cuisine' (and the English language) is it's acquisitiveness. Kedgeree, as Steve Tu says, is not the same as khichari. Kedgeree is British - an adaptation of a traditional Indian dish, yes, but not the same. Chicken Tikka Masala's origins are debated. Its basis is Indian, probably punjabi, but it is milder than the traditions it comes from. Where and when that alteration happened - UK or India - is lost to history. It's debatable whether you could call that one British as in invented here, but certainly it's very widely eaten here (and around the world). And there are various dishes from the Chinese tradition as well as European imports - right back to the Romans - that are now British staples.
I saw a Jamie Oliver programme about Italian food in Italy. He was getting frustrated by the unwillingness of the Italians to try any dish that was not precisely the traditional recipe of their local version and praising the British willingness to just try stuff, adapt it and adopt it.
So I think any trip around the British menu ought to include the dishes we've made our own by using our own produce and adapting a recipe we like.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I would guess all across their Empire...even 'British' dishes would have wended their way back to Rome..and then been transmitted to Africa, Palestine...wherever. Pigs in blankets in Libya.....hmmmm tasty... I wonder if Fish and Chips did a circle and went from Britain outwards and then came back? OK - I know we didn't have potatoes until Raleigh invented them....as he knew fried battered fish just needed that something to set it off....
I agree @raisingirl but the French are very loathe to try new stuff. There are one or two very Frenchified Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants and pizza places but everything else is local, regional French.
Guadeloupe is French territory in the Caribbean and many from here seem to holiday there so I can get Scotch Bonnet chillies and some exotic fruits and fresh ginger. Morocca and Tangiers are former colonies just across the Med but no restaurants. Just the odd jar of Ras-el-Hanout mix in the SM and certainly not the range of spices or ingredients I need for my Chinese, Indian, Thai, Malay et recipes and certainly nothing like pomegranate molasses for Persian cuisine. Apart from a decent Vietnamese shop in La Roche I have to do a day trip to Nantes for a wider range of Asian spices and I have just planted a pomegranate tree.
I have tried, in the past, to explain how British cuisine has absorbed influences from all the waves of immigrants over the centuries and more recent holiday influences but the French just don't get it.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
We have vastly more choice in wine than you can get the other side of the channel too. It must be frustrating not to have access to foreign ingredients. My collection runs to two cupboards in the kitchen!
How big are your cupboards? I have shelves and drawers of the stuff cos when I do see it I buy enough to last a while in case I can't get there again. Haven't been to Nantes, for example, since before the first lockdown and have no gram flour or mango chutney left. Not something they stock at the Vietnamese place.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
If you use a lot of spice, the Rye Spice co is good. A couple of the local shops stocked their stuff, or you can get it online or direct from Rye. They have larger jars of spices that seem reasonable. Not an ad, just a suggestion!
Online suppliers cam be really good there's lots of different ones that specialise in different things, shipping is expensive but sometimes it's worth it.
Posts
The essence of 'British Cuisine' (and the English language) is it's acquisitiveness. Kedgeree, as Steve Tu says, is not the same as khichari. Kedgeree is British - an adaptation of a traditional Indian dish, yes, but not the same.
Chicken Tikka Masala's origins are debated. Its basis is Indian, probably punjabi, but it is milder than the traditions it comes from. Where and when that alteration happened - UK or India - is lost to history. It's debatable whether you could call that one British as in invented here, but certainly it's very widely eaten here (and around the world).
And there are various dishes from the Chinese tradition as well as European imports - right back to the Romans - that are now British staples.
I saw a Jamie Oliver programme about Italian food in Italy. He was getting frustrated by the unwillingness of the Italians to try any dish that was not precisely the traditional recipe of their local version and praising the British willingness to just try stuff, adapt it and adopt it.
So I think any trip around the British menu ought to include the dishes we've made our own by using our own produce and adapting a recipe we like.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Guadeloupe is French territory in the Caribbean and many from here seem to holiday there so I can get Scotch Bonnet chillies and some exotic fruits and fresh ginger. Morocca and Tangiers are former colonies just across the Med but no restaurants. Just the odd jar of Ras-el-Hanout mix in the SM and certainly not the range of spices or ingredients I need for my Chinese, Indian, Thai, Malay et recipes and certainly nothing like pomegranate molasses for Persian cuisine. Apart from a decent Vietnamese shop in La Roche I have to do a day trip to Nantes for a wider range of Asian spices and I have just planted a pomegranate tree.
I have tried, in the past, to explain how British cuisine has absorbed influences from all the waves of immigrants over the centuries and more recent holiday influences but the French just don't get it.
It must be frustrating not to have access to foreign ingredients. My collection runs to two cupboards in the kitchen!