At school, we were always taught that the eating habits of the English, as well as the traditions of the United Kingdom, are different from ours.
English Eating Habits
The eating habits of the English include a full and hearty breakfast in the morning; a quick lunch at noon; tea-time in the mid-afternoon, followed by a light and early dinner. This is the basic pattern which, to be honest, bears the influences of globalization and the strong foreign presence in Great Britain, reflecting the country’s growing multiculturalism.
Breakfast is breakfast: the English breakfast
In any case, in a traditional English family, in the morning, “breakfast is breakfast”: alongside tea and other hot drinks appear corn flakes (cereal flakes to enjoy with milk), toasted bread with orange marmalade and pats of butter, porridge (a porridge of barley and oats), scrambled eggs with bacon (smoked pork belly) and the essential sausages (sausages). In some areas (especially countryside, tourist or seaside resorts…), the heartier stomachs do not disdain even split smoked herring (skipper) and a delicacy called finnan haddock, smoked cod.
The English lunch: lunch
Lunch is usually eaten around 1 pm, conceived as a simple and quick break, often based on sandwiches (sandwiches) with ham or roast beef, slices of pizza in the ubiquitous Pizza Hut or salads. In larger cities with generous green spaces, such as London, it is also common to have lunch in the park during good weather, making the break more pleasant. This habit reflects cultural differences in the approach to lunch break compared to other countries.
Tea time: the culture of tea
A true institution is tea time, every afternoon around 4:30-5 pm, when around steaming kettles the ritual of English tea takes place, accompanied by tiny pastries and mini scones called scones. This tea culture is one of the most iconic aspects of British culinary traditions.
Dinner: dinner
Around 7 pm, dinner is eaten, which, in good-quality restaurants, is generally very carefully prepared, both in table setting and dishes. It may start with white vermouth or sherry as an aperitif; continue with a starter based on shrimp, salmon, smoked trout; a main course, the main dish, based on meat (e.g., Scottish beef fillet, grilled meat, smoked ham, lamb or pork chops, with boiled potatoes and traditional spicy sauces…; roast beef or veal leg or loin). Also typically English is steak and kidney pie, beef stew with kidneys wrapped in puff pastry, and Yorkshire pudding, a traditional accompaniment for roast. Dessert may be based on sweets or cheese.
