For the letter 'F' I have chosen one of my favourite British delicacies- Fish and Chips. Well, actually I'm vegetarian so I don't have the fish these days, but still. It's a classic.
Deep-fried fish was introduced to Britain by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain during the 16th century. It became a stock meal for the working classes during the 19th century, following the development of trawl fishing in the North Sea and railways connecting the ports to major cities, which meant fresh fish could be easily transported. The first fish and chip shop was opened in 1860.
Classic fish and chips. [Image by Jeremy Keith, CC 2.0. Source] |
Hopefully you're aware that I'm not talking about 'potato chips'. We call those crisps. Makes sense, since they are crispy n'all. Chips are similar to fries, but not as long and skinny. 'Proper' British chips are thick rectangles of potato-perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. It's the ultimate in comfort food. You can see how it evolved in the miserable, cold weather of the UK as a treat to warm us up!
Fish and chips always used to come wrapped in newspaper with a little wooden fork, though this is less common now. The classic way to eat them is with mushy peas and covered in lots of salt and vinegar, but mayo, gravy or tomato ketchup are often used as well. Some of my fondest memories involve eating fish and chips fresh out of the paper, sitting in a car with my parents while it was pouring with rain outside and the windows were fogging up. I recommend getting chips from a proper seaside town like Scarborough, Whitby or Blackpool for the full experience.
Mmmm...greasy. [Photo by Jza84, CC 2.0. Source] |
BBC Food
Jamie Oliver
BBC Good Food (healthier version)
And now, as we Brits delight in puns, I present for your amusement a list of actual, real fish and chip shop names:
- The Codfather
- In Cod We Serve
- Salt and Battery
- GoodBuy Mr. Chips
- Frydays
- Frying Squad
- Rock and Sole Plaice
- Chip In Dales
- Hippie Chippy
- Fryer Tuck
Are you a fan of fish and chips? How do you eat yours?
Ooooh I love fish and chips! Love the name of your chipperies, too. There's one near me called "Cod Almighty" and I couldn't remember the name one time so I called it "Fish God" lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting from the A to Z blogging challenge (my theme is Chicago). Looking forward to reading more of your Great Britain posts!
The Pedestrian Writer
I love fish and chips with malt vinegar!
ReplyDeleteFish! Chips! Salt vinegar! That's what I call civilized.
ReplyDelete(visiting from A to Z Challenge. Drusilla: http://lovedasif.com/)
Ah, the GoodBuy Mr. Chips is a good one! And now I want fish and chips...
ReplyDeleteNancy at Hungry Enough To Eat Six
2014 A to Z Challenge Participant
I love fish & chips with lots of malt vinegar!
ReplyDeleteNow I really want some fish and chips. I was a vegetarian for 7 years, but started eating fish again about 7 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm really craving some now.
ReplyDeleteDamyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2014, My Latest post
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
My mouth is watering, Tizzy. I want some.
ReplyDeleteOnly time I've been in England, I was too broke to even buy fish & chips. So I've never had the real thing, only cheap US imitations. I don't usually eat fried foods, but I'd do it for the experience, especially if I could do it at one of those shops!
ReplyDeleteOn our last trip to London we had several stops at chippys but none were so colorfully or creatively names as the list you provide! Definitely yummy though. Thanks for visiting my blog so I could find you. GB is one of our favorite destinations. Gail
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm craving fish and chips now...
ReplyDelete