Salami

[five bellies]

The real answer - until recent times (thanks internet) the English people had a tradition of disliking food that actually tasted good (or possibly just disliked food with a taste; authorities differ on that point) and salami tastes strong & good.

 

*grabs coat and runs for cover*

 

 

Writen by the man who eats Sqiurrell Brains

[ayjay]

The real answer - until recent times (thanks internet) the English people had a tradition of disliking food that actually tasted good (or possibly just disliked food with a taste; authorities differ on that point) and salami tastes strong & good.

 

*grabs coat and runs for cover*

 

Not sure of the significance of the internet with regard to a change in tastes, (if there is one), personally I've never shied away from more strongly flavoured things.

 

 

Written by the man who eats Squirrel Brains

 

I've seen photos of Newt; an awful lot of squirrels must have died to make that body.

[Newt]

Not sure of the significance of the internet with regard to a change in tastes, (if there is one), personally I've never shied away from more strongly flavoured things.

 

Pre internet, there was either

- a lack of general awareness that spices existed , or at least, that they served any sort of useful function

or

- a general feeling that tasty food was some sort of furrin perversion and 'not quite the done thing, don't you know' with the exception of enough curry to sear the taste buds which was somehow an exception.

 

Curry probably became popular because of so many Army officers doing tours in India and dealing with the excellent Gurkha troops then returning home to spread the word..

 

The shrinking of the world by instant access to information seems to have infused a feeling that flavour (other than curry) might be a good thing after all.

[Peter M]

When I was a kid my dad and his friends would not eat anything that even sounded foreign. I remember the fuss when my mum suggested making spaghetti bolognaise. I always put that down to the fact he was a child during the war and thought that bananas were weird and exotic. Well times change and he now loves more spicy meats like salami so might give him the links to these websites.

[corydoras]

A few years ago during our annual skiing holiday I had the following experience. I had just came back to the chalet after my early morning ski lesson. I arrived just a few minutes after my (French) mother-in-law had arrived back from the market with various 'saucisson-sec' to try. I had about half of a pork one with some crusty bread when I spied this other saucisson. It had a little hand-written label on it. The label read "Saucisson à l'âne". I carved a bit off, ripped of another chunk of bread and proceeded to tuck in. That little word 'Âne' kept worming around in my head, I should know what it meant, but it just would not come. In desparation I called over to my son, "Hey, Will!" I cried, "What's 'âne' in English?" He looked at over at me, feigning disbelief, the old boy should really know that word. "I think it's donkey" he said. He was right, I was eating donkey sausage and it was good. It's still my favourite saucisson.

 

BTW Newt, I reckon you are right about the Brits and food. Anything that actually has a taste will not do with the traditionalist. I like things with strong flavours; anchovies, blue cheeses, black olives, fish roe and tapenade are all stuff I love.

Edited February 19, 2008 by corydoras

[Tony U]

Interesting theory about curries but they are as old as our involvement in India. The first curry recipe in Britain appeared in The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747. The first edition of her book used only pepper and coriander seeds for seasoning of 'currey'. By the fourth edition of the book other relatively common ingredients of turmeric and ginger were used. The use of hot spices was not mentioned, which reflected the limited use of chili in India — chili plants had only been introduced into India around late 15th century and at that time was only popular in southern India. Many curry recipes are contained in 19th century cookbooks such as those of Mrs Beetons book of household management circa 1861 i.e.

 

CURRIED MUTTON (Cold Meat Cookery).

713. INGREDIENTS - The remains of any joint of cold mutton, 2 onions, 1/4 lb. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, salt to taste, 1/4 pint of stock or water.

 

Mode.—Slice the onions in thin rings, and put them into a stewpan with the butter, and fry of a light brown; stir in the curry powder, flour, and salt, and mix all well together. Cut the meat into nice thin slices (if there is not sufficient to do this, it may be minced), and add it to the other ingredients; when well browned, add the stock or gravy, and stew gently for about 1/2 hour. Serve in a dish with a border of boiled rice, the same as for other curries.

 

Time.—1/2 hour.

 

Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

 

Seasonable in winter.

 

Our love of Indian restaurants is more recent with the first Indian Restaurants opening just before the second world war and expanding there after no doubt popularised by the the invention of 'Coronation chicken' to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, which included curry as a key ingredient.

 

So Newt, The Brits love of a spicy food goes back to before the birth of the United States.

 

Tony

Edited February 19, 2008 by Tony U

[corydoras]

Interesting theory about curries but they are as old as our involvement in India. The first curry recipe in Britain appeared in The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747. The first edition of her book used only pepper and coriander seeds for seasoning of 'currey'. By the fourth edition of the book other relatively common ingredients of turmeric and ginger were used. The use of hot spices was not mentioned, which reflected the limited use of chili in India — chili plants had only been introduced into India around late 15th century and at that time was only popular in southern India. Many curry recipes are contained in 19th century cookbooks such as those of Mrs Beetons book of household management circa 1861 i.e.

 

CURRIED MUTTON (Cold Meat Cookery).

713. INGREDIENTS - The remains of any joint of cold mutton, 2 onions, 1/4 lb. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, salt to taste, 1/4 pint of stock or water.

 

Mode.—Slice the onions in thin rings, and put them into a stewpan with the butter, and fry of a light brown; stir in the curry powder, flour, and salt, and mix all well together. Cut the meat into nice thin slices (if there is not sufficient to do this, it may be minced), and add it to the other ingredients; when well browned, add the stock or gravy, and stew gently for about 1/2 hour. Serve in a dish with a border of boiled rice, the same as for other curries.

 

Time.—1/2 hour.

 

Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

 

Seasonable in winter.

 

Our love of Indian restaurants is more recent with the first Indian Restaurants opening just before the second world war and expanding there after no doubt popularised by the the invention of 'Coronation chicken' to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, which included curry as a key ingredient.

 

So Newt, The Brits love of a spicy food goes back to before the birth of the United States.

 

Tony

Tony, there were Indian Restauraunts in London in the 1800s

[Newt]

So Newt, The Brits love of a spicy food goes back to before the birth of the United States.

 

Tony - most things in the UK predate the birth of the US. I suspect you have horses being ridden with tack that is older than we are.

[corydoras]

Tony - most things in the UK predate the birth of the US. I suspect you have horses being ridden with tack that is older than we are.

We probably have 'orses older than you Newt, never mind the tack. ;0

[medwaygreen]

Tony - most things in the UK predate the birth of the US. I suspect you have horses being ridden with tack that is older than we are.

 

Newt very funny,

 

And who said that Americans did not understand irony

Edited February 20, 2008 by medwaygreen