Food, Glorious Food!

When the French President Jacques Chirac made his famous comments about British food in the run-up to the G8 summit in Scotland in the summer of 2005, the British media went ballistic!! He actually declared to one of the papers that “the only thing that the English have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease”!!



The poor French president must be a man who honors good food, and who doesn’t? Surely British food is not on top of anybody’s favorites; and when it comes to food, who better to judge than the Brits all time favorite enemy: The French; who- to the Brits misfortune- possess one of the most refined cuisines of the world.

Thinking about British food, the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, Fish and Chips; the British traditional classic, which is alright! Then there is roast beef, sausages or any other cooked meat, served with a poor selection of vegetables, and some sauce or gravy. Full British Breakfast may include a variety of sausages, ham, baked beans, poached eggs and some toast, which fails to impress in any way! Pies are ugly variations of pastry and bad choices of fillings. Puddings, in general, lack the kick that you acquire from a sweet dish, they are very plain and ordinary.



Problem with British food is that it fails to impress; it is very straight to the point and not well- presented.

Coming to Britain from the Middle East, is a big transformation. Food in the Middle East is heritage, and cooking is a way of life. The British can never understand this because they come from a first world background, where the pace of life is quicker than spending time roasting onions, or boiling rice. Fortunately for us (Third World people), food is priority, and cooking is art.
We celebrate our food, and we socialize through eating together.

The British have borrowed most of their modern cuisine dishes; the most famous of all is curry, the classic Indian dish.

Aisles in supermarkets are filled with ready meals from all around the world. You can choose whatever tickles your fancy from hundreds and hundreds of different recipes. Unfortunately, these super market versions, although nicely-packed and perfectly how-to-cook instructed, lack the taste, aroma, and nutritional value of home made versions.

The island geography and climate affect food and agricultural produce, that’s why it’s rather common to find Jaffa oranges, Spanish tomatoes, Italian apples, Moroccan green beans, and many other international produce in retail in local shops and supermarkets here. All the imported-usually shipped- food produce never tastes as good as it does when it is freshly picked; Its sprayed with tens of pesticides in order for it to make it through to Britain. Local produce is discouraged, because of the high cost, so big supermarket chains rely on imported low quality food.

Consider your self lucky if you’re living in a place, where food is abundant, and where women still enjoy cooking for their families. If you were like me, a person from the Middle East, consider your self even luckier, that you still enjoy the delicacy of the simple life, and that your life is not yet as fast, as complicated, and as fast rhythmic as the British way of life!