5 Must-Try Traditional Dishes from the United Kingdom

November 25, 2020

The United Kingdom (UK) is home to some of the world鈥檚 oldest universities, as well as a vibrant and innovative food scene. An exciting culinary journey awaits anyone who decides to pursue post-secondary education in the UK, and we want to take a moment to share some traditional UK dishes beyond the standard fish and chips that no study abroad experience is complete without trying.

Here are five incredible dishes to whet your appetite for studying in the UK!

Kedgeree

Inspired by an Indian dish consisting of lentils and rice, kedgeree became a staple of the English breakfast table in the Victorian era and remains incredibly popular to this day. It鈥檚 made of scraps of flaked smoked haddock, rice, parsley, hard-boiled egg, curry powder, and butter or cream, and can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

Try the one and only Nigella Lawson鈥檚 , a Thai and South East Asian take on this traditional Anglo-Indian recipe! For a fun twist, you can also . Budget-conscious students can also .

Bangers and Mash

In 2009, bangers and mash was , and it鈥檚 easy to see why. It鈥檚 a simple dish, but one reminiscent of childhood and typically enjoyed during the colder months of the year. It consists of sausage (鈥渂angers鈥�) and mashed potatoes (鈥渕ash鈥�) accompanied by a generous helping of onion gravy, and often a side of fried onions and peas.

Tip: Any type of sausage鈥攑ork, lamb, or beef鈥攚ill do, but many swear that Cumberland sausage is the ideal choice. If you鈥檙e a vegetarian, substitute one of the many veggie varieties for the traditional meat sausage.

If you want to attempt bangers and mash at home, !

星空影视: “What International Students Need to Know About Studying in the UK”

Full English Breakfast

You haven鈥檛 officially had breakfast in England until you鈥檝e sampled a traditional fry-up. The full English breakfast typically consists of:

Bacon (usually back bacon)
Fried, poached, or scrambled eggs聽
Fried mushrooms
Fried bread or hot buttered toast聽
Sausage (aka 鈥渂angers鈥�)
Black pudding (blood sausage)
Baked beans

For a vegetarian option, you can omit the bacon, sausage, and black pudding. Be sure to wash it all down with piping hot tea (you can鈥檛 go wrong with English breakfast tea!) or coffee, and freshly squeezed fruit juice. To help you prepare your own full English breakfast at home, , courtesy of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver!

A Traditional Scottish Meal

For a true taste of Scotland, this is the ultimate Scottish menu. To start, try , a hearty soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions. For the main course, how about ? Neeps and tatties is a quintessential Scottish side dish of swede or turnip and potatoes. And, last but not least, it鈥檚 got to be classic cranachan for dessert. Made from raspberries, cream laced with honey and whisky, and toasted oatmeal, it鈥檚 a simple dessert, but one that is sure to appeal to anyone with a sweet tooth!

Traditionally, many of these recipes are served on Burns Night, the holiday on or around January 25. This Scottish holiday commemorates the legendary poet Robert Burns, best known for writing 鈥淎uld Lang Syne.鈥� These recipes are about as Scottish as you can get outside of haggis (let鈥檚 be honest, that鈥檚 what you thought we were going to suggest here, didn鈥檛 you!) and a !

Cawl

If you ask anyone from Wales to name the Welsh national dish, they would immediately respond with a cawl. Pronounced 鈥渃owl,鈥� it鈥檚 a traditional stew made from bacon or mutton and loads of leeks and potatoes. Like many traditional recipes handed down from generation to generation, originally there were no set ingredients. It would depend on your taste buds, what you happened to have on hand in the larder (also called a pantry), and whatever was in season in the garden.

If you want to try your hand at making cawl, give this a go.

Tip: Some prefer to sip the broth before moving on to the meat and vegetables, but it鈥檚 up to your own personal preference!

If you attempt any of these recipes, be sure to send us a photo of the finished product on Twitter () or , and we鈥檒l update this post with your traditional UK culinary creations!