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The History of food in Great Britain



Plate, knife and fork on Union Jack
foto credit: www.thespruce.com

"British food is bad": a myth or reality? The Brits only eat fish and chips and roast beef and the Scots, porridge and haggis? The Irish live on potatoes and the Welsh, leeks? These are just common places that need to be discarded. And in fact this post will try to make our students aware of how British food history is full of fascinating and surprising stories. Let's find out watching the 2014 BBC documentary.

 BREAKFAST

The origins of breakfast are the most mysterious of all. The particulars of the British first meal of the day have changed dramatically over the centuries. From the earliest records of Medieval bread and ale, through the gorgeous morning tables of Jane Austen's era and the Edwardian age to today's cereals and smoothies, the  British breakfasts have been profoundly influenced through the centuries by religious strictures and  social status. 


Now watch the video  THE HISTORY OF BREAKFAST

LUNCH AND DINNER
Lunch is now the most important meal of the day and the story of its origins and evolution is really a history of  working lives across the centuries. Medieval farm labourers used to sit down to eat as early as 10am, but they had been toiling in the fields since daybreak!  The following video explores  some common myths about  British people and their eating habits through the centuries. Not all their fish was salted and people didn't eat rotten meat flavoured with spices as many may think, but they certainly did eat vegetables  and, back then, carrots were purple!
Our journey through the history of British food history completes with dinner - British main meal of the day and also their showiest. Dinner is when British like to enjoy the finest dishes and exhibit their good taste even if,  that involves a touch of snobbery. It is indeed the most ritualistic meal and its traditions are timeless and unchanged. In fact, it's a microcosm of 1,000 years of evolving customs. 
Now watch the video THE HISTORY OF LUNCH AND DINNER


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