Last Sunday there was a tongue-in-cheek letter in the Post suggesting the first name of the British traditional dish, bangers and mash, is derived from the Thai capital. Despite its frivolous nature the letter was actually quite timely, for a recent report indicates younger British people are surprisingly unfamiliar with bangers and mash and many other traditional dishes.
Supermarket chain Aldi held a survey among 25- to 34-year-olds in Britain concerning the popularity of traditional food and came up with some intriguing results.
Somewhat alarmingly, nearly half of those questioned did not even know what bangers and mash was, while 11% even thought it was totally fictitious. Few had any idea why they are called "bangers'', although 12% incorrectly guessed it was because the dish was first introduced on Bonfire (Firework) Night.
In fact, "bangers" originated in the days when sausages contained plenty of water and would frequently explode in the frying pan when reaching a high temperature. I remember my mum puncturing the sausages with a fork to prevent such frying-pan dramas, although we still experienced occasional "big bangs" that had us diving for cover in the kitchen.
Another dish that prompted thought-provoking observations was toad in the hole, with 41% not believing such a dish exists. More alarmingly, one in seven thought the dish actually includes real toads cooked with potatoes. In truth it is simply a pan of batter or Yorkshire pudding with sausages sticking out of it. Nobody really knows the origin of the name, so it is probably best to leave it to one's imagination.
Dick or Richard?
While British food is admittedly not to everyone's taste, it is certainly among the front-runners when it comes to quaint names -- spotted dick for example. Nearly half of those polled thought the name was "totally made up". For those unfamiliar with this name, it is not a medical complaint but a steamed pudding with raisins or currants. Its name derives from the currants which resemble spots, while dick is a variation on dough.
Not surprisingly, this tasty dessert has long been the subject of doubtful jokes. Citing "immature comments" in certain places, including the Houses of Parliament restaurant, there have been efforts to rename it "spotted Richard". However, outraged MPs said they felt stupid asking for spotted Richard so the original name has proudly prevailed.
Squeaky leftovers
Another dish which has a very distinctive Britishness is bubble and squeak. It's basically a fry-up of leftovers of mashed potato, cabbage and any other vegetables to hand. It might not sound very appetising but actually goes down quite nicely if you happen to be absolutely starving. There is some debate on the origin of its name, but most probably it is the squeaky sound the cabbage makes when being fried. Mind you, anything I cook seems to make squeaking noises.
Mamma mia
I would be remiss not to mention the Peter Sellers/Sophia Loren novelty duet Bangers and Mash recorded back in 1961. Sellers adopts a ridiculous Italian accent and Loren seems to enjoy it so much she bursts into laughter at the end.
The song features an Englishman who meets and marries a beautiful Italian woman in Napoli during the war and takes her back to Britain. They are happily married with the exception that she keeps feeding him tagliatelle, vermicelli, minestrone and macaroni while all he yearns for is bangers and mash "like me muvver used to make".
You can hear it on YouTube and it still brings a smile.
Yorkshire caviar
I'll never forget the time I was with a group of Thai journalists in northern England. For most of them it was their first visit to the country and it was quite entertaining to see how they handled the sometimes eccentric English food. Watching their faces as they were served a dish of mushy peas in Liverpool was a delight in itself. There was a prevailing air of puzzlement and they were clearly wondering if anyone really expected them to eat this green mush.
I explained that mushy peas were highly regarded in northern England and were even sometimes referred to as "Yorkshire caviar". But they remained unconvinced, ignoring my comments of "yummy" as I tucked into the dish with possibly a misguided sense of patriotism.
It may surprise readers that these days there actually is genuine Yorkshire caviar made from sturgeon. The luxury food is produced at a former mushroom farm on the outskirts of Leeds. The eggs are harvested by a new method without killing the fish, which are even given cute names like Rihanna, Gwyneth, Willow but alas no Wanda. One though is called Nicola in a nod to the First Minister of Scotland, who happens to be named Nicola Sturgeon.
Breakfast treat
On that same trip with the Thai newshounds, I watched them grapple with large dollops of black pudding (curdled pig's blood and oatmeal) at breakfast. They looked at me quizzically as I explained it didn't taste as bad as it looked. They poked at the black stodge. Most wisely left it, though a couple bravely took a tentative bite masked with lashings of tabasco sauce.
These days there's even a black pudding ice cream that I suspect won't catch on in Thailand ... or in England for that matter.
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