British Food

Okay, now that I've had a chance to sample some authentic British food, I thought I might as well blog about it. It's the same day as I wrote my last blog, but seeing as how Will and I are enjoying a relaxing evening at his dad's house, and he's on his computer as well, I think it's fine to take a moment and share these experiences.

I'll start out by saying that most of the food I've had here has been wonderful. The first night in Oxford we had some Thai food which was excellent, and we also had some Italian that I loved, and tonight Will's stepmom made some lamb stew with garlic and olives, which she matched with couscous and beans, and a bit of cabbage and peas, which was also just delicious. Will's mom, Jane, made us some leek pie a few nights ago which was also great, and last night I had the most fantastic brie-filled chicken breast with potatoes.

But ... this isn't to say that I haven't come across a few things that have been ... well ... different, or otherwise interesting, for lack of a better term.

1) Whitebait. Why not start with whitebait, as I think it'll stick with me the longest. This dish was served to us as an appetizer at the same restaurant in which I ate chicken and brie. Whitebait, to put it simply, is tiny fish (think about the size of your middle finger), but they're served whole. They have everything -- eyes, bones, guts, everything -- and then they're lightly fried, and you're meant to pop them in your mouth and eat them. You can see them staring at you from the plate. I politely tried one, felt bones crushing in my mouth, and didn't eat another.

2) Pork pie. Will's mother, Jane, insisted that I eat pork pie before leaving England, as she says that it's "traditional" British fare that dates back to the medieval and Tudor days. When Will told her that we weren't going to be around for more than one day (as we were going to his father's house), she brought it out for breakfast the morning we were leaving. Pork pie sounds fine, and it is ... but you have to get past the mystery goo surrounding the actual pork. This is a greasy gel-like substance, like clear jelly, that is made out of ground-up pig parts, and it's a bit difficult to forget about when you're chewing your pork pie. Also, pork pie is meant to be eaten with "pickle," a rather sour condiment that is somewhat like American relish, only ... different. And the pastry that pork pie comes in is really lard disguised as pastry. I had a small slice and called it good.

3) Marmite. Will has been wanting me to try Marmite for quite some time now, as his mom sent some down to America for him. To put it simply, Marmite is a yeast extract that you're meant to spread on toast, like you would butter. It has a very strong, very salty taste, though, and in my opinion can (and should) only be taken in small doses. If you like eating semen on your toast, you might try Marmite sometime.

4) English sherry. Okay, not too exotic or strange, but very sweet and such. I didn't particularly like it.

5) Greek yoghurt mixed with lemon cake. Each on its own is fine. But I wouldn't recommend them together. It wasn't horrible, but a rather strange combination.

Like I said, most of what I've tried here has been great, and I've loved the experience. I fear that I'm not as adventurous with my food as I once thought, however. I guess the true test will be when we get to France. Will and I have a flight to Paris tomorrow, and he has promised that we will be ordering some escargot and possibly frog legs, among other things that I've never before tried...

So stay tuned for more information on interesting food from abroad.