The document summarizes the history of food and drinks in Britain. It discusses how the Romans, Saxons, Vikings, Normans, and others influenced British cuisine by introducing various foods and cooking techniques. It then focuses on the most popular drinks in Britain, including tea, coffee, cider, ale, stout beer, grog, punch, and others. It provides details on the origins and typical ingredients of various traditional British drinks.
1. History of British Food
The history of Britain has played a
large part in its traditions, its culture -
and its food.
The Romans – cherries, stinging
nettles, cabbages, peas, corn and, of
course, wine!
The Saxons – wide variety of herbs.
The Vikings and Danes – techniques
for smoking and drying fish.
The Normans encouraged the
drinking wine and gave us common
words for food.
2. History of British Food&Drinks
The most popular drink in England is
undoubtedly tea, and you can't leave the British Isles
without experiencing the genuine five o'clock.
"There are few hours in life more
agreeable than the hour dedicated to
the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
Henry James
3. History of British Food&Drinks
Did you know? :
•165 million cups of tea are drunk every
day in Britain; this is 60.2 billion cups per
year.
Most people (98%) take their tea with milk,
but only roughly 1 in 3 people (30%) put
sugar in their tea.
•When someone in the UK asks you how
you take your tea or coffee you should say
"black", "white without" or "white with".
White means with milk and the "with" and
"without" bit refers to the sugar.
4. History of British Food&Drinks
English Coffee, with gin
Highland Coffee or Cup o' Evening,
with Scotch whisky
Great Britain is full of coffee shops, each
one serving a huge variety of hot and cold
coffees: Cappuccinos, espressos,
Americanas, frappuccinos, Irish coffees,
mochas …
Irish Coffee, with Irish
whiskey
6. History of British Food&Drinks
Cider is one of the most popular
beverage in the United Kingdom of low
alcoholic content. Traditionally made out
of the fermented apples or pear, the
British cider appears in many different
variations, from sweet to dry, from very
fizzy to still. Its colour which varies from
very dark and sludgy to clean and
golden yellow , depends on whether the
actual fruits are removed after the
pressing process or are left to undergo
the process of fermentation together
with the squeezed juices.
The traditional brands are usually darker
and stronger than mass-produced
versions, which usually go at more
affordable prices. Local versions of
cider are also popular in France,
especially in Brittany and Normandy as
well as in some part of Ireland and
Spain/
7. History of British
Food&Drinks
Ale is a traditional beer brewed from
barley malt and a quickly-fermenting
brewers yeast. The British variant of this
drink has a sweet, full, fruity and even
butter-like taste. Some popular versions
of British ale, contain herbs and spices,
which break the original malt sweetness
with a bitter, herbal flavour. There are
many kinds of this typically British beer,
such as pale ale, brown ale, dark and
cream. Interestingly enough, the word
'ale' comes from the Old English
word ealu, which signified magical
potion. Today, though stripped from its
spiritual significance, ale remains one of
the most popular English drinks.
8. History of British Food&Drinks
Cask Ale is a type of unfiltered and unpasteurized beer. It is one
of the few British alcoholic beverages that is brewed solely from
natural ingredients, without the help of extra carbon dioxide. The
beer is characterized by its unique bright colour.
Cask ale is brewed in the same way as keg beer. After the
primary fermentation is finished, the beer is placed in the cask in
its natural state with finings, like isinglass (the swim bladder of
fish) or Irish Moss (a seaweed), which drag down the yeast and
clear the beer. The cask is then sealed and sent off to the pub,
where it continues to develop for a certain period of time. When
the beer is ready , the soft spike is knocked into a bung hole on
the cask to remove some of the gas. After this the beer should
settle for 24 hours and then can be served from tap.
9. History of British Food&Drinks
Stout beer (Porter)
The dark Stout beer is made from roasted
malts and barley. It comes in various kinds
such as the dry stout, cream stout or the
imperial stout. Originally named Porter, the
drink was first introduced in the UK in the
early 18th Century and almost instantly
became a hit in the streets and even more
so in the river ports of London. This new
beer, later renamed stout, gained such
popularity that it single-handedly
contributed to the appearance of tied pubs
in large regional breweries. The most
popular brands of stout beer are Guinness,
Murphy's and Beamish.
10. History of British Food&Drinks
Grog
This drink made with water and rum was introduced
into the Royal Navy by the British Vice Admiral Edward
Vernon in 1740. After the British conquest of Jamaica,
rum became a very popular alcohol among the Brits,
mostly among the sailors. To prevent constant
intoxication of his crew, Admiral Vernon decided to mix
the beloved rum with water to lower its alcoholic
content. This drink, called grog, later turned out to be a
great source of vitamin C, which only increased its
popularity. Rum with water, sugar and nutmeg was also
called Bumboo at a certain time and was a hit amongst
the pirates. Traditional grog can also be served with
lemon juice, lime juice, cinnamon and sugar to improve
the taste.
11. History of British
Food&Drinks
Punch (Cup)
Cup is a typically British type of punch.
Originally served right before the hunting,
today the drink is very popular during
garden parties, cricket and tennis matches
as well as at picnics. Generally less
alcoholic than a traditional punch, a Cup
usually consists of wine, cider or sloe gin,
with an addition of fruit juices and soft
drinks. One of the best known cups is the
Pimm's Cup, which consists of Pimm's
beer, lemonade, lemon juice, lemon and
apple slices and some cucumber wedges.