25 British Foods Americans Are Missing Out On
No matter how much you love American food, it’s hard to deny that Brits are (also) masters of culinary creations. From traditional meat pies to newer inventions, like Monster Munch, the United Kingdom is full of food-based treasures that Americans are missing out on.
These 25 foods barely skim the vast pool of Epicurean inventions that belong to Mother England.
1: Meat Pie
Pies have long been a staple in Nothern Europe for good reasons. Saucy meat baked into a crumbly crust isn’t just convenient; it’s also delicious. Whether you’re into lamb, steak, pork, or even haggis, meat pies are something every meat-eating American should try when they get the chance.
2: Clotted Cream
Clotted cream is a high tea essential that’s almost impossible to find in the U.S. In some states, it’s even illegal.
Clotted cream is made from unpasteurized, full-fat cow’s milk that’s slowly heated until creamy clots rise to the surface. Somewhere between butter and whipped cream, this tasty topping is ideal for crumpets and scones.
3: Variety Sandwich Packs
Head to any UK grocer, gas station, or convenience shop, and you’ll find a wide variety of pre-packaged sandwiches for sale.
While many U.S. stores sell ready-to-eat sandwiches, we’ve yet to see one selling them in variety packs, as in half chicken salad and half bacon and Swiss, or whatever combination you’re craving.
4: Chicken and Thyme Crisps
The crisp (aka chip) selection in England is astounding, with flavors like Thai Sweet Chili and Prawn Cocktail available at many stores. One of the top flavors by Walker’s Sensations is Chicken and Thyme. Each bite offers a taste of savory chicken alongside lemon and herbs, like a Sunday dinner in chip form.
5: Mushy Peas
Many Americans don’t think of mushy peas as appetizing, but if they tried them, they might change their minds. Mushy peas are made from dried peas soaked overnight, then mashed and heavily seasoned.
Traditionally served with fish and chips, mushy peas are somewhere between a side dish and a condiment, often enjoyed with splashes of malt vinegar and tartar sauce between bites of flaky fish.
6: Yorkshire Pudding
A mix of beef drippings, flour, eggs, and milk, Yorkshire Pudding is exceptionally simple yet impressive. When baked, these puddings rise up and out of the pan, creating a tender popover with a distinct, savory flavor.
Though some American families make Yorkshire Pudding for holidays and other events, most don’t even realize these delicious batter-based treats exist.
7: Black Pudding
If you can get past its ingredient of pork or beef blood, black pudding is a delicious British breakfast food. Its meaty, earthy flavor and salami-like chew are the perfect complements to the eggs, fried tomatoes, beans, and bread found in a traditional English breakfast.
8: Bread Sauce
Bread sauce is a simple topping many Brits use for their Christmas turkey. It’s made of breadcrumbs, milk, onion, and other seasonings, like cloves. Though it’s traditionally served on holidays, it’s so popular in the UK that you can find it in dry packets throughout the year.
9: Black Currants
Black currants were federally banned in the U.S. for a number of years, and although the government lifted restrictions in the 1960s, they’re still tricky to find. In England, though, they’re a popular addition to teas, syrups, puddings, sorbets, and pies.
10: Scotch Eggs
To make a scotch egg, you wrap a peeled, hardboiled egg in sausage, cover it in breadcrumbs, and deep fry it. Common in pubs and picnic baskets in the UK, scotch eggs are so well-loved that you can find them pre-made in grocery stores and petrol stations.
11: HP Sauce
You might think of HP sauce as the British version of ketchup in that they put it on almost everything. It’s a brown sauce made from tomatoes and spiked with tamarind extract, malt vinegar, and additional spices.
12: Bacon Butty
A butty is English slang for a sandwich, and a bacon butty is exactly what it sounds like. White bread and generous slices of thick-cut bacon combine to make a sandwich many Americans would devour. For a full British experience, be sure to serve it with HP sauce.
13: Sausage Rolls
If you like pigs in a blanket, you just might enjoy a British sausage roll even more. Made with sausage and flaky puff pastry, sausage rolls come in many variations, like cheese and marmite or caramelized onion.
14: 99 Flake
A 99 Flake is an ice cream cone with a Cadbury flake bar inserted into its center. Cadbury makes these bars specifically for stuffing into ice cream, and they’re incredibly popular in the UK.
15: Curry Noodles
Curry is very popular in England, in part because the British crown ruled India from 1858 to 1914. British citizens living in India came back craving spiced, saucy dishes. Curry noodles are a popular meal available in microwave cups, like American Cup Noodles, or via numerous take-out restaurants.
16: Sconewich
Scones aren’t just for teatime in the UK. A sconewich is a sandwich made with a scone and savory ingredients, like ham and cheese or tuna and tomato. Soft, light, and fluffy scones are tricky to find in the U.S., let alone in sandwich form.
17: Beans on Toast
It’s possible that the British classic, beans on toast, stems from a marketing scheme. As Food Network reports, a Heinz executive wanting to sell more canned beans may have invented the dish. Regardless, many Brits adore this simple breakfast food, and Americans might want to try it too.
18: Jammie Dodgers
Since the 1960s, English citizens have been keeping Jammie Dodgers a secret from their friends across the pond. These shortbread cookies lined with raspberry or cherry jam are the ultimate sweet snack.
19: Lilt
Lilt was a favorite British soda that, unfortunately, you can no longer get. Coca-Cola purchased the brand and began bottling it under the Fanta soda line. According to Coca-Cola’s UK website, though, Fanta Pineapple and Grapefruit are Lilt, just under a different name.
20: Coronation Chicken
In 1953, Le Cordon Bleu London created and served a special chicken in curry sauce for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. The dish became known as coronation chicken and is available in a variety of forms across the UK, including as a chicken sandwich and salad.
21: Maltesers Teasers
American malt lovers are missing out on Maltesers Teasers. These candy bars, sold in the UK, consist of milk chocolate spiked with malt chocolate pieces.
22: Monster Munch
Monster Munch is a popular baked corn snack with flavors many Americans would, at least initially, find strange. In England, though, people love Monster Munch varieties like roast beef and pickled onion, which means you might want to give it a chance.
23: Treacle Pudding with Custard
English citizens love their steamed puddings, and that’s especially true of treacle pudding, a steamed sponge cake covered in golden syrup and served with hot custard. Americans would probably love this dish, too, if they ever got the chance to try it.
24: Jam Roly-Poly
A jam roly-poly consists of suet pastry covered in jam and rolled, similar to a Swiss roll. It’s a common dessert in the UK, but you’d be hard-pressed to find it in the U.S. That’s a shame, though, because this sweet and crumbly treat is delightful.
25: Fry’s Turkish Delight
Fry’s Turkish Delight is a chocolate bar made by Cadbury and only available in the UK. Rose-flavored Turkish delight candy wrapped in milk chocolate sounds phenomenal, but Americans will have to cross the pond if they want to try some.
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