Listening 6.

1 (track 19)

Tom: Maria, you lived in Britain for 10 months and you did a grounded study on British cuisine.
Maria :Yes I did. Actually, I spent 11 months there and I just took an interest in British cuisine. I’m interested in gastronomy and I thought I would seize the opportunity and immerse in
their eating habits.

Tom :And did you lose or gain some weight during your stay there?
Maria: I lost some. It was the best slimming diet in my life.
Tom: Really? I thought English dishes are fattening, aren’t they?
Maria: If you can eat them, definitely, but I think Britainand good food are two things which are not commonly
associated. There is one thing that most of the visitors, including me, would agree with - the food is terrible.
Tom: I can’t believe it’s so bad!
Maria: It’s very difficult to find good British food. Onlyone percent of restaurants serve British food and they tend to be either very expensive and found in luxurious hotels, or cheap
and nasty, in cafés, canteensand other restaurants.

Tom: I’ve heard that if you desire a good English dish, pubs are the best places to go.
Maria: Yes, absolutely. These places are also called gastropubs, or public houses. They are very unique. Britain would be a less sociable country without them. You can find a good
display of typical English food. They have a cosy and welcoming old-style interior. They serve meals at a high standard, to match good restaurants standards. Gastropubs concentrate
on the quality of food.

Tom :And why do you think English cuisine has such a bad reputation?
Maria: That’s interesting. One reason, I think, is that British taste is very different from everybody else’s. However, the most common complaint is not so much that British
food has a strange, unpleasant taste, but rather that it has very little taste at all. It is all too bland.

Tom: We also hear that modern British cuisine is actually a jumble of international dishes. What’s the truth in it?
Maria :Well, British cuisine has always been multicultural. It borrowed a lot from international cuisine. There are many similarities to French, Spanish and German food. Presently,
Indian food, which is spicy, has become a favourite with British people. You can also find many Chinese restaurants. They serve lunch-time snacks, steamed or deep-fried
dumplings, with either savouryor sweet fillings. Chinese and Indian restaurants are facing strong competition from Thai restaurants.

Tom: And what remained from traditional British cooking and food? What about the world famous English breakfast?
Maria: Yes, the full English breakfast. They still have it in its traditional form! Of course it’s eaten at breakfast, but now often served at other times of the day too.The two classic
components are bacon and eggs but it doesn’t stop there. Black pudding, other sausages, baked beans, kippers and other foods are added. It’s a hearty, kind of stick-to-your-ribs meal.
And we mustn’t forget the essential big mug of strong black tea.

Tom: To tell you the truth, it sounds terrible! Who caneat all this for breakfast?
Maria: Not me! I’m fine with my buttered toast and coffee in the morning. I don’t think this kind of breakfastis widespread on every household’s table every morning. Maybe at
weekends they still eat this full breakfast but it’s rather for foreign visitors, served mainly in hotels. A bowl of cornflakes, muesli or other cerealwith a cup of tea, marmalade and
buttered toast is more common these days.

Tom: Tea is everywhere as I’ve heard.

Maria: Asking for coffee with your breakfast in the UK is a big no-no. British cuisine leans heavily on tea. Tea is served with any meal and any time in between. It doesn’t matter
what the problem is, for the British the answer is always the same: Let’s have a nice cup oftea!

Tom: And what is traditional British tea like?

Maria: I would use the word strange as everything there. It’s the so-called Builder’s tea - strong black tea served with lots of milk and often two spoonfuls of sugar,usually in a mug. It is
for the working class and tea breaks are an essential part of any day. There is a more formal, refined tea ceremony though which even has a special ritual. In recent years, herbal teas
and speciality teas have also become popular. Teatime takes place in the late afternoon. Tea is often accompanied with some biscuits or scones.

Tom: It sounds interesting. And what about coffee? Do they have it?
Maria :Yes, it’s more and more popular but it cannot surpass the popularity of tea. But frankly, it’s horrible. They just drink it for caffeine and not for its delicate taste. Supermarkets
offer a wide range of instant coffee, far more than any other country. They are much more popular than percolated coffees.

Tom :Let me ask some further questions about meals. Howmany meals a day do they have and what does a typical lunch consist of?
Maria: Contrary to many countries, lunch is not the main meal of the day on weekdays. They have something light, usually convenience foodthat you have to heat up in the microwave
for a few minutes and it’s ready to consume. On Sunday it’s very different. British Sunday dinner served at lunchtime is also known as Sunday roast and is the very heart of British food
and cooking. It is the time for families or friends to get together and share good food. A traditional British Sunday dinneris a roast – beef at the top of the list, but pork, lamb or chicken
are also popular, with Yorkshire pudding, gravy, vegetables and a dessert pudding in the cold months and another kind of dessert in the summer.

Tom: Is it true that British people have a sweet tooth?

Maria: Yes, very much, a meal is not complete without some kind of dessert. Sweet things as snacks are very popular. Chocolate is the most popular sweet snack.There are many kinds
of cooked desserts. Steamed, boiled and baked puddings. One of the most famous desserts is trifle. It is made of custard, fruit, sponge cake and whipped cream. Sometimes
some cherries are added.

Tom: And what are some other traditional English dishes?

Maria: For example, Bubble and Squeak is made with leftover vegetables from a roast dinner. The main ingredients are potatoes and cabbage but other vegetables such as
carrots, peas, and Brussels sprouts can be added. Fish and chips is still very popular as a takeaway. It consists of deep-fried fish, traditionally cod or haddock, in batter or
breadcrumbs with deep-fried chopped potatoes.

Tom: Thanks, this information was interesting. Now I know what I can expect to eat when I’ll go to England.