The British Cuisine

Although the western believe about British food is the same as always, the modern English food is far from the old “fish and chips”, the Indian, Mediterranean, and even Chinese influences have shaped what now is called the spiciest food in the hole world; But even with all the change (mostly produced by the first and second world wars) the plain and robust English breakfast is still around.
The first thing you notice about the British way of eating is its simplicity, robustness even you could say it’s the same way Colombian peasants eat: meat(in any kind of variety), vegetables(in a non-elaborate way of cooking) and mainly potatoes(fried, sliced, or in any kind of way) fill the English dinner table.

Among all the variety inside English cuisine there are a few plates that stand out:

- The English breakfast: The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain. The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred to as 'The Full English Fry-up'. When you compare it to the Colombian cuisine, its almost like what we would call a “Bandeja paisa”.

- Bubble & Squeak: Typically made from cold vegetables that have been left over from a previous meal, often the Sunday roast. The chief ingredients are potato and cabbage, but carrots, peas, brussels sprouts, and other vegetables can be added. The cold chopped vegetables (and cold chopped meat if used) are fried in a pan together with mashed potato until the mixture is well-cooked and brown on the sides. The name is a description of the action and sound made during the cooking process. It’s a lot like the “Calentao” Colombians eat with their leftovers.

- Cumberland Sausage: This famous pork sausage is usually presented coiled up like a long rope, almost the same as the “Longaniza” eaten in Boyacá.

- Fish and Chips: The most traditional takeaway British food, it consists of Fish (cod, haddock, huss, plaice) deep fried in flour batter with chips (fried potatoes) dressed in malt vinegar. This is England's traditional take-away food or as US would say "to go". Fish and chips are not normally home cooked but bought at a fish and chip shop ("chippie" ) to eat on premises or as a "take away"

- Black pudding: Also called blood pudding. Looks like a black sausage. It is made from dried pigs blood and fat). Eaten at breakfast time Recipe. Black pudding recipes vary from region to region, some are more peppery and some are fattier than others. It is like the Colombian morcilla.

The British food also varies according to the region it is made:

- English cuisine: English cuisine is shaped by the climate of England, its island geography and its history. The latter includes interactions with other European countries, and the importing of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China and India during the time of the British Empire and as a result of immigration.

- Scottish Cuisine: Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with Scotland. It shares much with British cuisine, but has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own. Traditional Scottish dishes such as haggis exist alongside international foodstuff brought about by migration. In addition to foodstuffs, Scotland produces a variety of Scotch whiskies.

- Welsh Cuisine: Welsh cuisine has influenced, and been influenced by, other British cuisine. Although both beef and dairy cattle are raised widely, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales is best known for its sheep, and thus lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking.

Others Britain customs

The tea: Afternoon tea is a light meal typically eaten between 3pm and 5pm (cuppa). It originated in the United Kingdom when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II in 1661 and brought the practice of drinking tea in the afternoon with her from Portugal. Various places that belonged to the former British Empire also have such a meal. However, changes in social customs and working hours mean that most Britons only take afternoon tea on special/formal occasions.
Traditionally, loose tea is served in a teapot with milk and sugar. This is accompanied by various sandwiches (customarily cucumber, egg and cress, fish paste, ham, and smoked salmon), scones (with butter, clotted cream and jam — see cream tea) and usually cakes and pastries (such as Battenberg, fruit cake or Victoria sponge). The food is often served on a tiered stand.
While afternoon tea used to be an everyday event, nowadays it is more likely to be taken as a treat in a hotel, café, or tea shop, although many Britons still have a cup of tea and slice of cake or some chocolate at teatime. Accordingly, many hotels now market a champagne cream tea.