Spicing Up Britain

Among the cuisines of Europe, Britain’s has traditionally been regarded as the black sheep - kippers, jellied eels and blood pudding rarely elicit the same fond feelings as chocolate mousse or pasta primavera. Yet despite these unfortunate stereotypes, British cuisine is today one of the most interesting and varied in the world. In this remarkable history of British food, Panikos Panayi reveals the transformation and enrichment of British cuisine by diverse international influences.

From the arrival of Italian ice-cream vendors and German pork butchers, to the rise of curry as the national dish, Spicing Up Britain reveals the fascinating multicultural history of British food over the last 150 years, showing how a combination of immigration, increased wealth and globalization have transformed the eating habits of the British. From the spaghetti bolognese and Thai green curry that Britons eat at home to the dishes from all corners of the world cooked by celebrity chefs on TV, Britain has become a country of great diversity, in which people of different backgrounds are united by their readiness to sample a wide variety of foods introduced by manifold ethnic groups. Even migrant communities themselves adapt their traditional products to the British environment, as Panayi illustrates.

Taking in changes to home cooking, restaurants and takeaways, grocery shops and delicatessens and cookbooks, Panayi’s flavourful account will appeal to all who enjoy Britain’s multicultural cuisine.