You don’t need us to tell you that London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. In fact, with over 15 million visitors from around the world every year, there’s a good chance quite a few of you have already had the pleasure of seeing the London Eye and Buckingham Palace.
Now, we are not going to bore you with reasons to visit London, because there are a million of them. Instead we’re going to help you make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Everyone can go sightseeing (and you definitely should!) in London, but can everyone experience London? And what better way to experience a culture, than to try its most authentic and recognizable foods?
Here is our list of the 5 must try London foods:
1. Full English Breakfast
Drank too much Guinness last night? There is no proven cure for a wicked hangover, but the full English breakfast is the closest thing we’ve got! The traditional dish contains poaches or scrambled eggs, sausages, toast, black pudding, baked beans, fried mushrooms and tomatoes.
Our sources tell us King Arthur found the strength to pull Excalibur out of the rock because of a magical ingredient in one of the components of the full English breakfast. We don’t know which one, so you’ll have to try them all!
2. Curry
Curry is a mixture of herbs and spices which come from Asia, and more famously from India. As you all know India was a part of the British Commonwealth for a long time and curry was one of the most prized imports from the colony to the British Isles.
The curry spices come from India, but the actual original recipe for curry as we know it today is British. The first official recipe dates back to the 18th century. Curry is typically vegetables, rice, meat and a curry sauce. Of course there are hundreds of different curry dishes, but don’t worry, you can’t go wrong with any of them!
3. Tea
This is another one of India’s gifts to British culture. Everyone’s heard of the famous “tea time”, but what people forgot to tell you is that tea time happens a few times during the day.
First you have “elevenses” which is well… tea at 11 o’clock. Usually served with scones or biscuits, which is what the British call the American cookies.
Afternoon tea occurs at around 4 p.m. With afternoon tea you usually eat finger sandwiches, scones, cakes or pastries.
Should you go further north than London, you might encounter High Tea, which is what the locals call their dinners.
No matter which one you prefer, embrace your inner Brit, and don’t be afraid to try that odd combination of black tea and milk. It’s truly wonderful.
4. Beef Wellington
Even the name sounds as British as it possibly could. This is a beef steak, coated in pâté, wrapped in pastry and then baked and a must try London delicacy. It doesn’t need much explanation, does it?
5. Fish and Chips
The British answer to fast food. Whatever the question is, it’s a great answer. You can find this in any pub, restaurant and sometimes in carts selling it on the street. There are even specialized fish-and-chip shops.
The fish is usually deep-fried in batter, and the chips are what Americans would call French fries. An interesting fact is that during World War II fish and chips was one of the very few foods in the UK which wasn’t subjected to rationing. Now, what can make you feel the true British spirit better than fish and chips?
