Also known as the full breakfast, this traditional British dish appears everywhere with a few essentials and some regional additions. First, there is the meat – usually a combination of sausages and bacon. The sausage is plain pork sausage, while the bacon can be streaky or back bacon.
Then there are vegetables and legumes – baked beans and tomatoes, both cooked over high heat. The balance of sweetness and acidity in the tomatoes nicely balances out the fattiness on the other side of the plate. Lastly, there is a crispy piece of fried bread and two or three over-easy eggs to tie the whole meal together.
MOST ICONIC English breakfast
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Eton mess is a popular English dessert made by combining fresh strawberries, meringue, and cream. The dessert was invented in the 1930s at the English Eton College, when it was traditionally served at the school's prize-giving celebration, held annually on June 4th.
Originally, it was made with either strawberries or bananas that were mixed with ice cream because meringue is a recent addition to the dish. The word mess refers to the untidy visual appearance of the dish. Today, Eton mess can be made with other fruit, such as raspberries, redcurrants, or even blackberries, and because it is very easy to prepare and flavorful, it is popular throughout the country, especially in the summer.
MOST ICONIC Eton mess
MAIN INGREDIENTS
This classic British dish consists of a suet pastry filled with diced beef, gravy, and chunks of beef kidneys. The pudding is traditionally steamed for a long time before serving. It can be accompanied by mashed potatoes and a variety of vegetables on the side.
The first recipe for this traditional dish comes from 1861, so it has surely passed the test of time.
MOST ICONIC Steak and kidney pudding
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Yorkshire pudding is a popular British side dish that is traditionally served during Sunday roasts. It is made from a creamy batter consisting of flour, eggs, and milk or water. While some might think of it as a dessert, in Britain, pudding was typically a meat-based dish, whereas today puddings exist in a number of different variations.
Yorkshire pudding is served either before the main meal as an appetizer, or alongside it as a side dish. In the past, it was consumed with a rich, thick gravy in order to satiate the people with low-cost ingredients, so they wouldn't need to eat too much of the expensive meat that was served as the main dish.