Top 10 Weird Things British People Eat

Top 10 Weird Things British People Eat

Put down that pizza and listen up

Every country has their respective culinary delicacies that may seem, well, a bit off to the rest of the world. America has peanut butter, a sticky condiment that most Europeans can’t understand for the life of them.

Cambodia has crispy tarantulas, Japan has tuna eyeballs, and Canada has moose nose. None of them sound particularly appealing to me, but for the retrospective natives of these countries, they’re traditional dishes that should not be overlooked.

In the UK, the British have their fair share of strange snacks, dinners, and desserts, which the rest of the world might find quite strange. We recommend taking a trip across the pond to try all of them for yourself, because who knows if you’ll like sheep’s blood and liver until you try it, right?

1. Marmite

Every country has their respective culinary delicacies that may seem, well, a bit off to the rest of the world. America has peanut butter, a sticky condiment that most Europeans can’t understand for the life of them. Cambodia has crispy tarantulas, Japan has tuna eyeballs, and Canada has moose nose.

None of them sound particularly appealing to me, but for the retrospective natives of these countries, they’re traditional dishes that should not be overlooked. In the UK, the British have their fair share of strange snacks, dinners, and desserts, which the rest of the world might find quite strange. We recommend taking a trip across the pond to try all of them for yourself, because who knows if you’ll like sheep’s blood and liver until you try it, right?

2. Chip Butty

Second on this British delicacy manual, we stumble across the sandwich of a lifetime – the chip butty. In many other places in the world, you’ll order a sandwich, and it will usually come with a side, typically your choice of chips (potato chips – this can get confusing in England), fries, or a side salad (but who ever chooses this really?).

In the UK, I think they figured why separate the fries and sandwich, when you could just make them into one. Hence, the chip butty was born. Now, a quick clarification – in the UK, fries are called chips. Chips are called crisps. Easy enough. You may think there must be more to this to make it worth putting on a menu, or offering to any living person in general. You’re wrong. This sandwich is one of the simplest creations that ever was – buttered white bread stuffed with French fries.

If you really want to get fancy, some restaurants or some long-lost family members may serve it to you on a roll, which could occasionally be sliced. If you apparently feel the need for more flavor, apart from the tinge of fried things and mushy bread, you can feel free to add ketchup, brown sauce, or vinegar to the mix.

Brown sauce is a separate discussion in itself – it can be put on anything, and people will put it on anything, no questions asked. After deciding whether to put sauce on this sandwich or not, your job is done. Enjoy it at your leisure – preferably in the privacy of your own home, so the general public can continue to think you actually have taste buds.

Be aware if you look on the menu – it can be listed as a chip butty, chip cob, chip sarnie, and any other name the restaurant owner wants to call it. Don’t argue, just order it, and change your life. 

3. Mushy Peas

Forging on, next up on our list we have mushy peas. Think of baby food from a can, that has been dumped onto a plate next to other dinner items. Potentially one of the most traditional dinner meals of all time, fish and  chips is usually accompanied by mushy peas as a side item.

Personally I am a bit flabbergasted as to why you feel the need to add this one-textured slop to an already amazing crispy and battered fish, but – the British love it. Dating back to the mid 1970s, you create this concoction by soaking dried peas in water and baking soda, giving it the appropriate description of “mushy.” Seasoning them with salt and pepper complete the process, and then your peas are ready to hit the plate.

In certain parts of the UK, specifically Northern England, you can also use mushy peas to complete a snack called pie and peas, which is an individual pie stuffed with peas and gravy. Some parts of the UK eat mushy peas on their own. Yes, you read that right. Some places believe this soupy-snack is tasty enough to enjoy by itself, specifically in the regions of Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

This could potentially be a reason to never visit these areas. If you’re visiting the UK for the first time, you should definitely try this mushy vegetable within the dish of fish and chips. And if you get full on the fish and chips, just skip the mushy peas. You won’t miss it. 

4. Scotch Egg

Number four on the list of weird things British people eat, we have the Scotch egg. This could be one of the items on the list that actually sounds quite good, and I believe should be broadcasted across the waters, so other nations can aptly try and re-create these savory snacks.

Consisting of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, coated in bread crumbs, and baked or deep fried, I could not think of a more unhealthy item that would definitely catch wind in the US. With discrepancies on how this recipe came about, with some stories claiming that the popular department store Fortnum & Mason invented this in 1738, and some believing that the Oxford English Dictionary first recognized the term in 1809.

Despite the differences in the origin of the recipe, what is undeniable is the tradition that has carried on in decades since. Scotch eggs now a days are common foods to bring on a lovely picnic in the park, being something you can make in your own kitchen or easily pick up from any corner shop or service station.

You will also see the terms savoury eggs, picnic eggs, or snack eggs to describe these yummy snacks. For an easy on-the-go option to bring for the whole family, Scotch eggs are a common delicacy that you’ll find all around the UK, and slowly making its way into some English pubs in other countries. 

5. Bubble and Squeak

For number five, we have a food delicacy that can in no way be deciphered by the name; Bubble and Squeak. A breakfast dish comprised of cabbage and potatoes, this plate is usually made by combining different leftovers from the traditional Sunday roast dinner, a tradition that still carries strong in many homes and pubs of England.

Even though potato and cabbage are the main two ingredients, now a days many people add in other slightly-fried vegetables like carrots, sprouts, or peas. Not the mushy kind, don’t worry. Why is it called Bubble and Squeak do you ask? Well some clever soul was cooking up all of these leftovers and noticed the bubbling and squeaking sound the cabbage and vegetables made during the cooking process in the pan, and decided that should then hence-forth be the name.

Originally becoming a staple in the 18th century, this dish originally included the left over meat as well from Sunday, which some will still add in to the next day’s breakfast, although the modern version is typically veg-friendly.

Eating leftovers is always a great choice for the next morning – I mean, who doesn’t like cold pizza? I don’t know how well cabbage and potatoes would go over the next morning in most households outside of the UK, but you’ll just have to try it and see. 

6. Yorkshire Pudding

Continuing the trend of names that don’t reflect the dish at all, we have Yorkshire pudding. Many people may think the term ‘pudding’ automatically refers to a dessert dish. In the UK, anything that has ‘pudding’ in the name most certainly does not refer to a dessert dish. Pretty easy – everything is opposite in England.

Yorkshire pudding usually consists of a batter made of eggs, flour, and either milk or water. This dish is basically a random combination of those three ingredients that can be served any way you want – as a first course, as a main course, or as a side dish. Yorkshire pudding is the one in your friend group that always makes you look good, and does whatever the rest of the people in the group wants. We like them. As a first course, you can add some gravy to the pudding, being sort of the ‘bread basket’ in American dining.

Used as a main course, you can add beef, gravy, or bangers and mash, being the ‘steak’ portion of the American evening. And as a side dish, again, we have – wait for it – gravy. Like we said, versatile, consistent, and a staple. If you ever get the chance to visit the UK in the winter, the first Sunday in February is Yorkshire Pudding Day – so don’t miss your chance to try this delicacy on its favorite day of the year. 

9. Mince Pie

Seven on this foolproof list of weird food items in Britain, we have mince pies. A mince pie is filled with dried fruits and spices – a combination strangely called “mincemeat” – even though there is absolutely no meat in this at all. This dish is usually served during the Christmas season, with the mince seasoning apparently bringing out the holiday joy of all UK citizens.

Mince pies date all the way back to the 13th century, when Middle Eastern influence traveled across the borders to little old Britain. Becoming a staple, this pie came to be associated with Catholicism during ancient times, and did actually use minced meat in the historical recipe. Fortunately for everyone now, the religious meaning has since diminished and the meat has been removed, making this a popular treat that is enjoyed throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland alike.

9. Spotted Dick

Bringing in number eight on this list, we have, the strangely named, spotted dick. Yes yes, cue all of the jokes now *slight pause.* Now that we’re done with that, let’s describe what this traditional dish is made of, shall we? This famous food is a pudding (again), made with suet and dried fruit, and accompanied by custard.

To make this dish sound even less appealing, suet is the hard fat of beef that is found around the loins and kidneys. Yikes. Apparently, making anything into a pudding entices the British to cook it and eat it. Honestly, the texture, the look, and the taste of this dish should really deter almost anyone from eating it, or offering it on their menu. However, tradition lives on in the United Kingdom, and is not lost upon this strange dish.

10. Black Pudding & White Pudding

Up next, we have two MORE types of pudding: black and white pudding. Again, this pudding is definitely not a dessert. In fact, it is more of a breakfast staple than any other. Black pudding is a type of blood sausage that is made from pork blood, pork fat, and some type of grain, like oatmeal or barley. White pudding is almost the same, but leaves out the blood. Thanks, white pudding makers.

Typically I don’t enjoy blood with my morning coffee, but the English feel differently I suppose. These types of sausage are probably some of the oldest forms of sausage, ensuring the blood that occurs during slaughter doesn’t go to waste. I appreciate the fact that in the 15th century, people had very little to eat, didn’t want to let anything spoil, and got most of their food from a farm or by bartering.

Understandable. Now a days, however, I don’t see why the blood still needs to be saved. But, alas, the English continue on a tradition unlike anywhere else in the world, fueling the fire of the black and white pudding, creating a breakfast staple that will never die. 

11. Toad in the Hole

Lastly on this strange and weird list, we have chosen toad in the hole. This traditional dish consists of sausages encased in Yorkshire pudding batter, typically combined with gravy and vegetables.

The sausages are usually laid along the top of the dish, locked in below the high walls of the overflowing Yorkshire pudding.

This recipe came about in the 18th century, with Northerners tending to lean towards a crispier pudding, and Southerners preferring a softer version. To see if this old tradition is true, we recommend visiting both parts of Britain and determining it for yourself.

11. Who thought British people were normal?

As far as food traditions and delicacies go, Britain has got some weird ones. Puddings that aren’t actually desserts, blood in your morning breakfast, and dishes that have strange names, there are plenty of alternative dishes to go around. One thing is for certain; Britain loves keeping a tradition alive, with most of these recipes dating back centuries, and most of which don’t appear to be going out of trend anytime soon. To really get the authentic taste of the UK, you’re going to have to go for yourself to get the real deal – both North and South of the country. We still recommend skipping the mushy peas though.