British Isles

British Isles
History and Topography
British Isles
* Great Britain, Ireland and 5,500
small islands
The Countries:
1. England - London
2. Scotland - Edinburgh
3. Wales – Cardiff
4. Ireland - Dublin
Julius Caesar – he discovered Britain
Ancient Ancestors
 oatmeal, porridge, flatbreads
Celts – the first invading group of the
islands.
- boiling foods in large cauldrons by
adding stones.
Cauldron
Ancient Romans
- ruled for 350 yrs.
- introduced numerous fruit trees, like
grapes thus vinegar and wines were made
-. Herbs like marjoram, thyme and sage
- “garam” – made from salted and
fermented fish , used in cooking poultry
and meat.
-complex cheese
Germanic Tribes
- 2 main tribes : Angles and Saxons
(Anglo-Saxon)
- wheat, breads and beer making
- additional techniques in cheese making
and butter making
Viking Raiders
◦ 300 years
◦ Introduced food preservation like salting,
drying and smoking
Normans
- William the Conqueror or William the
Bastard - general
- ruling present day England and
introduced a system of ownership and
stewardship of the land they conquered
- introduced peas
- ate in courses rather than all at once
- started teaching the techniques in
making pastries and custards
- system the lords and nobles ruling the
-arable land and peasants serving them
 Peasants – bread, beer, oats, barley,
cheese and potato.
British Colonies
- America – turkey and beans
 India – curries, rice and breads , tea
 China – cabbage
 Spain – tomatoes
The Irish Potato from the Americans
 Potato is a staple food of the poor country
 Potato blight – fungus destroyed the crops
 Almost 1 million died of hunger and 2
million immigrated to US
England 3 Regions
1. Pennines – coasts, mountains, hills and
lakes
2. Southwest Peninsula – low plateaus,
highlands, coast
3. English Lowlands – fertile famrlands,
plains, hills, valley, coast and Thames
River

River Tweed and Cheviot Hills – border of

England and Scotland
SCOTLAND

- strong culinary influences from Scandinavia

and France, bec of the alliance against
England
- Marie de Guise of Lorraine of France
married to James V of Scotland
Scottish Cooking
- Salmon – usually grilled, smoked or poached
- herring – kippers (split and smoked)
- Cockaleekie – very thick chicken soup
containing leeks and barley
 ‘haggis’ – consists of sheep’s offal mixed
with oatmeal, stuffed in sheep’s stomach
and boiled
 Lamb
 Mutton
 Scones
 Marmalade

England
 The largest of the nation-states in the
United Kingdom and on the island of Great
Britain
 Roast rib of beef served with Yorkshire
Pudding and horseradish sauce
 Fish and Chips – deep-fried fish and
thickly cut French fries accompanied with
malt vinegar
 Sheperd’s pie – combines ground or
minced beef with a topping of those
favorite potatoes.
 Steak and Kidney pie – stewlike
combination of kidneys and steak topped
with a pastry crust.
 Bangers and mash – sausages and mashed
potatoes
 Roast Beef – with potatoes and one or two
vegetables
 Yorkshire Pudding – savory battercake cooked in
fat drippings from the roast
 Cod
 Haddock
 Plaice
Ireland
 Known as the Emerald Isle, it contains rolling
farmland and lush, green lands.
 Potato staple in their diet
 Colcannon – mashed potato with either kale or
cabbage
 Boxty – cake made from grated potato
 Champ – potatoes and spring onions
 Potato breads
 Irish stew – stew containing mutton or
lamb with potatoes and onions
 Seaweed functions as an important
ingredient in the diet on this small island.
 Barmbrack – fruit cake
Wales
 Crempogs – type of pancake
 Bara birth – fruit cake
 Caerphilly- cheese
 Laverbread – made from local seaweed
that is dried and boiled and usually mixed
or eaten with oatmeal
 Welsh Rarebit – melted cheese served on
toast.
 Cawls – clear broth with vegetables
INGREDIENTS
Lamb and mutton
Beef
Seafoods: cod, haddock, salmon, herring,
mackerel, shrimp, oysters
Ham and bacon
Potatoes
Winter vegetables like kale, cabbage, Brussels
sprouts,rutabagas, carrots and peas
Cucmber and celery
Oats
COOKING METHODS
Roasting, braising and frying used in
meat preparation
Bake – pies, puddings and larger cuts of
meat
Frying – sauteeing, deep frying such as
the fish and chips
Poaching – seafoods
Boiling and blandness – vegetables and
meats
Hearths -  a brick- or stone-
lined fireplace or oven often used
for cooking and/or heating. 
Bastible – large three-legged pot