If you love food, then planning your holidays around it is a great idea! Traveling for the best meals can make your trip more fun and memorable. Food is a big part of the UK culture, with every corner of the country offering something delicious to try. From hearty full English breakfasts to tasty Sunday roasts, planning your day around meals is an easy way to enjoy yourself. The UK is famous for a wide range of regional dishes, with each area having its own specialties.
Best Regional Foods – Yorkshire pudding, Yorkshire
Yorkshire is famous for treats like Party Rings, Terry’s Chocolate Orange, and Wensleydale cheese, but there’s one food we can’t forget, Yorkshire puddings. This fluffy side dish is a must-try with roast beef and has been a part of Sunday lunches for hundreds of years.
Though we don’t know exactly where it started, Yorkshire pudding has been linked to the North of England, especially Yorkshire, since at least 1747. It’s one of many savory puddings in the UK, like hogs, white, and black puddings. You’ll see Yorkshire puddings on menus nationwide, and some places even make them into wraps for a Sunday roast on the go! They’re also the base of the pub favorite, toad in the Hole. For the best experience, visit one of Yorkshire’s great pubs or restaurants and enjoy this classic Northern dish.
Cheddar, Somerset
Whether you enjoy a full-course meal after a walk in the countryside or a tasty cheese course to finish your meal, there’s one cheese you’ll find all over the UK and beyond Cheddar. This cheese is so common that we often don’t stop to think about where it comes from before enjoying it with a big spoonful of chutney.
As you might guess, Cheddar cheese comes from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, where it’s been made for over a thousand years. Long ago, the cheese had to be made within 30 miles of Wells Cathedral. Today, Cheddar is made worldwide, so everyone can enjoy this classic West Country cheese.
Cranachan
This is a traditional Scottish dessert, similar to trifle or Eton mess. The word “cranachan” comes from Scottish Gaelic and means “churn,” but in some places, it’s also called cream crowdie. To make cranachan, sweet raspberries are mixed into cream flavored with honey, whisky, and toasted oatmeal.
Welsh cakes, Wales
These cakes are a delicious mix of a scone, biscuit, and pancake. They’re so closely tied to Wales that no one knows exactly where they came from. These small, sweet treats are easy to make and were perfect for miners’ lunches and school children, making them a popular snack for everyone.
Today, you can find Welsh cakes in most bakeries, and some even sell big bags of them to take home and freeze. You can take Welsh cakes out of Wales, but the best can be found only in Wales.
Manchester tart
These tarts have a long history dating back to the 19th century when it was first known as the Manchester pudding. Victorian cook, Mrs. Beeton, made a version similar to today’s tart but without the coconut topping. The modern Manchester tart has a sweet pastry base with raspberry jam, custard, and a topping of desiccated coconut and maraschino cherries. It was a popular dessert in school dinners from the 1950s to the 80s and is now making a comeback as a retro treat.
Cumberland sausage, Cumbria
This is another well-known UK delicacy with protected status. It’s big, flavorful, and one of the most famous British sausages. What makes it stand out, besides its origin in Cumbria, is its long, spiral shape and its chunky, meaty texture, due to its filling being chopped instead of minced.
You can enjoy this delicious sausage on creamy mashed potatoes with gravy or try it in a Cumberland sausage sandwich, both are perfect pairings!
Best Regional Foods – Shortbread, Scotland
Whether you stock up for Christmas or love collecting beautiful Scottish tins, one thing is certain: nothing beats real Scottish shortbread! Its origins go back to medieval biscuit bread, with a connection to Mary Queen of Scots. These tasty treats have been a favorite for centuries, often saved for special occasions (or a big cup of tea).
In the past, Scottish shortbread was flavored with caraway seeds and candied citrus, but nowadays, it’s made with just flour, butter, and sugar, simple and delicious! After a tour of the North Coast 500, picking up a tin of shortbread is a perfect way to remember your trip.
Gypsy Tart
The gypsy tart is a traditional dessert from Kent, made with a shortcrust pastry base and a rich, dark treacle filling, topped with a light, zesty cream. Its exact origins are unclear, but the story goes that a woman created the tart using ingredients she had at home to feed a group of hungry gypsy children playing nearby.
The tart has a simple filling made of just two ingredients: evaporated milk and dark muscovado sugar. It was a popular dessert in school lunches in the area during the 1960s-80s loved for its soft, moussy texture.
Stargazy Pie
Cornwall is well known for its beaches, pasties, and clotted cream, but not many know about another local specialty, the stargazy pie. This dish gets its name because it traditionally has fish heads coming out from the crust as if they’re gazing at the stars. The original recipe includes pilchards or sardines, along with eggs and potatoes. There’s even a legend behind it, telling the story of Tom Bawcock, who caught so many fish one stormy night that he made a huge stargazy pie and saved his village from hunger. For a fun twist, you can try stargazy pasties instead.
Tottenham Cake
These cakes first appeared in the Tottenham area of north London in the late 1800s and are still a beloved British treat. In 1901, it was given for free to local kids to celebrate Tottenham Hotspur’s first FA Cup win. Today, local Quakers still bake it, and you can even find it in some regional Greggs stores. Enjoy a slice of Tottenham cake and savor a piece of history.
Trying out these diverse and delicious regional foods of the UK offers a tasteful journey through the country’s culinary heritage. Most of these dishes tell a story and connect us to local traditions and it is a delicious way to experience the culture and history of the UK.
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