Andrew experiences some unique food on his journey through the UK!Andrew experiences some unique food on his journey through the UK!Andrew experiences some unique food on his journey through the UK!
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Faggots, cockles and whelks – who could resist, unless you judge a book by it's cover?
Right, let's be honest: when thinking about Great-Britain many things come to mind. Shakespeare, the Queen (both the band and the royal lady), a former empire, Jack the Ripper, bowler hats, umbrellas, etc. But when talking about the cuisine, well, fish n' chips at best and that the reputation of the English kitchen isn't the best – putting it mildly. And once again, Andrew Zimmern comes to the rescue and belies that reputation.
As with any other show in this series, it's of course all a matter of taste and palate. Yes, some may view the presented dishes as bizarre (as in disgusting), others will find merely the names bizarre, but will find their mouth getting watery as Zimmern devours such 'exotic' dishes as faggots (a welsh speciality, consisting of pork offal, usually served with potatoes and peas; and here I hope IMDb doesn't auto-censor the term), whelks (sea-snails), cockles (a local clam) and laverbread (made with a particular seaweed and sometimes described as "the welsh caviar").
In Scotland Zimmern helps himself to the 'infamous' Haggis, a pudding consisting of sheep's innards – probably 'infamous' because of the reputation of being boiled in sheep-stomach. Unjustly 'infamous', I might add, since the sausages you most likely eat aren't encased in plastic either. Jellied Eels, traditionally eaten in the East End of London and formerly considered "working-class-food" sound equally, if not more, bizarre, but thanks to Zimmern's unending enthusiasm, the concept seems way more appealing in real-life than it does on paper. "Highlights" of the episode include a home-made Christmas pudding, which, unlike most variations in Europe, isn't a mush, but more like a sort of alcohol-drenched Suet (beef or mutton fat), mixed with eggs, fruits and spices, having the rough consistency of a cake. Again, a matter of personal taste, but in my opinion the most bizarre item in this show is the "Stinking Bishop", which is, as the name implies, a particular odious type of cheese.
There is more in this show: pigeon, jugged hare, grilled ox heart, to name but three. But again, the zest with which chief Zimmern describes these foods (and with which he devours them), makes you want to put on a bowler hat, travel to the UK and give it a bite yourself. Doubtful whether he'll be knighted for his effort, but English chefs should probably thank him for trying to save the reputation of the English kitchen. Giving this episode a view before you might visit Britain may save you from spending your meals at Burger-Joints and Indian restaurants after having grown sick and tired of fish and chips.
8/10
As with any other show in this series, it's of course all a matter of taste and palate. Yes, some may view the presented dishes as bizarre (as in disgusting), others will find merely the names bizarre, but will find their mouth getting watery as Zimmern devours such 'exotic' dishes as faggots (a welsh speciality, consisting of pork offal, usually served with potatoes and peas; and here I hope IMDb doesn't auto-censor the term), whelks (sea-snails), cockles (a local clam) and laverbread (made with a particular seaweed and sometimes described as "the welsh caviar").
In Scotland Zimmern helps himself to the 'infamous' Haggis, a pudding consisting of sheep's innards – probably 'infamous' because of the reputation of being boiled in sheep-stomach. Unjustly 'infamous', I might add, since the sausages you most likely eat aren't encased in plastic either. Jellied Eels, traditionally eaten in the East End of London and formerly considered "working-class-food" sound equally, if not more, bizarre, but thanks to Zimmern's unending enthusiasm, the concept seems way more appealing in real-life than it does on paper. "Highlights" of the episode include a home-made Christmas pudding, which, unlike most variations in Europe, isn't a mush, but more like a sort of alcohol-drenched Suet (beef or mutton fat), mixed with eggs, fruits and spices, having the rough consistency of a cake. Again, a matter of personal taste, but in my opinion the most bizarre item in this show is the "Stinking Bishop", which is, as the name implies, a particular odious type of cheese.
There is more in this show: pigeon, jugged hare, grilled ox heart, to name but three. But again, the zest with which chief Zimmern describes these foods (and with which he devours them), makes you want to put on a bowler hat, travel to the UK and give it a bite yourself. Doubtful whether he'll be knighted for his effort, but English chefs should probably thank him for trying to save the reputation of the English kitchen. Giving this episode a view before you might visit Britain may save you from spending your meals at Burger-Joints and Indian restaurants after having grown sick and tired of fish and chips.
8/10
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- t_atzmueller
- Feb 17, 2016
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- Runtime43 minutes
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