The British love affair with curries and Indian food is well known and anyone who visits the UK on a regular basis will know that some of the best value restaurants around serve Indian food.
When friends from Spain visit London I always recommend eating in Indian restaurants and was surprised to hear that one of the things that put them off – apart from being unfamiliar with the food – is that Indian restaurants look expensive.
When in Britain…
And when I though about it they’re right; with linen tablecloths and napkins and tasteful décor they do look like they should be expensive and usually the waiters are well dressed too; however Indian food is surprisingly cheap and with a few pointers in the right direction – i.e. nothing too hot – I think anyone can enjoy Indian food; my friends certainly learnt how to with dishes such as chicken tikka, which is tasty without being spicy hot and served with rice or naan bread makes a hearty meal.
…and when not
As much as I like tikka and chicken tikka I wouldn’t recommend eating Indian food that’s called tikka Masala or tikkaHawali; plain and simple. When served with rice or bread in India it’s called aloo. It’s not chilias or cumin-chilias as we know them here in the UK, it’s just simply butter and flour breaded in chickpea flour and flavored with coriander, cumin, garam masala, cinnamon, roasted cumin and garlic. It makes a great, hearty lunch. recommendation: try this for lunch and you’ll see!
…and as a drink
Chai is traditionally drank with breakfast or as a drink with mid day lunch or later in the day. However, it is also been enjoyed as a mocktail (on a barbeque?) or prepared as a cocktail drink known as rum chops. The rum chops are prepared by mixing scotch with ginger syrup and perhaps a small amount of cloves. Theather than crushed ice and shots of liquor are mixed in with ice and garnished with lime wedges and some chopped lime and orange juice. The cocktail is garnished with orange slices and rita wedges.
Other drinks preened by the British include the Acai berry and Adasca. The latter is a fairly simple cocktail made of natural ingredients such as acai berries, pomegranate juice, vanilla syrup, strawberry ice, and orange juice. The former, as already mentioned, is a mocktail made of ginger beer, chamomile served with ice and garnished with lime wedges.
Other Popular British Drinks
Ria is anon alcoholic cocktails beverage made from red or green apple juice and rose and lemon juice. It is traditionally served in a crushed ice or yerba mate glass.
Allsorts
The Allsorts or the Dartments, as they are called, range from the more common to the unusual. They range from gardenabb gins and shortcake to Government and church among the tea companions.
Basil is a very popular ingredient in the creating of Allsorts and must be incorporated in any recipe that involves herbs.
Rose Hips
These are small, delicate and flexible. They bear resemblance to tiny reddish carrots. It is their small size that makes them so effective for cooking. Rose Hips must be removed from the coriander before cooking and they are great for making cakes and pastries. They are perfect for those who want to add a little distinction both to their garden and to their dinner table.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus tea or oolong tea is made from either tea leaves or the dried remains of coffee beans. Eucalyptus is a refreshing drink that is often served instead of tea for a number of reasons. Eucalyptus is picked so the growing flowers don’t knock over. The buds have a lighter, more fragrant taste and a silver-ale background. This makes it a very attractive tea for spring and summer when the tea bushes aren’t in bloom, making it a wonderful summer tea. I have enjoyed this tea myself, and it is a taste that will appeal to those who appreciate a delightful cup of hot tea.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a less popular tea than the other teas on the list. Its reputation is not as good as it once used to be. This tea is known for its bitter taste and is not really enjoyed by those who are looking for a pleasant cup of tea to enjoy with dinner.
Green Tea
Green tea was another tea that was once enjoyed by many people, but today it is very rare and very hard to find.
About The Author
Helena Eater
How much does the quality of food really matter? If you eat food that tastes good, your life will be better. If you eat food that tastes bad, your life will be worse. The difference between good and evil is partly subjective: what tastes good to me might taste bad to you. The difference is also partly objective: what restaurants I think serve good food might serve lousy food to you. But if we stick to objective measures — measures such as how much weight people gain or lose — we can cut through some of the subjectivity.
