List of English dishes facts for kids
English cuisine includes many different cooking styles, traditions, and recipes from England. It has its own special qualities. It also shares a lot with other British foods. This is partly because of ingredients and ideas brought from places like North America, China, and India during the time of the British Empire. Also, after World War II, many people moved to the UK, bringing their food traditions with them.
This article will tell you about some of the most famous and interesting prepared dishes from England. We won't be talking about single ingredients like vegetables or types of meat, but about the meals themselves!
Famous English Dishes
English food has a long history, with many dishes loved by people all over the country. Some are old, and some are newer, but all are a tasty part of English culture.
Savoury Dishes
These are the main course meals or snacks that are not sweet.
This is a unique dumpling from the 1800s. It has a pastry crust with two different fillings! One end is savoury, usually with meat, potatoes, and vegetables. The other end is sweet, often with jam or fruit. It was a handy meal for workers to take with them.
This is a classic comfort food. It's simply mashed potatoes served with sausages. Sometimes, it comes with a tasty onion gravy or fried onions. Sausages have been around for a very long time, but potatoes only came to Europe in the 1500s!
This popular dish is a British-Asian creation. It features pieces of chicken tikka (chicken cooked in a tandoor oven) in a creamy, spiced sauce. It's a great example of how different cultures have influenced English food.
Perhaps the most famous English dish! It's white fish fillets, like cod or haddock, covered in a crispy batter and deep-fried. It's served with thick-cut potato chips (fries). This dish became popular around the 1870s and is still a favourite today.
This is a big, hearty meal, often eaten in the morning. It usually includes fried foods like sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, and grilled tomatoes. You might also find baked beans or kippers (smoked fish). It's a great way to start the day!
From the region of Lancashire, this is a delicious meat stew. It's made with carrots, potatoes, and onions, and often topped with sliced potatoes before being baked slowly.
Originating from Cornwall, a pasty is a pastry shell filled with meat and potatoes. It's shaped like a half-moon and was traditionally a portable meal for miners.
This simple but satisfying lunch became popular in the 1950s. It usually includes bread (often buttered), a chunk of cheese, an onion, and sometimes pickle. It's a cool, easy meal.
A savoury pie, often cylindrical, filled with seasoned pork meat. It's usually eaten cold and is famous from Melton Mowbray.
This comforting dish features minced meat (lamb for shepherd's pie, beef for cottage pie) topped with a crust of creamy mashed potato, then baked until golden. It's a classic family meal.
A very important meal in England, usually eaten on Sundays. It typically includes roasted meat (like beef, lamb, or pork), roast potatoes, vegetables, and gravy. Yorkshire pudding is a must-have with roast beef!
Don't worry, there are no toads in this dish! It's sausages baked in a tray of batter, similar to Yorkshire pudding. It's a fun and tasty meal.
A light, airy batter baked in a very hot oven until it puffs up. It's often served with a Sunday roast, especially with beef, to soak up the gravy.
Sweet Treats
These are the desserts and sweet snacks that English cuisine is famous for.
A classic dessert with a pastry crust filled with sweetened apples. It can have a top crust or just be open-faced. It's been enjoyed since at least the 1300s!
From Derbyshire, this tart has a pastry shell with a thin layer of jam, topped with an almond-flavoured sponge cake. It's often decorated with a cherry.
A more modern sweet treat, this pie has a pastry shell filled with bananas, cream, and a rich toffee sauce. It's a delicious combination of flavours.
A comforting dessert made from layers of buttered bread, often with raisins, baked in a creamy, eggy custard. It's a great way to use up leftover bread.
A rich, dark, steamed pudding traditionally eaten at Christmas. It's packed with dried fruits, spices, and sometimes a little brandy. It's often served with cream or custard.
From Greater Manchester, this small, round cake has a flaky pastry filled with butter and currants. It's a sweet and buttery snack.
These are small pastry shells filled with sweet mincemeat. Don't let the name fool you – modern mincemeat is a sweet mix of dried fruits, spices, and sometimes suet, not actual meat! They are very popular around Christmas.
Small, bread-like cakes, often with raisins. They are a key part of a "cream tea," served with jam and clotted cream.
This is a steamed pudding made with suet pastry and dried fruits (the "spots"). It's usually served warm with custard.
A very popular and rich dessert. It's a moist sponge cake made with dates, covered in a warm, sweet toffee sauce, and often served with ice cream or custard.
A colourful, layered cold dessert. It often includes sponge cake soaked in fruit juice or fortified wine, jelly, custard, and whipped cream, all stacked in a glass bowl.
This tart has a pastry shell filled with a thick, sweet treacle (golden syrup) mixture. It's a wonderfully sweet and sticky dessert.
Images for kids
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A colourful Battenberg Cake.
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Eton Mess, a mix of meringue, cream, and fruit.
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Eve's Pudding, a baked apple dessert with a sponge topping.
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Raspberry Fool, a light fruit and cream dessert.
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Gypsy Tart, a sweet tart with a unique filling.
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A slice of Lardy Cake.
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Madeira Cake, a simple sponge cake.
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Parkin, a ginger cake from Yorkshire.
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A classic Pound Cake.
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Queen of Puddings, a baked breadcrumb pudding with jam and meringue.
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A Saffron Bun from Cornwall.
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Summer Pudding, made with bread and berries.
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Sussex Pond Pudding, a steamed suet pudding with a whole lemon inside.
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Syllabub, a creamy, frothy dessert.
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Victoria Sponge Cake, a classic layered sponge cake.
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