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British Meals:
What they are and when they are eaten ?
Breakfast - The "traditional"
British breakfast is cereal (not porridge or cornflakes etc.) with milk
and sugar. Then fried bacon and eggs, or scrambled eggs on toast, or
boiled eggs and toast. Lastly, toast and butter with marmalade or jam.
Tea or coffee is usually drunk. The "continental" breakfast is becoming
more popular. This is just toast and butter with marmalade or jam. Tea
or coffee is drunk.
Lunch - This may be a big meal with
2,3 or 4 courses: a starter, e.g. soup; then the main course, e.g. meat
or fish with vegetables; then a pudding or dessert, e.g. apple pie and
custard sauce; then perhaps cheese and biscuits. Lunch may also be a
snack, e.g. some soup, a salad of some sandwiches. In some parts of
Britain, the midday meal is called "dinner", especially if it is a big
meal.
Tea - The traditional "tea" is
usually bread with butter and jam, scones, cakes (small and large) and
biscuits. Tea is drunk with milk and sometimes with sugar. Some people
do not have milk. They have a slice of lemon instead. Today many people
do not eat much at teatime, but they still drink a cup of tea in the
afternoon. "High tea" , in the North of England and Scotland especially,
is the big meal at about 6pm. There is usually a meat or fish course,
then a pudding or dessert. Tea is drunk throughout the meal.
Dinner / Supper - Dinner is the big
meal in the evening and it is like a large lunch with 2,3 or 4 courses.
People who eat a big meal at midday often have only a small meal in the
evening. This is called "supper", and there may be only one course, e.g.
cauliflower cheese.
Stuffing - These are very good
because they stop meat becoming dry. They also mean that people eat less
expensive meat! But, above all, they taste good. Remember that if you
fill a chicken or a piece of meat with stuffing, you must roast it for
10-15 minutes longer than usual.
Hot Puddings and Desserts -
Different people give this course different names. For some people any
sweet course at the end of a meal is called a "pudding". For others, a
hot sweet course is called a "pudding", but a word "sweet" for
everything. The names often change in different parts of the country. It
is all very difficult!
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