It Wasn't All Bad - A history of British Food Quiz

Answer: Dormice dipped in honey and sprinkled with poppy seeds

Although the poor would have subsisted on a diet of mostly rough whole grain loaves and Puls, a sort of cereal porridge, the wealthier Romans introduced many delicacies and opulence into their cooking. Written descriptions of this are cited in Petronius' 'Satyricon' and 'De Re Coquinana'.

Answer: Wine Growing

During Roman times Britain was several degrees warmer than today, making the planting of vines a viable proposition. The rich soil of Kent proved an excellent area. Rennet for cheese making (obtained from calves),first described in written documents, was also introduced by the Romans.

Answer: Herring

After the Germans introduced herring eating to the British diet, a variety of tribes from Scandinavia brought with them stock fish imports, creating the very beginnings of the fishing industry in Britain.

Answer: The Doomsday Book

Although there is little written evidence at this time to see any great changes in food usage and consumption, the Doomsday Book gave a clear indication of the number of workers available to work on the land, the types of livestock being raised, and their geographical location.

Answer: Root Vegetables and Herring

More and more after the Norman invasion the eating habits divided along class lines. The poor kept sheep, not only for meat, but mostly for milk and wool. Herring were eaten at Lent and Holy days, as were other fish foods. The affluent classes had all manner of meats at their disposal, including swan and peacock.

Answer: The Black Death

One third of the population died from this terrible scourge, which was believed to have been brought from the Gobi Desert along the trade routes, carried by rats and fleas. It was not all bad, though. The lower population resulted in a higher value being placed on labour. Farming methods changed and the wool industry boomed. People became disillusioned with the church and this ultimately resulted in the English Reformation

Answer: 1500

This was a very practical book, which covered the pre-preparations of meat and fish. It describes a salmon or a gurnard as chined, a sole as loined, a haddock as sided, an eel as trousoned, a pike as splatted, and a trout as gobunbraced.

Several other books followed soon after:

1. The Book of Carving. W. de Worde. 1508.

2. A Proper New Book of Cookery, 1546. Often reprinted. It is a reworking of the "Book of Cookery," 1500.

3. The Treasury of Commodious Conceits and Hidden Secrets. By John Partridge. 1580, 1586; and under the title of "Treasury of Hidden Secrets," 1596, 1600, 1637, 1653.

4. A Book of Cookery. 1584, 1591, etc.

5. The Good Housewife's Jewel. By Thomas Dawson. In two Parts, 1585. A copy of Part 2 of this date is in the British Museum.

6. The Good Housewife's Treasury

Answer: Cane Sugar

The first sugar refinery opened in England in 1544. When the West Indies became colonized, cane sugar was a major crop.

Answer: A glass bottle strong enough to hold fermented liquids

This allowed wine and beer to be bottled and better stored for a longer life. Warre and Company, was one of the first to start bottling Port in 1670.

Answer: The building of an extensive canal system to move food quickly around the country.

The system of canals started in the 17th century, became one of the best and cheapest ways to transport food and goods around the country. An intricate system of locks was introduced later on. The canals are still used to this day.

Answer: Workers were forced off the land and into towns, factories, mills and mines.

With the industrial revolution, workers moved into slum accommodation in towns, often built and owned by the factory or mill owners. They were at the mercy of unscrupulous bosses, who sold them bad, expensive food that had to be boiled to death, just in case. Now you see the beginnings of bad British food.

Answer: Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria was not brought up in grand circumstances. She had a middle-class, German childhood and adolescence, and became used to overcooked, stodgy, rather tasteless German food, with a lot of puddings, sausages and pickled vegetables and potatoes.

This is the style of cooking that she recommended to the people of England, as being family-oriented and sensible. And not in the least bit French. It was thought that much of the decadence and extravagance in French food had hastened the French Revolution

Answer: All of these

This began a habit of eating non-nutritious food. Lard was cheap and plentiful. Recipes for steamed pudding abounded, which were filling, but lacked any nutritious value. Meat was a rarity, and the eating of eels became popular, particularly in the East End of London. "Eel Pie and Mash" becoming a great favorite.

The water in the Thames had been putrid for centuries. The eel was one of the only living things that could survive.

Answer: All of these

WW1 decimated a generation of men who had worked the land. Very little decent food made its way to the working classes, who had no time to prepare fresh food, as women worked more and more outside the home. There was no refrigeration, so any meat that there was, was just boiled. Canned goods began being used more and more from Napoleonic times onwards. Corned Beef, Spam, Canned vegetables and beans became the usual fare.

Answer: The "British Invasion" of the US in the 1960s

Britain was nearly left bankrupt after the devastation of the bombing in WWII. They did not benefit from the Marshall Plan, so it was not until the 60s and the influx of foreign money for British music and fashion that became vastly popular in the US at that time, that the country began to recover.

Major supermarket chains began to sell fresh produce from all over the world, and entry into the European Union began to change the eating habits of the average Brit. in the street. In addition, this led to a number of excellent restaurants that popped up all over the country, serving well-cooked traditional British food.

The bad reputation remained, but it was no longer totally justified. You could begin to find good British food if you looked for it.