Oriental cuisines are rapidly becoming one of Britain’s favourite dishes, especially Chinese, served in restaurants, takeaways and catering. Although with its strong affluence of culture within each mouthful, Britain has begun to play a significant role in the ingredients into Chinese dishes.
When west meets east in the food sector, Britain has shown a vast influence to Chinese menu’s, as you look around today in takeaways you can already begin to see the changes. Chicken chow mein served with prawn crackers, sweet and sour chicken served with egg fried rice, char sui foo young served with fish or chips... Fish and chips?! Britain’s world renowned Fish and Chips has proved to be so popular that in recent years the Chinese has picked up upon this and has started to serve it within their dishes. It cannot be argued that the reason behind this was due to profit-making schemes, it is simply because the consumers discover that combining dishes together make it twice as appetizing.
A large number of Chinese catering businesses not only have started to run Chinese takeaways but have also included English takeaway meals within their businesses, all in all it is not only twice as appetizing, it is also convenient, both for the consumers and business owners.
A large majority of the current generation of Chinese descendants believe that without the influence of British culture within their own native cuisines it wouldn’t be quite the same. As growing up, the British influence has adopted into their own lifestyles, a large population being born and brought up in Britain feel that without western influences it would be like a missing part of a jigsaw puzzle on the dinner plate.
20 years ago, Chinese caterings were not as diverse as they are today, dishes were very simple and traditional, portions were much bigger, as people kept to one dishes for each meal. Today not only are there much more of a variety to choose from, there are served in smaller portions, much like the British dishes.
Without a doubt in the near future Chinese catering will adapt more towards the British dishes, it isn’t rare that lower generation inherit the skills to carry on with their family business so who knows what new innovative combinations of both Chinese and English dishes they have to cook up for us.
Click here for Memoirs of a chip shop slave
