# British food secret revealed....now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343 "2003-02-16T01:19:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/1 "2003-02-16T01:19:17Z")
Why in the world haven’t those fiendish Brits told us about the wonder that is cake with cream? I mean, it is just a good slice of cake with heavy cream poured over it–we have the technology, after all. Don’t be mislead by the simplicity, though. Cake with cream is heaven itself. I know what you are thinking…cake is good by itself. It doesn’t **need** cream. But ask yourself this: Do you need cake? Enough said. My husband slipped and told me about cake with cream (he was jonesing, he couldn’t help it), but now I worry. Will he be punished for telling the secret? If so, how? And will we have to tell the British in exchange about peanut butter and jelly sammiches? (Poor fools, they leave out the jelly.) ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/2 "2003-02-16T02:33:15Z")
I’ve just recently discovered the joy that is double cream from Devon (say that 3 times fast!). The mouthfeel is like mild sour cream with double the butterfat. I tried it as a spread on english muffins and strawberry jam and was that delicious! The label also suggested stirring a portion of cream into a pasta sauce. That was scrumptious, also. I think we should keep these Brits around. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/3 "2003-02-16T02:40:23Z")
It took him _all this time_ to tell you that, **Brynda**? I think I ate cake with double cream on my first foray into “enemy” territory. The next secret to force out of him: sticky toffee pudding with double cream. Hans Blix would be hard-pressed to find anything so devious during UN inspections. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/4 "2003-02-16T03:45:08Z")
It is merely a clever ruse to take your mind off “Toad In The Hole”, blood sausage and boiled bread. ---
**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/5 "2003-02-16T04:45:20Z")
**carnivorousplant** , what is this boiled bread and blood sausage of which you speak? Toad in the hole is regular sausage surrounded by Yorkshire pudding (which is a pancake like batter) and it is baked in the oven. **Duke** , I did not want to overwhelm her. I thought I should introduce her to one heavenly pleasure at a time. [sub]I started with sex and moved on from there. Sticky toffee pudding with custard is next.[/sub] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/6 "2003-02-16T05:04:31Z")
Well, huh. I was under the impression that Toad in the Hole as being the same as Egg in a Basket. Learn something new every day. ---
**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/7 "2003-02-16T05:12:10Z")
Ok, I’ll bite. What is Egg in a Basket? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/8 "2003-02-16T09:29:14Z")
Cake and cream is one thing. But [COLOR=red]Strawberries, cream,_ice_-cream, and a sprinkling of sugar![/color] Heaven in a bowl! ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/9 "2003-02-16T13:45:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickQ \* > **carnivorousplant, what is this boiled bread and blood sausage of which you speak?** Blood sausage = black pudding. I’ve no idea what boiled bread is, apart from the obvious, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen Americans (I assume) thinking that we eat it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/10 "2003-02-16T14:02:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*Heaven in a bowl! \*\* But hell in a spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/11 "2003-02-16T15:47:51Z")
Bread pudding, I believe. No offense, but the British boil just about everything, possibly even fish and chips when if they become cold. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/12 "2003-02-16T15:57:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*Bread pudding, I believe. No offense, but the British boil just about everything, possibly even fish and chips when if they become cold. 🙂 \*\* I can see “boiled bread” meaning bread pudding. However, that is a dessert quite commonly seen in up-market American restaurants, so I don’t see why it should be trotted out as an example of strange British cuisine. As for boiling fish and chips, nope - never heard of that (yes, I did see the “possibly” and the smiley). Off hand, I cannot think of anything that the British usually boil that is usually cooked a different way in America. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/13 "2003-02-16T16:22:47Z")
Calm yourself, Sir. …and you from Georgia… Boiled food is a facetious stereotype of the English, just as they invented a language they cannot speak. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/14 "2003-02-16T17:16:57Z")
Fish and chips are never boiled, except in oil. Often they’re fried once, then put on the warmer, then when you order them, they’re fried again, just to warm them up. Occasionally I’ve seen someone cancel their order, and the food returned to the warmer, presumably to be fried for a third time if someone else orders them. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/15 "2003-02-16T17:17:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*Calm yourself, Sir. > …and you from Georgia… > Boiled food is a facetious stereotype of the English, just as they invented a language they cannot speak. > > 🙂 \*\* Oh, I’m not at all uncalm. I live in Georgia but I’m not from there. I’m British and lived there for 36 years until moving to sunny Atlanta 6 years ago. I find it amusing the things I hear about “what the British do” when many of them are plainly wrong stereotypes. I’ve got English teeth, though.☹ And I’m fixing them at American dental prices.☹ ☹ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/16 "2003-02-16T17:24:14Z")
Welcome, sir, and I apologize for making light of your cuisine, Spotted Dog notwithstanding. However, surely you realize by now that ya’ll talk real funny. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/17 "2003-02-16T17:25:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > **presumably to be fried for a third time i** Forgive me, but there _is_ a limit, right? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/18 "2003-02-16T17:27:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickQ \* > \*\*Ok, I’ll bite. What is Egg in a Basket? \*\* That’s an egg grilled in the middle of a slice of bread. I prefer to make a sandwich out of it by grilling the egg between two breads. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/19 "2003-02-16T18:24:12Z")
[Bill Hicks] You don’t boil pizza! [/Bill Hicks] ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343/20 "2003-02-16T18:28:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*That’s an egg grilled in the middle of a slice of bread. \*\* 'Scuse me while I suppress the laughter. Boiled bread is, of course, a bagel. Enjoy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-food-secret-revealed-now-what/155343.md?page=2)