Before the Industrial Revolution, the British menu was also very rich...

When I heard Flower's words, I subconsciously put several question marks at the end of this sentence. This is nonsense, how many years ago was the Industrial Revolution, and you Britain didn't experience any turmoil during the Industrial Revolution, so why did an industrial revolution turn your rich menu into only one fish and chips?

Flower looked at me with a smile, "What?" Unbelief? ”

I pouted and didn't speak. But the old man immediately guessed my thoughts from my expression, and said with a smile: "Just look at your appearance, you can know what you are thinking." But in ancient times, the British had a rich variety of food. You can look up the menus of the ancient English people online. You will find that it is much more than you can imagine. There is not only a wide variety of meats, but also a wide variety of fruits, and even dishes made from animal offal.

Although the British people today basically do not eat animal offal, only the Scots eat a little. But in ancient Britain, animal offal once played an important role in the composition of the English diet. ”

I do know that there are almost no offal in restaurants in the UK today. The reason why Nando's has secret chicken livers for sale at the Nando's not long ago is entirely because Nando's was originally a South African brand, not a brand that originated in the United Kingdom.

"Although I don't want to admit it, but in the feudal era when the French aristocracy ruled England, the diet was not monotonous, you know how passionate the French are about food, baked snails, white truffles, these dishes that people all over the world know are made by the French.

This situation began with the establishment of the Normandy dynasty in 1066 and lasted until Elizabeth I defeated the Armada at sea in 1666, opening the way for England's overseas expansion. ”

I smiled, "According to you, you British people seem to have eaten well for more than 600 years,"

"You can understand it that way. It was probably the peak of England's food culture, as England entered the Age of Sail after the defeat of the Armada, and sailors had to endure a monotonous food structure at sea, a lack of oil and salt. At that time, sailors ate on ships for one thing - to live, not to enjoy or anything. The idea of eating to survive has gradually taken a place in the national culture of England. ”

"Time went on and on, and in another two hundred years, it was time for the Industrial Revolution, and the British diet ushered in a real revolution. If the first two hundred years were a gradual period, the industrial revolution was a period of mutation, science and technology advanced by leaps and bounds, and after people understood the relationship between proteins, carbohydrates, fats and other things and life, diet developed in the direction of monotony. The concept of eating to survive has also been well implemented in this process. ”

"On the other hand, it is related to the national conditions of Britain at that time, have you seen Chaplin's modern era?"

I nodded, Modern Times is one of Chaplin's classics. The story is mainly about Charlie, a worker, working in the dark as the factory management begins to squeeze wildly. The story that made him gradually start to go numb and go crazy, and finally ended up in a mental hospital.

"The situation in Britain was a bit like it was in modern times, but it was far less exaggerated. However, at the time, the demand for labor in British industry was so strong that workers often had to work overtime to keep up with the production schedule. As a result, paying more attention to the intake of enough protein in the diet to maintain the working body has become the most important or even the only requirement for food for workers, and as for taste and texture, just fuck the eggs. ”

Speaking of this, Flower suddenly shrugged his shoulders, "Of course, in addition to the above reasons, I am also inclined to think that the simplification of food has something to do with national character. The Anglo-Saxon branch and its surroundings are not very demanding in terms of diet. ”

Anglo-Saxon is a collective term commonly used to describe linguistically and ethnically similar peoples who lived in eastern and southern Britain between the early fifth century and the Norman conquest of 1066. Most of the current British, as well as the Danes, are actually Anglo-Saxons.

In addition to attributing the reason for the barrenness of the British diet to ethnicity, Flower did not forget to hack the Danes who were at the same time Anglo-Saxons, "Do you know Denmark? Don't look at Denmark as a big granary, but the food is not very good. There is a dish in Denmark called "Evil Sun", which is a plate of raw meat with an egg yolk beaten on it. Can I ask you to try it when you have time? ”

A plate of minced raw meat with an egg yolk on top of it...

I made up the dish and quickly shook my head. If I actually eat this dish, I feel like I can eat one bite and spit out my stomach in two bites.

Flower laughed, "Doesn't the fish and chips seem so normal compared to the evil sun?" Don't worry, I won't take you to try it. I don't have the courage to do that myself. After talking about the background, let's talk about the fish and chips. ”

"The first thing I want to say about this dish is that you should never underestimate the status of this dish in the minds of the British. In the UK, in 2012, a report titled "What do you think best represents the UK?" Fish and chips beat out The Beatles, Afternoon Tea, Shakespeare, Buckingham Palace and the Queen of England to become the highest symbol in the hearts of the British. So, you'd better not joke about this dish in front of the Britons other than me, and I can't guarantee that you'll get beaten up for it. ”

I raised my eyebrows and was suddenly moved in my heart, and before I could sigh at the indestructibility of the friendship between me and Flower because of Flower's words, the second half of Flower's sentence followed.

"Of course, you'd better not make such jokes in front of me. Because I've read all the jokes you said on the Internet in Huaxia, it won't seem like you're humorous. ”

Me: "Hehe, tell me about your fish and chips." ”

"The reason for the popularity of fish and chips is simple: during World War II, Britain was short of supplies, and almost all food was rationed by the government. But because the UK produces its own potatoes and the Brits can catch fish in relatively safe waters, the dish is not on the restricted list. During World War II, the demand for fish and chips increased by 30% in the British compared to before the war, so this dish can be called a lifesaver in Britain. On the famous D-Day of World War II, British soldiers relied on fish and chips, which are similar to the Chinese king Gaidi Tiger chicken stewed mushrooms, as a code to confirm each other's identities. ”

Flower shrugged suddenly, "Of course, this code was quickly deciphered by the Germans." But we won World War II anyway, and after the end of World War II, fish and chips became the most frequent dish on the British table. Well, that's all I know about the British diet. ”

I looked at Flower, "Can I say a word?" ”

"Why, do you want to praise my erudition and let you know a lot of new things today?"

"No, I want to tell you that the next sentence of the Heavenly King Gaidi Tiger is the river demon of Pagoda Town, not a chicken stewed mushroom."

"Get out of here!"