British Food With Funny Names
I've just finished writing my latest article - I'm relieved that it's done and published on my website. It's the longest post I've ever written! Nearly 6,000 words.
In the course of my research into British food, I came across some dishes with the most amusing and fascinating names, which I thought I would share with you. Sweet and savoury, the origins of these names probably go back several hundred years.
Sussex Pond Pudding
This English pudding is made from suet pastry, enclosing a filling of butter, sugar, and citrus fruits. The 'pond' is revealed when you cut into the pudding and a flood of butter and sugar sauce flows out. The first record of this pudding was in 1672 - so it's definitely old! I have never made one but intend to remedy that as soon as I can.
Rumbledethumps
This dish was invented hundreds of years ago in the Scottish borders. It consists of potatoes, cabbage, and onions but other ingredients like turnips are sometimes added. It's cooked in a pan and the name is said to be from the sound that the vegetables made when they were knocked against the sides of the pan while cooking.
Pan Haggerty
This is from Lancashire in northern England and is made from layers of potatoes, onions, and Lancashire cheese, topped with cheese and breadcrumbs and browned under the grill. It's an old recipe, one that was cheap and simple to make and it filled you up. It has links with Scotland; the name 'Haggerty' is said to be derived from the Scottish delicacy, haggis.
Fruit Fool
A creamy dessert made from soft fruit, cream, and sugar. The name comes from the French fouler, meaning to press or crush. This was due to the mashing of the fruit to be mixed with thick cream. It can be made from any soft fruit, or a mixture.
Kentish Huffkins
These soft, rounded rolls with an indentation in the middle date back to the 16th century, when King Henry the VIII became fond of the cherries grown in the region. They were first baked by a farmer's wife, who used her thumb to make the indent in the top. The indent was designed to hold a dollop of cherry jam so that the huffkin could be eaten by the cherry pickers, who used to travel south from London every year for the harvest.
Spotted Dick
Also known as spotted dog, this is a steamed pudding dating back to the mid-19th century. The 'spotted' part refers to the currants used in the mixture, and 'dick' is said to derive from the word 'dough.' It's a very substantial pudding, usually served hot with custard.
Bubble and Squeak
This was originally made from beef and cabbage, and the name comes from the way the meat juices bubbled up in the pan, and the squeak that the cabbage made as it was stirred around. Meat disappeared from the dish later, possibly due to rationing, and potatoes were added instead. There are many variations but leftover potato, cabbage, and onion are commonly used.
Toad in the Hole
This British favourite tastes much nicer than the name suggests. It's made with sausages surrounded by a batter similar to the one used in Yorkshire pudding. Dating back to the 18th century, the origins of the name are unclear. But the most popular theory is that the sausages resemble toads peeping out from under cover to catch their prey.
Welsh Rarebit
This is made from a thick cheese sauce, spiked with mustard, ale, or Worcestershire sauce, and spread onto hot buttered toast. It originated in Wales, and the name is often changed to Welsh rabbit, although it doesn't contain meat. The story goes that the Welsh people were too poor to afford meat so they had rarebit instead of rabbit.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that it made you smile! There are too many dishes with peculiar names to list here but I hope you like my selection.
Recent Comments
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Everything sounds so good! I want to add 2 more to your list;
Yorkshire pudding and triffle! I looove bubble and squeak.
Thanks for sharing.
Corinne
Hi Corinne, those 2 delights are on my latest post on my website! Including recipes. I also love bubble and squeak, I like to serve it with sausages, a fried egg and a blob of tomato ketchup
Thanks Karen. Took me back to my childhood, where we often ate Spotted Dick, Bubble & Sqeak, Toad in the Hole and Welsh Rarebit! My Dad was an expert at making the latter.
I’m glad it brought back memories for you Jenni. British food has a fascinating history and it tastes pretty good too. I’ve just published an article on British food recipes, I will be following this with recipes from Scotland, Wales and Ireland
Yes, there are Jeff, we seem to have a history of giving our food strange names! It’s fascinating
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Hello Karen,
I found your blog post very nostalgic. I grew up in London, went to Liverpool University, and got my first job in the Manchester area. Hence, I enjoyed many of these dishes you mentioned.
Eating and enjoying British food was an acquired taste. I loved their roast beef and Yorkshire pudding that had nothing to do with pudding. My best desserts were mostly served hot with a dollop of steaming custard. Spotted dick was one of my favorites. Another was hot rhubarb pie with custard.
Unfortunately, two of the most common method of cooking was boiling and fryijng. Typical English breakfast included black pudding and kippers. Did you cover these in your website post? Added to these were English sausages, fried eggs, fried bread, and fried potatoes. It all ended up being so greasy.
I didn't much care for black pudding. Another dish I hated was Haggis. Both have Scottish influence.
At Christmas, we have a tradition of roasting potatoes for the turkey. Flambeed Christmas pudding for dessert well soaked in hot custard finished the meal.
Today, I rather steam vegetables instead of boiling them.
Thanks for sharing these delights with us.
Edwin
I know what you mean, a fry-up for breakfast could almost guarantee clogged arteries. I did feature a recipe for a full English breakfast on my website and I’m sure kippers and black pudding were in there somewhere.
Kippers tasted nice but had far too many bones. I find smoked mackerel fillet a good alternative.
At least you could enjoy the pudding! Spotted dick was often on the menu when I was at school. Our school dinners were pretty good.
I love Christmas pudding but have never eaten it with custard. My preference is cream whipped with some orange liqueur melting over the warm Christmas pudding
Oooh I like what you added to the Christmas Pudding. Sounds delicious.
Edwin
You should try it. Over here you can buy extra thick cream flavoured with brandy, Cointreau, champagne, amaretto or Irish liqueur. But it’s fun to invent your own. And you can make it more potent.
I love taking a simple ingredient like fresh cream and experimenting with adding different flavours. My current favourite is to warm the cream and infuse it with cardamom. Then whip it till thick and dollop it over baked peaches. This makes the perfect dessert after a curry!