Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Northern England Traditional Foods

Northern England is populated by cities such as Yorkshire, Bradford, Barnsley, Newcastle and Doncaster. The climate in the area tends to be cold, and many of traditional North England dishes are made from inexpensive ingredients which grow well and last in cold weather. Nevertheless, the traditional foods of Northern England are quite diverse and include meats, seafood, salads, pastries and locally-made cheeses.


Treacle Tart


Treacle tart is a favorite traditional English dessert, and even makes an appearance in the Harry Potter books as Harry's favorite. Treacle is a honey-like golden syrup, and in addition to it, treacle tart is made from shortcrust pastry, lemon, ginger and egg wash. The American shoo-fly pie, with its thick molasses bottom, seems to be a variant of the very British treacle tart.


Stottie Cake








According to the BBC's food page, one of the outstanding features of northeastern English cuisine is its baked goods. Stottie cake is not actually cake, but a type of bread made from flour, milk and salt. Stottie cake is sometimes called "oven-bottom bread" because of being baked on the bottom of the oven, and cannot often be found outside of the north.








Yorkshire Curd Tarts


Curd is a type of cheese, and the north of England is known for its fine dairy products. One of the most famous in the region is Wensleydale cheese, originally made by monks at Jervaulx Abbey. It should come as no surprise that one of the most endearing types of traditional northern dishes involves cheese. Yorkshire curd tart, made with curds, lemon, eggs, nutmeg, flour, sugar and brandy, may be a distant relative of the cheesecake.


Cumberland Sausage


Cumberland sausage is perhaps the best-known dish which comes from a part of northwest England known known as Cumbria. Cumberland sausage is a pork sausage distinctive for its coiled shape, chunky texture and spices, notably pepper. Cumberland sausage is often served with a fried egg, peas and chips, or what Americans call French fries.


Lancashire Hotpot


Lancashire hotpot is not the same kind as Chinese hotpot, in which raw meats and vegetables are cooked at table in boiling water over a low flame. This English hotpot is a slow-cooked lamb, onion and potato stew, and can be cooked either in a casserole dish in the oven or in a slow cooker. Many associate this dish with the days of the Industrial Revolution, when tired mill or coal workers were greeted at home with this hot dish after many hours of grueling hard work.

Tags: made from, Northern England, Cumberland sausage, England known, Stottie cake, tart made