18. Reading. British cuisine

Imagine that you need to prepare a report on traditional British cuisine. Read the article and identify which parts of the text contain answers to the questions before the text. There is no answer to one of the questions in the text.

  

 

 

  

    

  

 

1. What qualities of food did ordinary British value most? 

  

  

 
It’s true that British food often gets a bad reputation. Critics say it's bland and unappetising, and one can’t really enjoy it. Some people associate British cooking with overcooked vegetables, which are tasteless. In fact, British meals look simple and unimpressive compared to traditional dishes of other countries. But why is it so?

 
Traditionally, British food focused on simple, home-cooked meals for people who worked a lot. A classic example of British food is shepherd's pie. In the past, shepherds used to spend long hours outdoors, so they needed a meal that was nourishing and easy to eat on the go. This meal was also cheap as people usually used leftovers to cook it. Other classic examples of such food include fish and chips, ploughman's lunch and full English breakfast.

 
Over time, British food has started to change. In the times when Great Britain established its colonies, rich British people started to bring spices from China and India. This led to new and exciting dishes like curry and pilau rice. Food in the UK became more diverse and appetising. Today, you can find a wide range of international foods like Chinese dim sum, Indian curries, Italian pasta dishes, Mexican tacos, and Middle Eastern kebabs.

 
At the same time, famous British chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay have made traditional British food more popular by creating new and exciting versions of classic dishes. They have inspired a new generation of cooks to experiment with traditional ingredients and cooking methods. As a result, modern British cuisine offers a mix of old and new flavours that people of different countries may like.