Is it I or is Britain (the media) just seems to be obsessed with every aspects of food? Is our food organic enough? Should we vote against microwavable ready meals? How far has your meat traveled to be on your plate? How happy did the goose live before it’s liver become your pate? What is British cuisine? All these political, health and ethical issues about food never seem to leave us alone, it almost make me feel wrong every time I walk into Tescoand hide whatever isn’t organic as I walk out. One of the issues that concern me the most is the obsession with the attempt in revival of British cuisine.
Its always the case that people only appreciate things they once had and lost, Britain used to have a real cooking heritage but due to industrialization from a few decades ago, the country grew stronger and more jobs were available, causing people to leave home and work. The majority didn’t have time to cook anymore, they needed food that satisfies their stomachs and not their palette; they needed food that is fast and not time consuming, and that it is the birth of fast food chains and microwavable ready meals.
A generation later, British cuisine has slowly diminish into Wetherspoon’s meal deal of fish and chips with bread and butter, top with a cup of tea with a mini biscotti for a mere £3.10. Of course, the middle class can afford Waitrose’s premium steak and kidney pies -microwave-style that is.
So, the Brits have now lost their cooking heritage and they want it back. There are more and more television shows and chefs demonstrating real British cooking, and organizations such as Slow Food (as opposed to fast food) are emerging for a revival for British cooking heritage.
I understand what they are trying to do here, and completely agree with the whole gastronomic movement, but I find that blaming the lost of this heritage on industrialization is not very fair as a whole. Industrialization have brought more good things to the country than bad, it made the country wealthier, it provides jobs for the public, it developed and stabilized the economy. People should accept the consequences of industrialization rather than blaming it, you can’t have everything. After abandoning British cooking for decades, all of the sudden the Brits are kicking and screaming for it, the reason why the Brits want it back is the exact same reason of why they lost it in the first place –wanting what you don’t have, which is not necessarily a bad thing but you have to accept the consequences. Same applies to organic food, there are more and more people in Britain and organic farming just is not going to feed everyone efficiently; genetic modified food produce are designed to feed everyone at the most economical way. It is not the best way but it works. Its easy for celebrity chefs to say buy organic food or starve, unfortunately not everyone is earning millions of pounds a year, nor can everyone afford £7.99 an organic chicken, as my recent discovery of poverty has put me into reality of how pricey some food are.
I think I am going to feel less guilty for my next trip to Tesco now J
Its always the case that people only appreciate things they once had and lost, Britain used to have a real cooking heritage but due to industrialization from a few decades ago, the country grew stronger and more jobs were available, causing people to leave home and work. The majority didn’t have time to cook anymore, they needed food that satisfies their stomachs and not their palette; they needed food that is fast and not time consuming, and that it is the birth of fast food chains and microwavable ready meals.
A generation later, British cuisine has slowly diminish into Wetherspoon’s meal deal of fish and chips with bread and butter, top with a cup of tea with a mini biscotti for a mere £3.10. Of course, the middle class can afford Waitrose’s premium steak and kidney pies -microwave-style that is.
So, the Brits have now lost their cooking heritage and they want it back. There are more and more television shows and chefs demonstrating real British cooking, and organizations such as Slow Food (as opposed to fast food) are emerging for a revival for British cooking heritage.
I understand what they are trying to do here, and completely agree with the whole gastronomic movement, but I find that blaming the lost of this heritage on industrialization is not very fair as a whole. Industrialization have brought more good things to the country than bad, it made the country wealthier, it provides jobs for the public, it developed and stabilized the economy. People should accept the consequences of industrialization rather than blaming it, you can’t have everything. After abandoning British cooking for decades, all of the sudden the Brits are kicking and screaming for it, the reason why the Brits want it back is the exact same reason of why they lost it in the first place –wanting what you don’t have, which is not necessarily a bad thing but you have to accept the consequences. Same applies to organic food, there are more and more people in Britain and organic farming just is not going to feed everyone efficiently; genetic modified food produce are designed to feed everyone at the most economical way. It is not the best way but it works. Its easy for celebrity chefs to say buy organic food or starve, unfortunately not everyone is earning millions of pounds a year, nor can everyone afford £7.99 an organic chicken, as my recent discovery of poverty has put me into reality of how pricey some food are.
I think I am going to feel less guilty for my next trip to Tesco now J
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