United KingdomWhat to eat in United Kingdom: top 10 dishes
Traveling to United Kingdom? These are the ten dishes it is best known for, from everyday staples to festive classics, with a short background and a tip on where and when to eat each one. Ranked by how widely they are known around the world.
01Sandwich
A sandwich is a dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread (known as an open sandwich); or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a…
Travel tip A standard lunch from cafés, bakeries, supermarkets and sandwich shops. A meal deal at a shop often includes a drink and snack.
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02Potato chip
Potato chips or crisps (British and Irish English) are thin slices of potato (or a thin deposit of potato paste) that have been deep-fried, baked, or air-fried until crunchy. They are commonly served as a snack, appetizer or side dish.
Travel tip Called crisps in Britain, they are sold in bags in shops and served in pubs as a snack. Flavors such as cheese and onion are very British.
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03Cookie
A cookie is a sweet biscuit with high sugar and fat content. Cookie dough is softer than that used for other types of biscuit, and they are cooked longer at lower temperatures. The dough typically contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil or fat.
Travel tip Sold at bakeries, cafés and supermarkets. In Britain, many people just call hard sweet ones biscuits and soft ones cookies.
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04Biscuit
A biscuit is a flour-based baked food item. Biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. Savoury biscuits are called crackers or biscuits for cheese.
Travel tip In Britain, biscuits are sweet or savory snacks eaten with tea, and the tea break is a daily habit. Dunking biscuits in tea is common.
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05Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a hot dish consisting of battered and fried fish served with chips. Often considered the national dish of the United Kingdom, fish and chips originated in England in the 19th century.
Travel tip Sold at chip shops (chippies), especially by the coast, usually wrapped in paper to take away. Add salt and vinegar, and look for mushy peas as a side.
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06Chocolate brownie
A chocolate brownie, or simply a brownie, is a chocolate baked dessert bar. Brownies come in a variety of forms and may be either fudgy or cakey, depending on their density.
Travel tip A dessert bar found in cafés and bakeries, often warmed and served with ice cream. Squares are easy to take away.
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07Haggis
Haggis is a savoury pudding and sausage containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with chopped onion, oatmeal, suet, seasonings, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though now an…
Travel tip The Scottish national dish, traditionally eaten on Burns Night in January, with mashed potato and turnip. It is also sold in pubs and restaurants in Scotland all year.
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08Chicken tikka masala
Chicken tikka masala is a curry consisting of roasted marinated chicken pieces (chicken tikka) in a creamy spiced sauce (masala). It is thought to have been created in Britain, possibly by Ali Ahmed Aslam in Glasgow.
Travel tip A popular dish at curry houses and a common takeaway order across Britain. It is usually eaten with rice or naan.
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09Gelatin dessert
Gelatine desserts (British English) or gelatin desserts (American English) are desserts made with a sweetened and flavoured processed collagen product (gelatine), which makes the dessert "set" from a liquid to a soft elastic solid gel.
Travel tip Known as jelly in Britain, it is a classic children's party dessert made at home or bought in packs. Serve it chilled.
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10Kit Kat
KitKat is a British chocolate bar created by Rowntree's of York, England. It is produced globally by Nestlé (which acquired Rowntree's in 1988), except in the United States, where it is made under licence by the Hershey Company (an agreement Rowntree's first…
Travel tip A chocolate wafer bar sold in shops, convenience stores and supermarkets, and a popular tea-break snack. Break the fingers apart to share.
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