The UK's favourite foods: Central England
Our culinary trip around the UK continues in the heart of England - take a look at our favourites and vote for yours.
Last week, we launched our poll to find the UK’s favourite foods. We started our journey in Scotland and this week we’re moving a few hundred miles south to Central England.
Here's a reminder of what we’re doing. Each week we nominate five foods from a different part of the UK. We think these foods are either quintessentially linked to the area through history or they are more modern staples that began in that region, with many subsequently spreading in popularity throughout the rest of these isles.
We’ll then invite you to vote for your favourite of our choices – and disagree vehemently with what we've come up in the Comments section. Voting will remain open for each region until 29th May. Then the top choice from each region will go forward into a national vote to decide the UK’s favourite food.
Our Central belt-strainers
Without further ado, here are five our choices from the ‘heart of England’ in alphabetical order:
Balti
Balti restaurants seemed to spring up overnight in Birmingham in the 70s, opened by some of the many Pakistani families who migrated to the city. And their legacy means these delicious, aromatic curries served in those distinctive steel bowls have spread across the nation, although Brum remains its UK home.
Cromer crab
The tender white flesh of Cromer’s clawed residents is one of Norfolk’s most famous food exports. And you can enjoy it in a variety of guises - from a sandwich to a risotto.
Faggots and peas
Although 'nose to tail' eating has gone in and out of fashion, the faggot (and its 'payse' accompaniment) has remained consistently popular in the Black Country (and parts of Wales too).
Melton Mowbray pork pies
The pork pies from this Leicestershire town are so renowned for their distinctive shape and flavour that they finally achieved Protected Geographical Indication status. They have been baked the same way since the 18th century.
Melton Mowbray-style pork pie recipe
Stilton cheese
A food inextricably associated with the East Midlands, despite the fact that the village that gave the cheese its name is in Cambridgeshire.
Cast your vote
Do you agree with our choices? What should have been nominated? Have your say in the Comments section.
More tasty morsels
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature