English summer food is hard to beat, when it's all freshly caught crab and proper tomatoes and strawberries and Jersey Royal potatoes and asparagus. However, for sheer consistency it's between France and Italy. (Spain looses on the veg front as mentioned above, though scoring highly for seafood, chorizo, jamon, rioja and cava, and Greek food can be glorious, but it's so often done badly - even in Greece.)
I think France has the edge for me - lovely cheese and bread, cassoulet, champagne, crème brulee.
― Anna, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:10 (sixteen years ago) link
never trust an italian
― burt_stanton, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:12 (sixteen years ago) link
Panettone cassata > all other food stuffs.-- Dom Passantino lol anyone with non-British heritage is gonna vote for their roots -- Just got offed
I like Italian food, but there is a bit of a lack of variety: there seems to be about ten basic ingredients and everything is made up of some combination of these. One of the things that bugged me when I lived in Italy was how every single Italian said that Italian food was the best food in the world, but hardly any of them had ever tried any food that wasn't Italian. Outside of the big cities you were lucky to find anything much - maybe one Chinese restaurant. I was teaching English to a class of Italians (aged from about 18 to 60) once and showing them pictures of different meals from around the world - nothing too exotic, maybe a kebab and a chilli con carne and a curry and something with noodles - and most of them had no idea what they were, never mind had tried them. I asked them 'have you ever eaten anything that wasn't Italian?' and they all went quiet and looked sheepish until an old bloke slowly put up his hand and said 'Hamburger'.
― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:13 (sixteen years ago) link
that's not really a criticism of italian food as such though...
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Most of that should tell you why Italian food is so very, very good. Second only to Cypriot, in fact. ;-)
In all seriousness, the same thing applies there as well. You go to a restaurant. You go to a taverna, eat meze with souvlaki and seafood and veggies and pitta and halloumi and taramasalata and houmous and grilled meats, and you desire nothing else.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:22 (sixteen years ago) link
but there is a bit of a lack of variety: there seems to be about ten basic ingredients and everything is made up of some combination of these
Cucina povera, innit?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:24 (sixteen years ago) link
Only in Italy (or a very good Italian restaurant) could a plate of pasta with tomato sauce and pepper be turned into a transcendent experience. The trick to great food is resourcefulness in simplicity.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:25 (sixteen years ago) link
AA Jagger
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:26 (sixteen years ago) link
italian food: minimalism british food: grime
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:27 (sixteen years ago) link
salmon calzone: 65DOS
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:28 (sixteen years ago) link
I hadn't even taken cheese into account - shit I'm going to end up voting for France.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:39 (sixteen years ago) link
really hungry now as a result!
― o-ess, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:41 (sixteen years ago) link
what about countries that do other countries' food really good? such as the Swedes doing damn fine sushi, the Uk and Indian, the Netherlands and Indonesian...
― o-ess, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:42 (sixteen years ago) link
the lack of Cornwall is certainly a sad omission as that would have been my vote.
So Scotland will have to do.
― ken c, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:48 (sixteen years ago) link
if you include drinks does france really come out any worse?
you've got champagne, muscadet, sauternes, cabernet, cognac, armagnac, pastis, pernod, grand marnier, and on and on
i wanted to say portugal but salted fish, as wonderful and variegated as its different incarnations can be, doth not a conquering cuisine make, even if it is sitting in an inch and a half of melted butter
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 14:54 (sixteen years ago) link
English summer food is hard to beat, when it's all freshly caught crab and proper tomatoes and strawberries and Jersey Royal potatoes and asparagus
― gabbneb, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:00 (sixteen years ago) link
pastid is good???
― ken c, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Hmm I love Portuguese food, not least for the cakes; leaning on the counter of a Lisbon cafe snacking on a custard tart is one of life's truly lovely experiences.
I happen to love bacalhau (salt cod), so the answer has to be Portugal for me.
― Daniel Giraffe, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:03 (sixteen years ago) link
i knew i was going to catch hell for that
xpost
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:04 (sixteen years ago) link
spanish cuisine has the right ingredients but constantly tend to underachieve.
― ken c, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:08 (sixteen years ago) link
Yes, Ken, and Portuguese food goes down far too easily.
― Daniel Giraffe, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:11 (sixteen years ago) link
whereas by using simple, well-disciplined and dependable dishes, Greek food somehow finds itself succeeding over its flashier competitors.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:12 (sixteen years ago) link
Israel
― Zeno, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:12 (sixteen years ago) link
impossible. cassoulet vs chorizo in wine vs moussaka etc.
Spain has the lock on seafood as far as I'm concerned but on the other hand there are seemingly no vegetables anywhere in the country.
not true, i had a green bean soup thing in bilbao one time! chris told me that many spaniards eat mostly veg-only dishes at home and will dine out for meat and fish, or something like that.
thanks to fairly recent mallorcan holiday + more recent amazing dinner at Barrafina on Frith Street i am going with Spain.
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:13 (sixteen years ago) link
http://static.flickr.com/72/189171135_d2da6e5329.jpg
― gabbneb, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:14 (sixteen years ago) link
question to brits: when was the last time you ate chicken tikka masala anyway?
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:18 (sixteen years ago) link
can't remember
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Probably about a year ago - was a place near my old work that had a good lunchtime deal and their ctm was pretty respectable.
I eat out a heck of a lot but hardly ever go for continental European of any kind. Maybe that can be my new year's resolution.
― ledge, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:23 (sixteen years ago) link
does new yorkers eat more tikka masala than londoners? or does blueski mean people eat different "curries"?
― gabbneb, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:24 (sixteen years ago) link
gabbneb i mean for all the talk of CTM being 'the nation's favourite dish LOL' i never think to have it and hardly ever hear it mentioned by someone else.
now i want to go to tayyabs again for the chargrilled lamb chops dammit
i thought about trying to eat at a restaurant for every country in the world or as close as i could get to that, in London, over this year and maybe the one after.
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:27 (sixteen years ago) link
Where's the best Argentine restaurant in London then?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:28 (sixteen years ago) link
Stick to Gaucho or is there better off the beaten track?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Buen Ayre on Broadway Market seemed good
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:30 (sixteen years ago) link
I ate Chicken Tikka Masala in December. In New York.
― Anna, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:33 (sixteen years ago) link
was it nice?
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:33 (sixteen years ago) link
Not bad actually. But I was starving. It was a take out from Whole Foods. I ate it on a wall in Union Square.
Also Georgia deserves an honourable mention for wine, and interesting and varied uses of walnuts, pommegranite, spinnach and sharp cheese - but I've only ever eaten one Georgian meal in my life, so it's not much to go on.
― Anna, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:35 (sixteen years ago) link
buen ayre is incredible but a word of advice: have somehting besides meat if you plan on drinking heavily later on
anna there's a georgian restaurant just south of broadway market, i can't remember what it's called but it is thee awesome
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:37 (sixteen years ago) link
it used to be on broadway market proper but their landlord raised the rent and now the former location is a terrible french restaurant called "la vie en rose"
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:38 (sixteen years ago) link
orig restaurant reviewed by Freaky Trigger!
http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/pumpkin/2004/02/little-georgia-broadway-market-london-e8/
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:40 (sixteen years ago) link
I think 'La Vie en Rose' translates to 'terrible french restaurant'.
― G00blar, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:41 (sixteen years ago) link
i will try that - only tried one Georgian place so far (Tblisi) xp
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:42 (sixteen years ago) link
Holland--worst cuisine in Europe?
― G00blar, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:44 (sixteen years ago) link
depends on yr policy towards hash brownies
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:44 (sixteen years ago) link
i would probably say yes altho you can get excellent steak there (not just in the south american places) and hey giant pancakes! xp
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:45 (sixteen years ago) link
Yeah pancakes are about all I remember fondly.
― G00blar, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:46 (sixteen years ago) link
Tblisi on Holloway Road was the setting for my one Georgian meal - it was lovely, so will probably try this place.
The Dutch have... edam...
― Anna, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:47 (sixteen years ago) link
Bless.
― G00blar, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Zuurkoolstamppot, sauerkraut mashed with potatoes. Served with fried bacon or a sausage. Sometimes curry powder, raisins or slices of pineapple are used to give a stamppot an exotic touch.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:48 (sixteen years ago) link
I dunno about the best but there's a cracking one right on the heath in Blackheath. Also the proprietor is a weird ex-paparazzi bloke who looks like Tugay and began his career taking homoerotic shots of Che Guevara lying on a bed with his shirt off.
Chicken tikka masala etc count not because they are an example of England doing Indian food really well (it doesn't, by and large) but because they're dishes invented in England to cater to local tastes.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:54 (sixteen years ago) link
it doesn't, by and large
how come? i take it you're including Indian restauranteurs here
― blueski, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 15:58 (sixteen years ago) link
This is a mockery.
― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 07:18 (sixteen years ago) link
I call shenanigans. I voted for Belgium. Belgium has 0 votes.
― StanM, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 07:29 (sixteen years ago) link
http://images.worldcupblog.org/www/zidane%20butt.jpg
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 09:06 (sixteen years ago) link
LOUIS I ONLY VOTED FOR ENGLAND ONCE HOW DARE YOU?
I wanted to vote for Pizza Hut.
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 09:08 (sixteen years ago) link
I want to know who was repping for Serbia, Latvia and San Marino.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 09:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Serbs, Letts, San Martians?
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 09:10 (sixteen years ago) link
DJ San Martian.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 09:11 (sixteen years ago) link
BRING BACK CHANGEABLE USERNAMES :(
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 09:14 (sixteen years ago) link
I voted for Latvia. We're off there on holiday in a few weeks, so it was kind of a vote in hope: if I *say* they have good food, maybe I'll find some when we're there.
― Forest Pines Mk2, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 11:13 (sixteen years ago) link
loving the England vote, give me a sunday roast over anything you get elsewhere in Europe. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmm.
― Ste, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 11:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Judging by the Polish shops/restaurants round our way I am unsurprised at Poland's showing here.
― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 11:27 (sixteen years ago) link
i don't know why everyone's getting so hot under the collar. the poll never mentioned "indigenous" cuisine - just cuisine in general. hence my vote for England, which I think has richer variety thanks to the broad palate of many of its residents.
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 11:37 (sixteen years ago) link
In what world Irish cousine is better than Russian? In what world, I ask you? And pierogis? How come pierogies get no love?
WHAT A FARCE
― warmsherry, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 13:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Shall we just post a load of pictures of footballers and potentially racist bottle openers and chalk this one up to experience?
― That mong guy that's shit, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:00 (sixteen years ago) link
whcih country has the best crusade
― ken c, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:12 (sixteen years ago) link
i'm pleasantly surprised someone else voted for ireland, as i felt quite guilty doing so myself.
― darraghmac, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:25 (sixteen years ago) link
brother, please!
― warmsherry, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:27 (sixteen years ago) link
oh yeah, britain isn't parochial at all, especially with regards to food, as this thread clearly demonstrates!
― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:33 (sixteen years ago) link
alright, who voted for the Netherlands? And WHY?
― I DIED, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:46 (sixteen years ago) link
Mmm, pancakes.
― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:47 (sixteen years ago) link
the dutch are good at pancakes and rijstaffel and pretty much horrible at everything else. Boiled eel is a national dish! They can't even make good beer despite bordering Belgium and Germany!
― I DIED, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:51 (sixteen years ago) link
However, they do eat hagel on toast, which is the king of breakfasts.
― Madchen, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 14:56 (sixteen years ago) link
http://www.thehollandring.com/food/food-hagelslag.gif
omg there's worms on my toast!
― ken c, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 15:07 (sixteen years ago) link
-- CharlieNo4, Wednesday, January 9, 2008 11:37 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Link
INGREDIENTS
― s1ocki, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 15:11 (sixteen years ago) link
English summer food is hard to beat, when it's all freshly caught crab...
Here is a blurry photo of the best meal I've had this year.http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3829276997_26951387b3.jpgFucking hell it was delicious.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 17 August 2009 12:15 (fifteen years ago) link
Whoever voted for Norway is crazy. Now... Wait. Nobody did. Oh well, right then.
― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Monday, 17 August 2009 23:02 (fifteen years ago) link
― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 18 August 2009 00:02 (4 years ago
lol
― Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 2 July 2014 02:02 (ten years ago) link