Traditional British foods with names to die for

British cuisine is as diverse as it is delicious. If you have ever bothered to find out a new recipe to cook in your oven, you may have had some of the best meals in your life. Granted you successfully prepared the dish and not create one big mess demanding oven cleaning that is.

When it comes to British food, there are many recipes out there that will make you wonder who named them and why they picked such weird names for their creation.

Regardless, be sure to try them out.

• Toad in the hole – despite the weird name, you will find no toads in this dish. Toad in the hole consist of pork sausages delightfully baked in a dough (same as the batter used for pancakes) served with gravy. The story of the dish can be traced back some 200 years ago, though nobody can give you an explanation as to why it bears such a weird name. There are only theories behind it, one of which has to do with the fact that the sausages in the dish look like frogs peeking through the dough. Regardless, it is a recipe to try out for sure.  
• Welsh rarebit – this one hails from Wales, and it is one to try out for sure. It involves toasted bread with melted cheese sauce on top. The extra kick in this dish comes from mustard, Worcestershire Sauce or paprika. The dish also features milk or ale. People say the name of the dish started out as a joke – the Welsh were so poor that they couldn’t afford meat (rabbit) and so had to use cheese. Judging by how good the meal is, it would seem they got the last laugh.
• Lancashire hotpot –  if you are into hearty meals, you will love this lamb stew, which originates from the northwest England region of Lancashire. It consists of lamb, carrots and onion with sliced potatoes on top. The dish is cooked at low heat. It started off as the poor version of savoury pie in the 19th century. It makes for a wonderful weekday dinner.
• Scotch egg – this is a dish hailing from Yorkshire in the northeast part of England. In essence, this meal involves hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat in addition to breadcrumbs. According to history, wealthy Victorians used to take this dish on picnics and continuous journeys.
• Bubble and squeak – if you don’t like throwing the leftover vegetables from Sunday, you can use them on this traditional Monday dish. You need only fry potatoes, cabbage plus whatever veggies you have leftover. It takes its name from the sound that cabbage makes during the cooking process on the stovetop. Try cooking this, and you will see the sound compares well.
• Eton mess – if you are into British desserts, then this easy recipe is for you. Some say Eton mess originates from Eton College, which is a notable senior school in the UK. For this treat, you need only to fold some sliced strawberries into whipped cream and broken meringue. It is easy to make and quite delicious.

Even though they may have funny names, all of these dishes are worth your cooking effort. Try them out at home and don’t forget to make some time for oven cleaning afterwards.

© Specialist Oven Cleaners