British Culture

British Culture
Blog Post #1
Ben Bruskin

I love, love, love Britain, British people and British culture. It is such a diverse and quirky culture with so many different elements.  British culture is filled with Royals, interesting humor (or humour as it would be spelled in GB), superstitions and wonderful food. I like to describe the UK to people in America as a culture and a place that is very similar to America but always a little bit different in every aspect. Britain is a top exporter, in the world, of music, movies, and television shows. Downton Abbey, James Bond, One Direction, William and Kate, The Got Talent and X Factor show formats and the Beatles are all top British exports. Not only is Britain world renowned for their entertainment exports, it is world renowned for its food. Fish and Chips, the afternoon tea tradition and the sandwich are all top British food exports around the world. British food often gets slammed around the world but I just think people are A, being too picky or B, don't know the right places to go to when they are visiting the UK. British cuisine is probably one of the most diverse cuisines you can find in the world. The cuisine ranges from the typical Shepard's Pie to the exotic chicken curry. The UK is a country of immigrants who have all contributed in their own ways to British cuisine.  My favorite foods from the UK are the bacon sandwich, the roast chicken with potatoes, and fish and chips of course. All are simple foods, that taste so good, two things that most British foods have in common. British cuisine contains lots of roast meats, stews, fried fish, and puddings. One of the most important meals in the UK is the afternoon tea. The afternoon tea is something that can act as a replacement for dinner, but doesn't have to be (When it does act as a replacement for dinner it is called high tea and there really doesn't even need to be tea with the meal. Most people refer to high tea as 'dinner' now.) Afternoon tea is taken between the hours of 4-6pm and can range from the very traditional afternoon tea which contains full trays of cucumber sandwiches, scones, and big pots of tea to the more common and practical glass of tea and a sandwich.

People often ask, 'what is the difference between the United Kingdom, England, and Britain?' The difference is simple: The full name for the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The island with England, Scotland, and Wales is known as Great Britain. The island next to Great Britain is the Republic Ireland and at the top of Ireland borders Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is not of Great Britain because it is too separate islands. Together, Great Britain and Northern Ireland make up the United Kingdom. This geography has caused for a very similar cuisine across the rest of whole of the United Kingdom, with each country in the United Kingdom offering its own distinct flavors to the common food items within British cuisine.

 A very traditional afternoon tea. 

The difference between the UK and Great Britain and England and Ireland.