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高中英语辅导:English Food 英国人的食经
http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/10/19 08:53  英语辅导报

  English food has a bad reputation abroad. This is most probably because foreigners in England are often obliged to eat in the more "popular" type of restaurant. Here, it is necessary to prepare food rapidly in large quantities, and the taste of the food inevitably suffers, though its quality, from the point of view of nourishment, is quite satisfactory. Still, it is rather dull and not always attractively presented. Moreover, the Englishman eating in a cheap or medium price restaurant is usually in a hurry-at least at lunch-and a meal eaten in a leisurely manner in pleasant surroundings is always far more enjoyable than a meal taken hastily in a business-like atmosphere. In general, it is possible to get an adequate meal at a reasonable price; in fact, such a meal may be less expensive than similar food abroad. For those with money to spare, there are restaurants that compare favorably with the best in any country.

  In many countries, breakfast is a snack rather than a meal, but the traditional English breakfast is a full meal. Some people have a cereal or porridge to begin with. If porridge is prepared from coarse oatmeal (in the proper Scottish manner) it is a tasty, economical, and nourishing dish, especially when it is eaten with milk or cream, and sugar or salt. Then comes a substantial, usually cooked, course such as bacon and eggs, sausages and bacon or, sometimes, haddock or kippers. Yorkshire ham is also a breakfast speciality. Afterwards comes toast, with butter and marmalade, and perhaps some fruit. Tea or coffee is drunk with the meal. Many English people now take such a full breakfast only on Sunday morning.

  The traditional English meal (lunch or dinner, lunch generally being the lighter meal) is based on plain, simply-cooked food. British beefsteak is un-

  surpassed (with the best steaks coming from the Scotch Angus cattle) and is accompanied by roast potatoes, or potatoes done in their jackets; a second vegetable ( probably cabbage or carrots) , and Yorkshire pudding (baked batter, a mixture of flour, egg, milk and salt).

  English lamb chops, best when grilled, make a very tasty dish, particularly when eaten with fresh spring peas, new potatoes and mint sauce. English pork is good, but English veal is sometimes disappointing.

  As regards fish, Dover soles are a delicacy. So are British trout and salmon. Unfortunately, they are not cheap!

  Apple pie is a favorite sweet, and English puddings, of which there are various types, are an excellent ending to a meal, especially in winter.

  English cheeses deserve to be better known than they are. The "king" of cheeses is Stilton, a blue-veined cheese both smooth and strong, and

  at its best when port is drunk with it. Cheddar, Cheshire, and Lancashire are all pleasing to the palate, and cream cheeses are to be had in various parts of the country. In Devon, excellent clotted cream is made, which goes well with English strawberries and raspberries.

  But what, you may say, shall we drink with our meal? Many will agree with the writer in answering: English beer, preferably bitter or pale ale, or cider. If it is real Devonshire country cider, be careful-it is stronger than you think when you first taste it!

  In recent years the British have become more cosmopolitan in their eating habits, and many families frequently sit down to meals whose ingredients or recipes may come from India (curry is a well-liked dish), China, or indeed anywhere in the world.

  英国的饭菜在国外名声很差,这大概主要是因为外国人到英国时常常得在那些比较"大众化"的饭馆吃饭的原因。在这样的餐馆里,饭菜必须准备得多而快,尽管从营养学的角度看,它们的质量相当好,但味道就难免差劲了。而且,饭菜的式样单一,花色也不吸引人。另外,那些在低等或中等饭馆进餐的英国人往往总是匆匆忙忙,至少中餐是这样,自然这种行动匆忙地用餐比起那些在环境舒适的饭馆里悠闲用餐来说就少有时间来品尝饭菜的味道了。一般来说,如果价格合理的话,你在英国是能够好好地吃上一餐的,而实际上,同样的这一餐饭菜或许比在国外还要便宜。对于那些有钱的人来说,这里还是能找到能与其他国家相媲美的美食。

  在许多国家,早餐只能叫一次小吃而不能叫一餐饭,而传统的英式早餐却是很丰盛的。有些人早餐只吃一些谷类食物或粥。如果粥是由粗燕麦做成(按照地道的苏格兰方式)的话,那就是一顿可口、经济而又有营养的早餐,特别是粥里配一些牛奶或奶油、糖或盐之类的东西时,更是如此。然后再来一些干食(通常是已经做好了的粗食),如咸猪肉和鸡蛋,香肠和咸猪肉。有时人们也吃黑线鳕或咸鲑鱼等,还特别配上约克郡火腿。接下来还有吐司片,上面沾上一些黄油和果酱,或许还要来些水果。早餐时还要喝茶或咖啡。不过,现在很多英国人只有在星期天才能吃上这样丰盛的早餐。

  传统的英国饭(中餐或晚餐,中餐往往要简便些)是一些简单、易做的食物。英国牛排总是你的首选(最好的是苏格兰的安格斯牛排),和烤土豆片或带皮的煮土豆一起吃。第二是蔬菜类的(或许是大白菜或胡萝卜),还有约克郡布丁(一种烤熟的由面粉、鸡蛋和食盐搅合而成的面糊)。

  英式的剁羊羔,可以说是一道佳肴了。烤过的剁羊羔最好吃,特别是同新豌豆、新土豆和薄荷酱一起吃更妙。英国猪肉还不错,但英国的小牛肉却不怎么好吃。

  说到鱼,多佛的鳎鱼味道不错。英国的鳟鱼和鲑鱼也很好。不过,它们都不便宜。

  苹果派是大家都喜欢的甜食,英国布丁式样很多,饭吃到最后来一点就相当好了,冬天尤其如此。

  英国的奶酪理应提高其知名度。奶酪之中最好当然是斯第尔顿干酪。那是一种有蓝色条纹的干酪,又光又硬, 这东西和波尔多红葡萄酒一起下肚最好。切德干酪、柴郡干酪和兰开郡干酪都算得上是餐中美食,你在全国各地还可以吃到奶油奶酪。在德文,人们制作一种极佳的酸凝脂奶油,这种东西同英国草莓或木莓一起吃时味道极好。

  你也许会问,那吃饭时喝的东西又有哪些呢?同作者本人一样,许多人都一致认为那就是英国啤酒,最好是略苦的或颜色暗淡的黄啤或是苹果酒。如果是正宗的德文郡乡下苹果汁,喝时你可要小心一点,第一次喝时,你会感觉到它比你想象的要浓烈一些。

  近年来,英国人的饮食习惯已越来越世界化了。许多家庭餐桌上的饭菜的制作原料可能是来自于印度(如大家都喜欢的咖喱)、中国或世界上任何一个别的地方的。

  (文/M.D. Mackenzle L.J. Westwood;英语通高三版2003-2004学年第8期;版权归英语辅导报社所有,独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育,未经许可,不得以任何形式进行转载。)


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