![\"cookbook](\"http:\/\/www.mostlyfood.co.uk\/img\/gentlemans%20relish.jpg\")
This small chunky book is a treat. It lists and describes just about all of those quirky and well-loved foodstuffs that we hold dear. Yes, we consider them to be English but a remarkable number of them have either foreign origins or foreign originators.<\/p>\n
Gentleman\u2019s Relish is a mine of information that will charm any foodie. Gentleman\u2019s Relish, the celebrated fish paste, is the first item and it\u2019s a smart one from any view-point. It\u2019s a strong and salty concoction much enjoyed by the English upper classes. First devised by John Osborn in 1828 it has anchovies as its key ingredient. It\u2019s synonymous with the sadly missed Savoury Course at dinner parties, where it would be presented to those guests (mostly the men) who still had a chink of space after the preceding seven or so courses. Those were the days.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t know exactly the origin of Mars bars. I knew it was unlikely to be Mars and it is, in fact, the USA. They didn\u2019t find their way across the pond till the 1930s. The English contribution to chocolate heaven might be Bendicks Bittermints, which are often taken home by tourists who appreciate the packaging as much as the candy. It says \u2018Mayfair\u2019!<\/p>\n
The Full English Breakfast and HP Sauce could very easily have been combined into a single article. Yes, it\u2019s true that many now eat the Full Monty with tomato ketchup; the purist will stick to HP sauce and English mustard. There are regional variations, with white pudding being added in Ireland, black pudding being included in the North, but all with fried bread, which is delicious but probably a killer if you indulge more than once a year.<\/p>\n
The histories of so many dishes are surprising. Eaton Mess, Angostura Bitters, Bombay (not Mumbai) Duck and Worcestershire (if you are English you\u2019ll just call it Worcester \u2013 pronounced wooster\u00a0 – oo as in book) Sauce are all here, along with many others. Gentleman\u2019s Relish \u2013 A Compendium of English Culinary Oddities is a most absorbing volume and a tasteful gift for any food lover. Delightful.<\/p>\n
Gentleman\u2019s Relish \u2013 A Compendium of English Culinary Oddities
\nAuthor: National Trust
\nPublisher by: Anova
\nPrice: \u00a36.99
\nISBN 9781905400553<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Food history and guidebook review by Chrissie Walker \u00a9 2018<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This small chunky book is a treat. It lists and describes just about all of those quirky and well-loved foodstuffs that we hold dear. Yes, we consider them to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4406,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,22],"tags":[649,1250,97,1251],"class_list":["post-3731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-cookbooks","tag-food-literature","tag-gentlemans-relish-a-compendium-of-english-culinary-oddities","tag-history","tag-national-trust"],"yoast_head":"\n