Cod Almighty: Why fish n’ chips is the UK’s national dish

The pretenders to the crown will always take a battering

‘Bland’ is a word that was heavily associated with British food in the 20th century. That reputation was mostly undeserved, and the long recovery from rationing during World War II was a significant factor. But before this turns into a history lesson, let’s get back to that ‘B’ word. If you take a look at the photo above, it’s not that visually enticing, but if, like most Brits, you’ve had the pleasure of devouring fish n’ chips, you can almost taste the power and the glory.

For so long, chicken tikka masala has been named the nation’s national dish. There’s nothing wrong with that as a top pick; after all, its roots lie within Britain’s history of being a cultural melting pot, plus it also tastes extremely good. But… but… but… how can you overlook fish n’ chips?

Britain has often been nicknamed ‘The Island Nation’. What are islands surrounded by? Sea. What swims in the sea? Not chicken. While we’ve kicked off with this most simplistic of arguments, there’s so much more to it – literally in a sense. Your typical chippy’s working day kicks off a lot earlier than you might think. At 7am, the potatoes are peeled, sliced and diced, and the typical spud total that’s chopped up averages 400 kilos! Yep, it’s not just Italians who put loads of love into their cooking.

Towns and cities are often judged on the quality of their local chippy – or chippys depending on size. Yorkshire and Cornwall are generally regarded as the places that serve up the nation’s finest, and it’s no coincidence that these two are the big-hitting counties when it comes raking in the tourist dollar. But even if you’re British anyway, what would a trip to Whitby be without a visit to The Magpie Café? And if you pop down the road to Doncaster, don’t be surprised to see a 10 metre-long queue outside the door of Fish Bits. That’s the effect a piece of cod, haddock or plaice, with a simple splash of salt and vinegar can have.

Hell, even those who claim to hate seafood like it, which is enough of a reason on it’s own to make fish n’ chips numero uno. Because for a nation surrounded by saltwater, we Brits sure do have a rather strange aversion towards seafood. From Stockholm to Seville, most of continental Europe eat it by the bucketload, so whilst these shores yield a veritable bounty, it mostly gets exported elsewhere. Therefore, fish n’ chips are doing us a dual service; not only are they making our diets that little more balanced, but they’re also helping to keep the UK fishing industry alive.

But what about that other contender for the honours? We are of course talking about the traditional Sunday roast. Now, gravy is a dirty word here at The Early Whistle, but there’s no denying its popularity throughout the land. But, World War rationing aside, surely it’s this very dish that’s been single-handedly responsible for the bad rep British food has received around the world. Whether it’s beef, chicken, pork or lamb, there’s no getting around its Plain Jane status. And you can pour on as many boatloads of gravy as you want, it’s still rather dull.

And yes, it’s not the healthiest, but which national dishes are? Come to think of it, chicken tikka masala is supposed to contain many benefits in this way, but who’s ever been crowned MasterChef champion because they cooked a healthier dish? Do you agree that fish n’ chips should be the UK’s national dish? Let us know in the comments.