3 Traditional Foods
You Have To Try in Birmingham

Birmingham balti is a curry variety prepared with chicken or lamb (although, some may use vegetables or fish), served in a traditional steel bowl in which it was cooked. It is usually paired with naan bread on the side. Although it falls under the category of Indian curries, it is very probable that balti was created in the United Kingdom, more specifically in Birmingham, as the name suggests. The city has a large Pakistani population, who probably invented balti according to their authentic culinary traditions. In the 1970s, they started opening restaurants in Birmingham, serving the popular, slow-cooked curries. Their choice of spices included commercially available curry pastes and dried herbs since the fresh produce was not yet available. The dish gained its modern form when the traditional way of slow cooking was not sufficient or fast enough to adequately serve the customers. The restaurant owners then included the now famous balti, the thin steel bowl with two handles, which allowed the dish to be prepared much faster. One unsupported theory says that the origin of the dish might be Baltistan, the mountainous area of northern Pakistan, but it is more probable it was associated with the traditional bowl. Birmingham balti is an atypical version of a traditional curry since it uses dry herbs, and the traditional ghee is replaced with vegetable oil. In Birmingham, the restaurants serving balti were popularly called balti houses, and in the 1990s, they spread to other British cities. To this day, Birmingham balti remains one of the favorite British curries.Expand

Also known as the full breakfast, this traditional British dish appears everywhere with a few essentials and some regional additions. First, there is the meat – usually a combination of sausages and bacon. The sausage is plain pork sausage, while the bacon can be streaky or back bacon. Then there are vegetables and legumes – baked beans and tomatoes, both cooked over high heat. The balance of sweetness and acidity in the tomatoes nicely balances out the fattiness on the other side of the plate. Lastly, there is a crispy piece of fried bread and two or three over-easy eggs to tie the whole meal together. Alongside this hearty breakfast, you will usually find a cup of tea, ketchup or brown sauce, and a nice fruit jam. Optionally, black pudding, kidneys, mushrooms, and potatoes can be added to the fry-up, depending on personal taste and regional preferences. Although it is traditionally a breakfast dish, a full English breakfast is more than hearty enough to serve as a mid-day meal.Expand

Most Brits would agree that there is nothing more British than fish and chips. This comforting, widely loved national dish consists of a freshly fried, hot, white fish fillet and large, sliced and fried potatoes. Cod, haddock, and flounder are the most common types of fish that is fried for the dish, and the customers can choose which type of fish they want, with cod being the most popular choice. The fillets get dipped in a batter made from eggs, milk, and flour, and are then fried in oil, lard, or beef drippings along with the potatoes. The origins of this dish go back to the 17th century, when potatoes were fried as a substitute for fish in the winter months, while fried fish was introduced into the country by Jewish refugees. Fish and chips are a favorite takeaway dish, with numerous chippies (fish and chips shops) popping up all over the country and offering a few accompaniments and sides, such as salt, vinegar, mushy peas, curry sauce, ketchup, brown sauce, and a cup of sweet, milky tea. Traditionally, the dish is served wrapped in greaseproof paper and a layer of newspaper in order to make eating outside easier, and if you want to do as the Brits do, it is the only acceptable way to eat it. Interestingly, in Yorkshire, a cup of tea is the perfect beverage pairing for fish and chips.Expand