My name is Shizuka. I mainly upload my life, learning English, and things that interest me. Feel free to subscribe to my channel :) Twitter: / shizuka_uk Instagram: / shizuka_uk
During WW1 and 2 food in Britain had to be rationed and was very basic. When large numbers of US military personnel arrived they got the impression that this was all British food was.
It is so nice to hear a foreigner FINALLY appreciate British food instead of ignorantly call it terrible without even trying it. You are a brilliant ambassador for Britain... but Japanese. I'm confused XD Thanks for the video, I hope you have a wonderful day!
The reputation that British cooking has for being bland stems from the period after WW2, we were on major rationing until the mid 50s and ingredients were hard to come by. The people had to make do with what they could buy or grow themselves, whilst Britain recovered its economy, rebuilding the damage to the bankrupt country at the same time as repaying the extortion costs to USA imposed with their lend lease scheme, and also rebuilding Europe, to pay for the damaged caused by the Third Reich, and the damage we caused resisting them and liberating Europe.
Compared with French food, British food was lacking a little, however, I can't think of any other nation that has superior food, and, I have travelled to many many places...
It's a breath of fresh air to hear someone talking positively about our food. I think people generally hate on it because the dishes are so simple. This means that you need good quality ingredients that are cooked well (often taking a lot of time over them) to make a good dish. Many touristy places opt for cheaper ingredients cooked quickly, which can impair the flavours and textures of the dish. I'm yet to find a good full English at a hotel for example - the sausages are often what lets it down.
As a Brit who's lived in the Far East from time to time, there's always been an excitement in finding baked beans out there, even if it's usually served cold and a bit sad in small cup at a hotel breakfast buffet. Meanwhile in the UK my Chinese partner fell in love with rhubarb, in my part of England it's very much still traditionally grown in many people's back gardens. It's a very tart, sour vegetable you cook with sugar, which makes it jolly tangy, and you mainly eat it as a pudding. My dad and her will eat bowl after bowl of the stuff.
If you enjoy rice pudding out of a tin, I definitely recommend trying a British recipe and making it yourself. My father makes rice pudding with jersey milk, which is more creamy than ordinary milk, and nutmeg. Then you bake it in the oven. It is absolutely amazing. Home-made rice pudding is on another level to tinned rice pudding. Trifle is also very easy to make at home, and if you enjoy it, try bread pudding as well, it is similar but warm instead of cold. You serve it with cream or custard, or if you like, you could use both.
Jersey gold top milk is the top tier. I make crème brulees with Jersey milk and (if I can get it) Jersey cream. Also bread and butter pudding. Amazing.
@@doofus4648 Or if you're as inept at cooking rice as I am, and I'm not a bad cook it's just rice that no matter what I try I just can't manage to turn it into anything except a sticky mess, then rice pudding is always the result rather than waste it. One day I may just get it right, not giving up when the only downside is rice pudding, though never made one even close to the equal of my grandmother's.
I think the bad reputation for our food mostly comes from wartime rationing, where many things weren't available. People seemed to carry on with that style of cooking until more recently, hence the poor reputation during the 50s and 60s especially. That said we do as a nation have a history of overcooking everything, especially when it comes to vegetables. Gennaro Contaldo (Italian chef) said when he came over here in the 50s/60s he worked in hospital kitchens and said the ingredients weren't the issue. There was lots of lovely, fresh produce coming into the kitchens, but they were ruined by the cooking. Our hospitals do have a particularly bad reputation when it comes to food. But yeah, if you haven't already tried it, I would definitely recommend shepherd's/cottage pie. It's basically minced meat and veg (shepherd's is lamb, cottage is beef) topped with mashed potatoes and crisped up in the oven. It doesn't sound like much but it is truly food of the gods! I do have an interesting fact about Yorkshire pudding. It's not always been eaten as a savory item with a roast dinner. My grandma is from Yorkshire and she says traditionally in Yorkshire it was actually eaten sweet with jam, so I guess it was intended to be an actual pudding after all.
In our house, if there were any Yorkshire puddings left over from a roast dinner, we’d have them for dessert with golden syrup 😋. I guess the ingredients is just a basic batter, that could be sweet or savoury, but there’s something special about the shape and texture of Yorkshire puds that makes them quite unique.
I’m new to your content. First of all, Im so sorry to hear of your bereavement. You are a genuinely lovely person and I’m sure you are welcome wherever you go 👍. Secondly I’m not used to a positive impression of the English (I am English and trust me I bitch about us the most). You have a great positive attitude and the spirit of a true adventurer
I always thought she was an elegant woman but then she stated she enjoyed a Steak Bake from Greggs... I'm in love 😍😂 Edit: There's a dish in the North of England that's known as a few different names, in Liverpool it's known as Scouse and in the area I'm from it's known as Tater Ash, it's a must when it comes to English food, have it with dumplings 👏
@@rickybuhl3176 Yes, its full English name is Lobscouse. Here in Liverpool we're called Scousers for our association with the dish, in other parts of North West England they know it as Lobby.
Wooo steak bake from greggs! Greggs originated in my town. They were only a small local bakers when I was a child. Corned beef ones are really good too, but are more regional I think, mostly see them here in the North East.
Hope you're doing well! It's so nice to hear positive opinions of the UK's food, I normally only hear negative opinions about our food. I hope you keep the videos coming 😄
A good old Bacon Sandwich...shame you're back in Japan, decent bacon is really hard to get there. Its one thing I'll seriously miss when I move there in a few years. Perhaps I'll make my own. My Japanese wife gets very tipsy when she eats my step-mum's homemade Trifle. LOL
The Meat Guy saved my ... Bacon... When I lived in Japan for meat products. Not cheap, but not very expensive. I think British style bacon was about £8 for half a kilo.
The tip about pudding rice as a substitute for Japanese style rice is very interesting, I'll have to remember it. I assume it goes the other way too, a Japanese person could probably make rice pudding easily enough with local rice? Trifle is traditional around christmas here, maybe an opportunity. Full English breakfast was traditionally eaten by farmers and labourers, who were going to go out and do a hard days work and burn those calories. Some foreigners think everyone eats that every day before they go to their office job, but that'd be a great way to get obese. Personally I love steak and kidney pie, and most things with lamb (like shepherds pie)
I’m sure I can use Japanese rice to make rice pudding. If you cook Japanese rice, I personally recommend using soft water. Hard water still works fine, though. Steak and kidney pie is on my list now :)
What a great list! It's so nice to see someone from another culture talk about some British classic foods with such passion :) Thank you for making the video, Shizuka!
I was surprised to see Greggs being mentioned, mostly as I did not think savoury pastries would be to a Japanese palette. However as you like the richness of the beef and sauce, perhaps a beef casserole with dumplings might appeal.
@@rickybuhl3176 Nothing wrong with "peasant" food, mate, it's often the best food ;) As a variant to your excellent suggestion, my ex bought some kidneys instead of liver by mistake one time and didn't tell me until I'd eaten it. She often prepped while I cooked and that time she even fibbed when I mentioned this liver doesn't look quite right LOL. To be fair though, it was pretty similar in look and texture after she chopped it a bit. I've certainly had the same recipe a few times since, basically like bacon, liver and onion in gravy but switch liver out for kidney. Mind you, when I was a kid it was a step or two less than peasant food for a year or two after my parents split up and we had next to nothing, so whatever ingredients my mum could find cheapest. We never went hungry thanks to her ingenuity. I still have a soft spot for her corned beef and potato pie, though she rarely made it again after the poverty days, for probably obvious reasons.
@@purpuradraco3747 Some great memories, lessons too. Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie may be more popular but I'm with you on the "Soldier's Pie", [corned] alternative. We were pretty bloody lucky all said and done..
@@rickybuhl3176 Yup, can't disagree with you on that one. There's some great food out there, not the least of which is Japanese. I was a finicky sod for a while but I'll try anything once and first time I tasted sushi I was hooked, even if UK wasabi is usually just our horse radish coloured green (it's related) while lemon chicken, definitely good. Still, our pallets get used to certain things and there is nothing like your mother's cooking, whichever country the dish originated.
Dear Shizuka - it's so refreshing to find someone who likes the food we grow up with! Many foreigners from all around the world have a bad impression of English food - it has a bad reputation that is hard to dispel, but I know many people who have come to love it. I think English desserts are especially good. And all of the ones you mention are really tasty. All the best, Rob
@@ollielowe7534 Couldn't agree more, Ollie. Bread pudding was an Army (and Navy and Air Force) common dessert, but a surprising number of my comrades moaned when the saw it. The way the services cooked it was terrific and sensibly economical. Bread not used from the previous day was buttered, sliced into triangles, put in a tray about 2ftx1and a 1/2 x 3inches, coated with sugar and sprinkled with raisins, soaked with evaporated milk with beaten eggs,. maybe a little cinnamon or nutmeg, and placed in a ferociously hot oven until the tops were golden brown. My regiment was a very physically active one, and consequently their daily calorie allowance was, IIRC, about 1,500 cals than most other units, and bread pudding was a frequent delight, a great easy hi-energy top-up for very fit and active young men. Dang, my mouth is watering at the thought, I wish I's never typed this! :-)
I'm so heartened to hear that you tried different foods in the UK. They may not be as exotic as those in other countries, but they are easily available and usually easy to replicate around the world. - and there are hundreds of different things to try. - An entertaining video. TYSM. - I'm so glad you decided to continue after all you've been through. I missed your videos so much.
We have been in Spain for four years now and my wife made rice pudding for the first time last week since we got here! Her favourite part is the skin that forms on the pudding in the oven. Yum! So lovely to see you again! My favourite desert is Bread and butter pudding made with amongst other ingredients, dates and brioche. You'll love it!
Will you be coming back to the UK in the near future? You would brighten up the country with your lovely personality and sunshine smile. Mary Berry has a very simple rice pudding recipe on RU-vid. I just used the rice I had in the cupboard. It doesn't seem to make any difference on what kind you use. You've tried Yorkshire Puddings but have you tried Toad in the Hole? That's sausages baked in Yorkshire Pudding. My favourite Greggs is their cheese and onion pasty. For some reason they call it a cheeses and onion bake these days. I never eat a full English breakfast. There's far too much of it. I think they originated in roadside cafes where lorry drivers ate. They need lots of calories. I recommend my Vegetarian bacon, egg and tomato pie. You will find lots of places where you can get bacon and egg pie but I haven't seen one just like mine.
If you can get whole milk in Japan you can easily make rice pudding for yourself using Japanese rice and sugar. Home-made rice pudding is made nicer by grating nutmeg over the top before putting the pudding in the oven.
Thank you for coming back to RU-vid after your recent tragedy, I'm sure your husband would be proud of you. I love how you appreciate British culture. Stay safe my lady!
How nice. I love how adventurous you were when over here, you have tried things I haven't and I've lived here my whole life! My favourite from Greggs is the pizza and I would recommend everyone to try "bangers and mash" which is sausages, mashed potato, gravy and peas. So nice when it's cold and damp here.
When my wife and we’re married, over 50 years ago, a traditional wedding present was a cut glass trifle bowl. Similar to Sunday Roast there is Sunday Tea where home made trifle is the dessert part. For those who didn’t have ready access to the ingredients a company called Birds made a diy version with all the basics in the packet. We still have our bowl and it gets a regular use. 😂
Hi Shizuka Sorry to hear about your loss, always enjoy your channel, You've got such lovely way about you really positive and amusing, all the best and hope you come back to the UK soon Jim, Surrey, UK X
Kedgeree usually surprises people, as it is similar to paella and maybe not something people would expect from a British recipe. I like how simple it is to make, you can use dried mixed vegetables if you like, as well as frozen peas, and the fish could be the ready-cooked mackerel that every supermarket sells, making it very convenient and fast to cook. I like to use fried or grilled halloumi as well as/instead of the eggs, as it makes the rice nice and salty.
One food that you might not realise is British is Chicken Tikka Masala. This was invented in Britain in the 1960s because, to British people, Chicken Tikka was too dry. So the Indian restaurants in Britain started serving Chicken Tikka with Masala sauce, inventing a new dish. Some of the British pies that have mashed potato as the “crust” are very good: shepherds pie, cottage pie or fish pie.
Tinned riced pudding, Greggs and full English Breakfast! Wow she went full native on this one, I'm impressed! Btw, Yorkshire pudding IS eaten as a dessert in some parts of the UK. Often with jam! It's basically the same as pancake batter, so that's probably why it's versatile enough for either.
In case somebody finds this interesting, on the topic of the stereotype of British food being bad/bland, it apparently comes from the second world war, when American soldiers were stationed in the UK in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. At that time, Britain had already been strictly rationing food for many years, and more exotic foods were exceedingly rare if available at all. Compared to what the US soldiers and civilians had access to back home, the British diet was certainly perceived as more limited. When the American servicemen returned home, they told everybody back in America that our food was bland and boring, and that idea spread worldwide as a result since the myth was perpetuated in American popular culture. Same as how many people mistakenly seem to believe that the UK is always foggy, because back before extensive CGI when Hollywood wanted to make a movie set in London, they'd set up some iron railings and a lamp post in an interior set and pump in artificial fog to obscure the background. That way they could very cheaply hide the fact that they weren't filming on location.
There are such misconceptions regarding UK Food, it's a rumour put around many years ago, centuries in fact. Its just not applicable in today's UK as the UK has some of the highest cuisine in the world. Not sure I would boast about Greegs though 😂. I have always dreamed of visiting Japan, the countryside looks so beautiful, It would, be great to see you make some videos of where you live and things japanese, I'm sure many would like to see. Hope you are well and stay positive, if possible. sayonara🤗
The opposite to you, but now I'm in England I really miss the cheap sushi, pickles, and tempura that you could buy at the deli counters in supermarkets in Japan... getting that stuff in England is much more expensive and it's not nearly as nice... inari sushi I miss you!
Try rice pudding baked some time. The milk on the surface caramelises, it's very nice. You can get okay scotch broth in a tin, though of course never as nice as the real deal. Trifle is my favourite British food as a native. The key thing with good British food is good ingredients and cooking as it is quite simple, but done well it is sublime. I enjoyed the video, as always.
You can eat Yorkshire Pudding as a dessert. It is delicious with jam on top or golden syrup. You can make pancakes with the same mixture, just use a drop more milk to make the batter mix thinner. Your English accent is very engaging and you are as pretty as your cherry blossom.
Ganbatte ne. Deepest sympathy for your loss. It looks like you are getting back with your life. That is so nice to see. I’m grateful that you can make videos about the good things about the UK. I’m looking to move to Japan. I know the culture is completely different but I hope to make it work. Keep your RU-vid posts going they are great
Hi Shizuka, that is a lovely name! Once again, I enjoyed your video about British food. I love listening to your voice. It would be nice if you could show some of your local area in Japan and maybe some local food you enjoy. Take care… 🥴👍👀
So glad to hear someone who appreciates how good British food can be, it gets such a bad rap, mostly because of the Franco-British rivalry, and the French (admittedly justified) pride in their own cuisine. But just because British food is more humble than French food does not mean it's not capable of being wonderful in its own way. Some of my favorite British foods are pork pies, bangers and mash, Cornish pasties, Scotch eggs, and fish and chips (North Sea Cod, of course). And, don't forget, Chicken Tikka Masala (yes, it's a British dish!) And some wonderful *real ale* to wash it all down with!
Always fun to hear about your observations and some great comfort foods there…might have to go and eat a few right now! Looking forward to your next video
Good choice of dishes - my immediate reaction was the HUGE difference (to my mind) in the ones you showed from shops versus homemade... chalk and cheese!
Lovely video. You made me hungry just watching this show. Love rice pudding, trifle and Scotch broth. Haven't had them in awhile, not since I moved to the Southern US. Haven't had a full English in awhile and while Sunday roasts are normal for my family, we never served them with Yorkshire pudding. Anyway, lovely video and looking forward to your next one.
I cook for a living and made three of the dishes you list for people at 6.30 this very morn. Sunday dinner, breakfast (so far 19 of them) and trifle. Plus 2 Chicken Teriyaki. Oh... and a cheesey chip omelette. It was fascinating to see you list including them. And the Steak Bake is something special. But do try making rice pudding from scratch. Don't follow the interweb recipies. Get an old British Cookbook and follow an old recipe. If you can't find one I'll put it up here. Nothing fancy but perfect. Especially the crust. And again... so nice to see you back on here. Those six and a half minutes brightened my day.
I like to make my own rice pudding. Short grain rice with milk , Topped of with nutmeg on top to go brown on the skin that forms. Don't forget the sugar to add also. The rice becomes soft and mushy. One nice sweet treat. Can add jam, But sweet enough me thinks.
Bless your cotton socks Shizuka san. I'm so glad you like British food, there's so much to enjoy; regional cheeses and sausages for example. I'll eagerly await your next production... :)
I do love a Greggs bacon turnover! And beef wellington is one of my favourite meals for a special occasion. Loved the video very fun, cant wait for more.
I love that one of your favourite British foods is specifically from Greggs 🤣 that's the most British thing ever. the vegan sausage roll is really good there too.
Oh my! I'm missing my mom's Sunday roast. I'm Canadian, but the tradition exists here too. She struggled for years with hit and miss Yorkshire puddings. She eventually figured out that cold ingredients directly from the fridge was the problem, particularly the eggs. They are not easy to make and good ones should include praise for the chef. 👍
I'm not exactly a brilliant cook, but I gather the trick with yorkshires is that you put dripping in your baking tins and they go into a hot oven until they're almost smoking, then whip them out and pour in the batter and stick back into the oven quick as you can. If there are good yorkshires and good beef gravy about, I can forget all about the beef and the rest.
What a fantastic video. Always great to hear another perspective on British cuisine. As many others have said before, my most sincerest condolences on the passing of your husband.
Thanks for the outtakes at the end. They were most entertaining, but they also showed a different, more natural side of your personality. It helps those of us who have come to like you and follow you uploads know you better.
I love watching these videos. There are so many things we take for granted or we just never think about to do with our country that are interesting, puzzling or strange to someone from another culture. Please keep doing these videos. They're very interesting. ❤️
Lovely to see you back on RU-vid you’ve been missed, when you come back to England you need to travel to Bedfordshire and try a “Bedfordshire clanger” it’s a pastry roll with Beef, which was slowly cooked in herbs and beer at one end and the other end has a dessert of Rhubarb and Custard. I bet you’re salivating at the thought !
It's probably been mentioned already, but you should try toad in the hole. It's basically a giant Yorkshire pudding with sausages in it that you'd serve up with gravy and veg. Tasty and filling!
