Food it connects us

1. Foodit connects us By: Payton Recke

2. Food • I chose food for my project because it is something that all countries have in common, we all eat! • Although there are different types of food that are popular in each country there are many similarities. • Eating is something we do with family and friends. We may not eat every meal as a family but most families have dinner together and it is where they talk about their day and other current events. • Meals are also the focal point of many holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, you may start the with just your immediate family on those days but you get together with your extended family for the holiday dinner. • Summer BBQ’s are another time we come together around food. Nobody calls to say come over for wiffle ball no it’s come over for a BBQ. • Because we are a melting pot of people here in the U.S. our food is influenced by many other countries around the world. • I would like to share with you some of the dishes from the countries we will be visiting as Student Ambassadors.

3. England • England is most popular for their classic fish and chips, which is battered and fried cod fish and French fries. • Another popular food in England is bangers and mash which is just sausage and mashed potatoes. • England loves their tea and there used to be a time when everything would stop in England for afternoon tea but that doesn’t happen anymore. Afternoon tea is now something that takes place for tourists. • Does your family eat a roast on Sunday? If so this is a tradition that started in England and is still the favorite Sunday dinner of most families. • One of the most famous Chef’s from England is Gordon Ramsey who is famous more for how he yells at people than what he cooks.

4. Ireland • As you may know potatoes are a very special food in Ireland. Potatoes were plentiful in Ireland and became a food for the poor in the 1600’s • In the 1800’s the soil no longer had the nutrients that were needed to grow the potatoes and they became diseased. This caused many of the poor to become ill and die. • A famous dish that uses potatoes is colcannon which is a dish with a combination of potatoes and cabbage. • Another traditional Irish food is soda bread. This is a mixture of buttermilk, baking soda, flour, and often times raisins or nuts. But don’t think this bread is the same as our bread here in the U.S. Irish soda bread is very hard on the outside and dry on the inside so it is normally accompanied by a cup of tea or coffee. • A dessert you may find in Ireland is chocolate potato cake, which is made with butter, mashed potatoes, cocoa, vanilla extract, milk, sugar, eggs, baking soda, and flour. If you would like you could even add your choice of nuts.

5. Scotland • One famous food in Scotland is black pudding. You are probably thinking that it is like the dessert we have here, well its not. Blood pudding is pigs blood and other unused parts of the pig mixed with oatmeal and made into sausage. Black pudding is enjoyed in top-notch restaurants, as well as bed and breakfasts, and at homes. • Haggis is another food that uses the leftovers of an animal it is made with a sheep's heart, liver and lungs, oatmeal and minced onion is added along with spices. • Oats and barley are important to the Scottish culture. There is a specific barley that is used in the whiskey that is made in Scotland. Oats are part of the daily Scottish diet, and that goes all the way back to medieval times. • Porridge is a favorite in Scotland, this is made from oats just like our oatmeal. A big pot would be made in the beginning of the week so that it was there to take on the go, and because of this it is considered the first take out meal.

6. Wales • Welsh cake, also known as griddle scones, are a popular food in Wales. These are dense cakes with dried fruit and spices. The traditional way to make Welsh cake is to mix in raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon and then cook them on a cast iron griddle once done they are dusted with sugar and served with jam or butter. • Welsh rarebit is a cheesy sauce with mustard, cayenne, and paprika. After the ingredients are all mixed up, they are poured on toasted bread and is ready to be served • Cockles are eaten at any meal and are prepared in many ways, the most popular is steamed. Have you ever eaten a clam? If you have then you have eaten cockles. • One of the most well known dishes is cottage pie you may know it as Shepherd's pie, which is ground meat that is seasoned and cooked then toped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven until the potatoes are golden brown.