Good Morning! This is Sidra Zammam, and for my second post, I’ll be going over what’s really important and on everyone’s mind: coffee and condiments in the UK.
Coffee is a large part of our culture and can turn an otherwise uneventful and dreary day into an extraordinary one. Wow, you say, one bean does all this? Yes! Let’s compare the differences in coffee between America and London, England.
Right off the bat, you already have a better chance of getting a good cup of coffee over here than in America. I think being so close to other countries such as Turkey and Italy that make coffee a big part of their culture has influenced England. So, coffee is made a little more carefully than in America. In other words, coffee is burnt less often over here. I have a long history with sugary coffee, and when I say I could drink an unsweetened latte easily over here, believe me. It almost tasted good.
The biggest difference between here and has to be the concentration on espresso-based coffee more than drip coffee. In America, the first thing you see on the menu is regular black coffee. Rather, over here the first suggestion is an espresso or cappuccino. I just don’t think people do regular drip-coffee as often here, even as an after dinner accompaniment to your dessert.
You’ve probably heard this before, but cup sizes are more moderate in the UK. A large over here is a medium anywhere in America (or a small at Dunkin’)! The only thing is, there’s no price difference. Considering that a pound is worth 1.3 American dollars, this feels a little deceitful.
Another major difference between America and a large number of other countries is the Spanish latte. When I saw they had one on just about every menu I looked at, I knew instantly of the unjust inequity that affects us Americans every day. It’s honestly what you would imagine a perfectly non-bitter, a little more than semi-sweet latte to be. When my cousin moved to America from Saudi Arabia a couple of years ago, the first thing he mentioned when I asked him about what differences he noticed was the complete absence of the Spanish latte. He spent weeks meticulously trying to find a substitute. I honestly don’t know if he ever found one.
I want to finish our coffee discussion on a high note: Pret a Manger. This coffee chain started in France, but became extremely popular in London. My first day here, I was on the bus (double decker) and there they were: two Prets facing one another. One on each side of the street. This is how popular they are here. Regardless, a barista at Pret once gave me a fifty percent discount because she thought I was a student. Obviously, I am, so there was no foul play involved.
Have you ever felt like you were forgetting something? In my experience, the answer is either a condiment or my house keys. A couple of weeks ago the whole study abroad group went to Bath. When we visited a pub I ordered a fish and chips. There was an option for curry sauce on the side for an extra pound, so being both adventurous and brilliant, I went for it.
I’ll never forget that day. Everything clicked into place. In that little saucière was the secret to taking fish and chips from good to utopian. I forced everyone at my table to try it because never in a million years would I consider this combination. Unreal. Please don’t make fun, but the mushy peas elevated the scene drastically. Americans, we gotta get with the program on these mushy peas, especially since I know firsthand we’re in a fiber crisis.
Malt vinegar is also popular here in the UK. We Americans like malt vinegar with our fries on a beach day, but Brits do Malt vinegar every day.
Do I share this joy?
No. However, I understand. To each their own.
In conclusion, we don’t have to stick to plain old ketchup to dip our fries in. Lets spice it up with some chip spice!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed my take on coffee and condiments in the UK.