What do British people actually eat? 英國人到底吃什麼？
The UK is famous for fish and chips, but as a Brit myself, I can say I only have it once or twice a year, and it’s the same for my friends and family! You might find some people eat it more regularly, but anyway, if we’re not eating fish and chips every day, what do we eat?
英國以炸魚和薯條而聞名，但作為一名英國人，我可以說我每年只吃一兩次，我的朋友和家人也是如此！你可能會發現有些人吃得更頻繁，但無論如何，如果我們不是每天都吃炸魚和薯條，那麼我們到底都吃些什麼呢？
In this article, I’ll break it down into time of day, age group and occasion. Let’s do it!
在本文中，我根據一天的時間、年齡層和場合來進行介紹。讓我們開始吧！
It’s worth saying that the UK is made up of all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds, so there’s no one size fits all. You’ll find people might eat foods that aren’t on this list, but anyway, here are some of the most common choices!
值得一提的是，英國由來自各種背景的各種人組成，所以沒有一種標準適用於所有人。你會發現有些人可能會吃不在本文中提到的食物，但無論如何，以下是一些最常見的選擇！
Click here for the lowdown on typical “British” foods!
點擊這裡看經典的「英國」食物介紹！
*This article is mostly based on personal experience*.
*本文主要基於個人經驗*
What do we eat for breakfast?
早餐吃什麼？
Cereal（穀片）
Porridge（燕麥粥）
Toast（吐司）
Croissants（可頌）
Eggs on toast (or some version of a fry-up)
烤麵包上面加蛋或英式早餐
According to this survey, the nation’s favourite breakfast items are:
Eggs (39%), Toast (38%), Bacon (35%), Cereal (33%), Sausages (25%)
根據這項調查，英國全國最喜歡的早餐選項包括：
蛋（39%）- 吐司（38%）- 培根（35%）- 穀片（33%）- 香腸（25%）
What do we eat for lunch?
午餐吃什麼？
Sandwiches（三明治）
Sandwiches are a food you’ll see everywhere in shops in the UK, and are actually eaten regularly by a lot of people. According to the Guardian, 56% of Brits have a sandwich every day, and the average citizen eats 20 sandwiches a month. This is probably because it’s a quick and easy lunch to have when you’re out and about, for example at work or studying.
三明治在英國是一種無處不在的食物，也是許多人喜愛的午餐選擇。根據《衛報》的報導，56%的英國人每天都會吃三明治，平均每位市民每月會吃掉20個三明治。這可能是因為三明治方便快捷，是外出時的理想選擇，例如去工作或上學。
Common sandwich examples:
常見的三明治口味有：
Ham and cheese 火腿起司
Ploughman’s 農夫三明治
Egg and cress 蛋沙拉三明治
BLT 總匯三明治（培根、萵苣、番茄）
Coronation chicken 加冕雞（雞肉搭配葡萄乾，香料、咖喱粉）
Tuna and sweetcorn 鮪魚玉米
Soup（濃湯）
British soups are usually purified and thick.
英國常見的湯品幾乎都經過食物處理機打碎且口感濃稠。
Common soup examples:
常見湯品口味有
Leek and potato soup 韭蔥馬鈴薯湯
Butternut squash soup 奶油南瓜湯
Carrot and lentil soup 胡蘿波扁豆湯
Tomato soup 番茄湯
Broccoli and stilton soup 花椰菜和藍紋起士湯
Salads / other （沙拉/其他）
Other common options that you’ll see are:
其他常見的選擇包括：
Salads (leaves with any variety of meats, cheese, nuts, figs etc on top)
沙拉（葉菜配各種肉類、奶酪、堅果、無花果等）
Bread and hummus (the Mediterranean chickpea dip – delicious!)
麵包和鷹嘴豆泥（地中海風味的鷹嘴豆泥 - 美味！）
Couscous （小米飯）
Roast (could be eaten for lunch or dinner on Sundays)
烤肉（有時在星期日的午餐或晚餐上享用）
Leftovers 剩菜
What do we eat for dinner?
晚餐吃什麼？
1. When we’re little 🧒 我們的幼兒時期
As a child growing up in a British family, you’re bound to come across these foods:
作為在英國家庭長大的孩子，必然會遇到這些食物：
Spaghetti bolognese 波隆那肉醬義大利麵
Also known as ‘spag bol’, this dish has been around in the UK since the 1960s, and since five centuries ago in Italy. It consists of a meat ragu (tomatoey sauce with beef) and spaghetti. Of course, it’s a common option for adults too (all of these could be eaten by adults, but the habit starts young!).
也被稱為「肉醬意大利麵」，這道菜自1960年代以來一直存在於英國，而在義大利則有五個世紀之久的歷史。它由肉醬（牛肉和新鮮番茄熬煮的醬）和意大利麵組成。當然，對成年人來說也是一個常見的選擇（所有這些食物都可以被成年人食用，但飲食的習慣是從小開始培養的）。
Interestingly, my mum still remembers when pasta was first given to her as a child, because it was a novel, exotic thing at the time. That seems baffling to me, because now, the average Brit will eat spag bol an insane amount of times in their life (2,960 to be precise!).
有趣的是，我媽媽說她仍然記得她小時候第一次吃意大利麵的經驗，因為當時它仍是一種新奇的異國料理。但對我來說，這聽起來令我困惑，因為現在，普通的英國人一生中會消耗大量的肉醬意大利麵（確切地說是2,960次！）。
In my family, my dad would always cook a big batch on a Tuesday, using every ingredient in the house, and we’d probably still be eating it by Friday. For this reason, I’ll choose anything else except spag bol if you give me a choice of what to eat, but it has to be said that spag bol is a tasty and very nutritious meal, full of healthy whole ingredients and tons of different vitamins. I credit my good health partly to eating copious amounts of spag bol as a child…
在我家，我父親總是會在星期二煮一大鍋，使用廚房裏可以取得的各種食材，我們有時候還會一路吃到星期五。也因為這個理由，每當我有權利選擇食物時，只要不要是肉醬義大利麵，其他我都可以。但必須說，肉醬義大利麵是一道美味且非常營養的食物，使用的食材都很健康且含有大量不同的維生素。我會把我擁有健康的身體，一部分歸功於童年時期吃得了數不盡的肉醬意大利麵...
Sausages and mash 香腸和馬鈴薯泥
Also known as ‘bangers and mash’, this is essentially just sausages with mashed potato, hopefully with some kind of green vegetable on the side (peas are the classic choice for kids).
這也被稱為「bangers and mash」，基本上就是香腸和馬鈴薯泥旁邊搭配綠色蔬菜（豌豆是小孩的經典選擇）。
Fun fact: Brits have been eating this since the early 1900s, and in 2009 it was listed as Brits’ favourite comfort food! Don’t ask me why.
有趣的事實：英國人從20世紀初就開始吃這道菜，而且在2009年，它被列為英國最受歡迎的療癒食物 - 別問我為什麼 🤷。
Fish pie 鮮魚派
My personal favourite. This dish isn’t the normal type of ‘pie’ we think of, because it doesn’t have a pastry lid. It’s topped with mashed potato instead (seeing a theme here?). The inside is made of various types of fish with a white sauce (milk, flour, butter), and maybe onions, cheese and peas or sweetcorn if you’re feeling fancy.
這是我個人最喜愛的一道菜，它不是我們通常所想的傳統「派」，因為它沒有酥皮覆蓋。而是在頂部鋪滿了馬鈴薯泥（你有注意到一個食材重複出現嗎？）。裏面是由各種類型的魚搭配白醬（牛奶、麵粉、奶油）製成的，如果你想豪華一點，也許還有洋蔥、芝士、青豆或玉米粒。
Fun fact: Gifts of fish pie have been a common tradition for royalty, with one of the earliest records being a gift of fish pie to Henry VIII in 1530. Today, you’ll find 3 year olds putting it on the floor – not everyone loves it!
有趣的事實：贈送魚派給皇室成員一直是普遍的傳統，早在1530年就有紀錄亨利八世就曾收到禮物：一份魚派。如今，你可能會看到三歲的孩子將它丟在地上——不是每個人都喜歡！
Shepherd’s pie 牧羊人派
If there are mixed opinions about fish pie, there’s even more controversy about shepherd's pie. This meat version of a ‘pie’ (again with mash instead of pastry) is said to have originated in Ireland in the 1700s, when money was tight. These days it has more vegetables than most toddlers can stomach, but parents will continue to serve it up nonetheless!
如果說大家於鮮魚派的評價不一，那麼牧羊人派，其實存在更多的爭議。這種以肉為主的「派」作法（再次是用馬鈴薯泥代替酥皮）據說起源於18世紀的愛爾蘭，當時經濟情況不寬裕。如今，雖然它裡頭的蔬菜超出大多數孩童可以容忍受的量，但父母們仍然會繼續端上桌！
On days when life gets hectic:
在生活變得忙碌的日子：
Some other foods you’re sure to come across if you’re a British toddler are…
英國的孩童還會遇到一些其他食物，包括...
Fish fingers and mashed potato 魚條和馬鈴薯泥
Anything battered goes down a treat! Fish fingers were first produced in 1955 by the household brand Birdseye – notice the peas and mashed potato too.
誰不愛油炸食物呢？炸魚條由家喻戶曉的品牌Birdseye於1955年生產推出 - 注意！當然還有青豆和馬鈴薯泥。
Spaghetti hoops on toast 烤吐司加義大利麵圈
Think baked beans but with hoops of spaghetti instead of beans… from a tin… Let’s move on.
(Thankfully this dish is trending downwards)
想像一下烤過的吐司上面的焗豆，但用圓圈狀的義大利麵代替焗豆...且通常是罐頭...
來...我們來介紹下一個吧。
（幸運的是，這道菜的消費趨勢在下降）
Chicken nuggets and peas 雞塊和碗豆仁
Battered chicken (if it is real chicken), chicken nuggets are a much-loved favourite among British children, but were famously bashed by chef Jamie Oliver in 2010, so have fallen in popularity.
炸雞塊（如果是真的雞肉）是英國兒童非常喜愛的美食，但在2010年被廚師傑米·奧利弗（Jamie Oliver）公開痛批後，人氣開始下降。
2. When we’re students 當我們是學生時
Once you move out and start to fend for yourself, your diet mostly consists of pasta, and maybe a few other things. Let’s take a look!
一旦你搬出去，開始照顧自己，你的飲食主要由義大利麵組成，也許還有其他一些東西。讓我們來看看！
Pasta pesto 青醬義大利麵
Meaning simply ‘pasta with pesto sauce’, it’s always delicious and always easy to make (1. boil pasta, 2. open pesto jar, 3. add, 4. eat).
簡單來說，就是指“青醬口味的義大利麵”，總是美味而且容易製作（1. 煮義大利麵，2. 打開青醬罐，3. 加入，4. 品嚐）。
Pasta bake 焗烤義大利麵
A fancy way of saying “I put various objects in with the pasta then put it in the oven so I could call it a ‘pasta bake’ instead of just ‘pasta’”. Again, easy, delicious.
這是一種花俏的說法，意思是“我把各種材料與義大利麵一起放入烤箱中，這樣我就可以稱它為‘焗烤意大利麵’，而不僅僅是‘意大利麵’”。同樣，簡單而美味。
Frozen pizza 冷凍披薩
We’ve all been there.
我們都是過來人。
Fajitas 墨西哥捲餅
This Mexican dish gained popularity in the 1970s and is a popular option for students wanting to test their culinary skills. These days you can buy a ‘fajita kit’ which has the spice mixes and wraps all ready to use – easy peasy!
這個墨西哥菜在1970年代變得流行，對於想要測試烹飪技能的學生來說是一個受歡迎的選擇。現在你可以買到一個“法吉塔套件”，裡面有香料混合物和餅皮，一切都準備好了，非常簡單！
Jacket potato 烤帶皮馬鈴薯
This sounds bog standard but can actually be really delicious depending on what you put on it – my favourite is tuna mayo, cheese and a nice salad on the side!
聽起來很普通，但實際上可以根據你加在上面的配料變得非常美味 - 我最喜歡的是起士鮪魚蛋黃醬，搭配美味的沙拉！
Chicken curry 咖哩雞
The earliest curry recipe was published in 1747 in the UK, and these days curry is famously one of Brits’ most loved dishes. Students tend to buy premade sauces from the supermarket, which might make Indians baulk, but at least we’re trying!
最早的咖哩食譜於1747年在英國出版，如今咖哩被公認為英國人最喜愛的菜餚之一。學生們 一般會購買超市裡的現成咖哩醬，這可能讓印度人感到震驚，但至少我們在嘗試！
3. When we’re adults 當我們成人後
Besides the dishes mentioned above, in my experience most people are much more exotic with their cooking than they used to be. You could find any kind of food from around the world being cooked in a British person’s house. This week, I ate king prawn risotto, paneer curry, spaghetti carbonara and fish chowder. Italian food is a long-standing favourite among Brits, as well as Indian curry.
除了上面提到的菜餚，根據我的經驗，大多數人在烹飪方面比以前更加具有多樣性。在英國人的家裡，你可以找到來自世界各地的各種食物。這個星期，我吃了大蝦燴飯、印度乾酪咖喱、意大利炭烤意大利麵和魚雜湯。意大利食品一直以來都是英國人的最愛，同樣受歡迎的還有印度咖哩。
Here are some classic homemade dishes:
以下是一些經典的家常菜餚：
Chilli Con Carne 墨西哥辣肉醬
This Mexican style dish is believed to have originated in Texas, America. Similar to spag bol, it contains a ton of nutrients, with the main ingredient beings minced beef, tomatoes and kidney beans. It’s usually served with rice, and can be quite spicy depending on the person’s taste.
這道墨西哥風格的菜餚被認為起源於美國德克薩斯州。類似於意大利肉醬麵，它富含大量營養，主要成分是碎牛肉、蕃茄和紅腰豆。通常搭配白飯食用，根據個人口味，可能會很辣。
Steak and kidney pie 牛肉內臟派
This is a through-and-through British dish dating back to 1694. It’s a true ‘pie’ in the sense of it being cased in pastry. Other ingredients are steak, ox kidney, lardons, mushrooms, carrots and Worcestershire sauce!
這是一道純英國風味的菜餚，可以追溯到1694年。它是一道真正的“派”，外層包著酥皮，其他成分包括牛排、牛腎、培根、蘑菇、胡蘿蔔和伍斯特醬！
Chicken tikka masala 香料烤雞咖哩
Consistently one of Brits’ most-loved dishes, chicken tikka masala was actually invented in Glasgow in the 1970s!
一直以來都是英國人最喜愛的菜餚之一，香料烤雞咖哩實際上是在1970年代在格拉斯哥發明的！
Lasagne 義大利千層麵
This Italian dish invented in the Middle Ages came to England in the 14th century!
這道意大利菜餚起源於中世紀，於14世紀傳入英國！
Paella 西班牙海鮮飯
A Spanish dish dating back to the mid-19th century, paella might be considered one of the more adventurous meals for the average Brit to cook at home. It consists of mixed vegetables, some kind of meat or seafood and rice, not too dissimilar to Chinese fried rice but with a different cooking method.
這道西班牙菜餚可以追溯到19世紀中期，對於普通英國人來說，可能被認為是比較具冒險且挑戰精神的家常菜餚之一。它包括多種蔬菜、一些肉類或海鮮以及米飯，與中式炒飯有些相似，但烹飪方法不同。
Stir fry 快炒
If a Brit is going to attempt Chinese cooking at home, they will most likely go for the well-known ‘stir fry’, basically meaning frying various vegetables and meats in a wok (that’s slightly too cold..), with soy sauce, Chinese five spice, etc!
如果一個英國人要在家嘗試中式烹飪，他們很可能會選擇眾所周知的“炒菜”，基本上是在炒鍋中（可能有點不夠熱）炒各種蔬菜和肉類，加上醬油、中式五香粉等！
Risotto 義式燉飯
One of my personal favourites, this Italian dish features rice that’s slow-cooked to an almost porridge-like texture. It’s apparently considered to be on the high-class end of British cooking.
這道意大利菜是我個人最喜愛的之一，它的特點是將大米慢慢燉煮到幾乎像稀飯一樣的質地。據說它被認為是英國烹飪的高檔選擇之一。
4. When we’re old 當我們老年時
Of course, these could also be eaten when we’re young too.
當然，這些食物我們在年輕的時候也會吃。
Casserole 燉菜/砂鍋菜
This meaty stew originated in France in the early 18th century. It’s a warm and hearty dish that gets baked in the oven or slow-cooked, and is typically always cooked in a big heavy skillet.
這種燉肉起源於18世紀初的法國。這是一道溫暖而豐盛的菜餚，通常是在烤箱中烘烤或慢燉，通常都是在一個大而沉重的平底鍋中烹煮。
Cottage pie 農村派
This dish originated sometime in the 18th century as a way to use leftovers, similar to shepherd’s pie mentioned above but with minced beef instead of lamb.
這道菜起源於18世紀某個時候已不可考，是一種利用剩菜的方法，類似於上面提到的牧羊人派，但用碎牛肉代替羊肉。
Jacket potatoes 烤帶皮馬鈴薯
Where would we be without potatoes!
如果沒有馬鈴薯我們該怎麼辦！
Soup 湯
British soups are thicker as they’re purified from whole vegetables, and typically served with bread and butter. Of course people of any age tend to enjoy soup, especially for lunch!
英國的湯比較濃稠，因為它們是由整個蔬菜熬製而成的，通常配以麵包和牛油。當然，不論年齡多大的人都喜歡湯，尤其是在午餐時！
Foods according to the occasion
根據不同場合選擇的食物
Street food 街頭小吃
Besides any of the above mentioned foods, you’re likely to find:
除了上述提到的食物外，你還可能會找到：
Burgers 漢堡
Influenced by American culture, you’ll see burger restaurants and fast food all over the place in the UK!
受到美國文化的影響，你會在英國到處看到漢堡餐廳和速食！
Fried chicken 炸雞
This tends to go down well with young people, especially drunk young people.
這通常受年輕人的喜愛，尤其是喝醉酒的年輕人。
Chips 薯條
They might be regular chips or cheesy chips!
可能是普通的薯條，也可能是帶有芝士的薯條！
Bacon butty 培根三明治
Essentially bacon between two slices of bread. This is considered very ‘British’.
基本上是兩片麵包夾培根。這被認為是非常“英國”的搭配。
At an event 參加活動時
Pizza 披薩
If you don’t like pizza, you better start trying, because you’ll find it at birthdays, work events, you name it!
如果你不喜歡披薩，最好開始嘗試一下，因為你會在生日派對、工作活動等場合遇到它！
When there’s nothing to eat in the house 當家裡沒有任何食物時
The stereotypes about this are… 通常的刻板印象是....
Pasta 義大利麵
Beans on toast 焗豆吐司
Jacket potatoes 帶皮馬鈴薯
Frozen pizza 冷凍披薩
Nuff said.
那就說到這囉！
I hope this has been somewhat informative – if you still have questions please leave them down below! 希望這篇文章對你有所幫助 - 如果你有任何問題，請在下方留言給我！
For more in-depth useful tips about living in the UK click here.
想獲得更深入有關在英國生活的實用tips，請點擊這裡。
For British speaking practice, click here.
想獲得練習英式英文的學習機會
