【雅思口语话题】腐国国菜：鱼和薯条

在古早时期，人们都是把炸鱼薯条用当日的泰晤士报裹起来吃和携带的，这样就可以一边看报一边吃国民食物。不过这么油的食物，再加上滴墨的报纸，英国人民是要多神经大条又不讲究才能这么做呀。不过现在已经换成白纸和餐盒了。炸鱼和薯条正宗吃法是给他们添盐加醋。另外，柠檬可以用来挤在鱼上，还有白色的他他汁（Tartar sauce）也是经常出现的配料。虽然听英国人说，电视节目就是误导，他们根本不会整天吃炸鱼薯条，大概一年吃个几次就差不多了。不过，这个也因人而异吧。满大街捧着炸鱼薯条吃得很嗨的人也还挺多的。

1.Fish and Chips

Deep-fried fish in a crispy batter with fat golden chips is still one of Britain and Ireland's favourite meals. 

2.A Brief History of Fish and Chips 鱼和薯条的历史

No one knows precisely where or when fish and chips came together. Chips (Pommes Frites) had arrived in Britain from France in the eighteenth century.
The first mention in 1854 was when a leading chef included ‘thin cut potatoes cooked in oil’ in his recipe book, Shilling Cookery. Around this time fish warehouses sold fried fish and bread, with mention of them in Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist published in 1830.

There are claims to the first ‘chippie’ (fish and chip shop) from Lancashire in the North and London in the South of England. Whoever it may have been, the trade grew to feed a rapidly expanding population, reaching a staggering 35,000 shops in the 1930’s, levelling to around 11,000 now. The Federation of Fish Friers in the UK claim that in 1995 the British consumed 300 million servings of fish and chips equating to six servings for every man woman and child in the country. The record for the largest number of portions sold in one day by an independent fish and chip shop is over 4,000.

Fish and chips helped feed the masses during the First World War and were one of only a few foods not rationed in the Second.

3.Which Fish is Best for Fish and Chips? 哪种鱼最适合呢？COD！

The UK’s favourite fish is still Cod and accounts for 61.5% of total consumption. Although the North Sea cod stocks issue is a serious problem, Cod landed in the UK is caught in strict management regimes and quota systems setting safe limits for catches agreed by fishermen, scientists, and government.
Cod caught within these agreed limits is safe for consumers to eat.

Haddock at 25% is the second favourite, and regional variations include Whiting in Northern Ireland and some parts of Scotland, Skate and Huss in the south of England.

4.Which Potato is Best for Chips? 什么样的土豆最适合？

A floury potato is best; waxy potatoes can often result in greasy chips. The best varieties are King Edward, Maris Piper, and Sante. 1 out of every 4 British potatoes become chips - that's around 1.25 million tonnes every year.

5.What Fat is Best for Cooking Fish and Chips? 用什么样的油最合适？

The perfect and traditional fat for frying both the fish and the chips is beef dripping or lard. Both give a crisper and tastier chip and fish batter. Cooking fish and chips in vegetable or corn oil is now commonplace – good for vegetarians. The oil must be clean, and a constant temperature of 185°C maintained.

6.Thick or Thin Chips? 粗薯还是细薯？

Thick chips absorb less oil than thin, so the chunkier chips are the healthier ones.

7.What Do You Put On the Side of Fish and Chips? 用啥蘸料？

Very few Britons have adopted the continental habit of mayonnaise with fish and chips, preferring just salt and vinegar sprinkled on.
Love them or hate them, Mushy Peas are the classic accompaniment. Since the mid-seventies, a curry sauce has also gained favour as a side dish. The only other sauces considered suitable are a splash of ketchup or in Scotland, even brown sauce.

8.Eat Fish and Chips In or Out? 堂食还是外卖？

Despite the threat from pizzas and burgers, fish and chips remain the nation’s favourite takeaway dish, nearly four times more popular than Indian curries. Traditionally, fish and chips were wrapped in greaseproof paper and a thick layer of newspaper which served not only as an insulator but as a plate to make eating outdoors easier - health and safety control no longer allow the use of the paper anymore. Many fish and chip purists declare fish and chips eaten from newspaper outdoors, is the only and best way to eat them.

9.Are Fish and Chips Healthy? 这菜健康吗？

Compared to other takeaway foods Fish and chips have 9.42 grammes of fat per 100 grammes. The average pizza has 11, Big Mac meal with medium fries has 12.1, Whopper meal with medium fries has 14.5, chicken korma 15.5 and doner kebab 16.2.

Fish and chips have 595 calories in the average portion - an average pizza has 871, Big Mac meal with medium fries has 888, Whopper meal with medium fries has 892, chicken korma 910 and doner kebab 924.？  Statistics are courtesy of Seafish UK.

10.Where can I buy Fish and Chips? 哪儿能买到呢？

With 11,000 fish and chips shops throughout the UK and Ireland, finding a chippie is usually easy.

Fish and chip shops are now also found around the world and especially popular in coastal regions of Spain. Currently, there are even four in New York following the first one there called “A Salt and Battery”.

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