Food festivals
Multiculturalism in the UK is celebrated through British food festivals promoting locally produced food and international flavours.
Popular demand, supported by high profile campaigns from celebrity chefs, has led to the growth of locally produced food, purchased by ethnically diverse communities.
In an attempt to change the way the British view their cuisine, food and drink related events have been promoting local cheese, whisky, fish and other products. According to a study published on the BBC website, these events help the local tourist industry flourish.
Favourite Dishes
In research, published in The Guardian, children include in their favourite top ten dishes, curry and sweet and sour chicken, but chips still remain an all time favourite.
Terrence Webster, an 18-year-old from Manchester says, 'British cuisine is not bad, but if you see cooking from other cultures it makes you think,' adding, 'curry goat is my favourite dish'.
Healthy Eating
Jamie Oliver, a 30-year-old celebrity chef has made the nation realise the importance of healthy eating through his hugely popular programme, 'Jamie's School Dinners'. The impact has been so great that the Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has called for a total ban on 'Junk Food'.
Yvonne Smith, a 30-year-old mother of two says, 'More people are eating junk food nowadays but after Jamie's show people are realising that they are unfit and are suffering from high blood pressure and need to be fit. There is a lot of obesity'.
Yvonne, whose family originates from the Caribbean, says, 'she does prefer to cook Caribbean food for her children using rice, chicken and fish, but as a family they have pasta at least twice a week'.
Promotion of multiethnic food
Multiethnic food is so popular that the Post Office has produced a set of Special Stamps, created by Swiss student Catell Ronca from the Royal College of Art, to promote changing tastes in Britain.
美食節
英國舉國上下的美食節充分體現了英國的多元文化。美食節不僅推動了當地的食品生產,而且展現了各國的風味美食。
大眾的需求,再加上名廚們的大力宣傳,使得各民族的人們都紛紛購買當地生產的食品,進而推動了產量的增加。
為了改變英國人對本國美食的看法,開展了一系列與吃喝有關的活動,宣傳當地的奶酪、威士忌、魚和其他的產品。BBC網站上公布的一項研究表明,這些活動大大推動了當地旅游業的發展。
最愛吃的菜
根據英國《衛報》的一項調查,咖喱雞和咕嚕雞入圍孩子們最喜歡吃的十種菜,而薯條仍然是孩子們一貫的最愛。
Terrence Webster,今年18歲,來自曼切斯特,他告訴我們,“英國菜還不錯,不過如果你見識了其他國家的菜之后,你就會開始思考一些問題”。他最愛吃的是咖喱羊肉。
健康飲食
Jamie Oliver,今年30歲,是一個著名廚師。他通過一個非常受歡迎的節目“杰米的校園餐”,讓人們意識到健康飲食的重要性。這個節目的影響力非常大,以至于英國教育大臣Ruth Kelly已經提出禁止學校出售垃圾食品。
30歲的Yvonne Smith是兩個孩子的母親。“如今,越來越多的人都在吃垃圾食品,不過杰米的節目播出后,人們意識到他們并不健康,許多人都有高血壓,還有很多人患有肥胖癥。而我們需要一個健康的身體。”
Yvonne的老家在加勒比海,她告訴我們她確實更喜歡用米飯、雞肉和魚肉,給孩子們做加勒比海的家鄉菜,不過現在在英國生活,他們家每周至少要吃兩次意大利面。
多民族菜的推廣
多民族菜非常流行,以至于郵局都為此出了一套特別郵票。這套郵票是由英國皇家設計學院的瑞典學生Catell Ronca設計的,目的是為了推動英國飲食口味的變革。