British Culinary Names of French Origin

Who would have thought that some of the most quintessentially British food names like bacon, toast, custard and stew actually have French origins? Let's take a little linguistic adventure together: Bacon. Bacon is a must-have ingredient in British breakfasts and many other dishes. But its original name, pronounced with a French accent, dates back to the 14th-century French language. Back then, it simply meant cured pork meat. Toast. The British adore toasted bread, and almost anything can go on toast, especially beans! So, as much as we'd like to believe in its noble British roots, we have to face the truth: the French verb "toaster" means to bake or toast on a grill. Custard. Even the sweet sauce so commonly used in the UK, known as custard or crème anglaise in France, has its roots in the French word "coutarde", which eventually evolved into "crustarde" meaning "covered with a crust". Stew. A favourite British way to cook is stewing. Whether it's meat with vegetables or just veggies, it results in a warm and comforting dish called stew. However, the word comes from the Old French word "estuver", meaning "to immerse in hot water". But the history of borrowing culinary names doesn't stop there. Rumour has it that some British dishes actually hail from France. There are even whispers about the famous Yorkshire pudding. Renowned English chef Fanny Cradock once mentioned on a TV show in the 1970s that British cuisine is so unoriginal that even the Yorkshire pudding (that traditionally accompanies a Sunday roast) has Burgundian origins. This caused quite a commotion. Yet it's entirely possible that recipes from neighbouring countries, with such intertwined histories, have borrowed from each other. No matter how surprising or doubtful this geographical tale may seem, the beauty and significance of Yorkshire puddings remain unchanged. So, why not try making them yourself?