10th Mar 2008 - 00:00
Abstract
Traditional British food such as spotted dick, steak & kidney and toad in the hole are just some of the endangered dishes that could disappear by 2021, according to new research by online grocery retailer Tesco.com.
Tesco.com asked 1,000 UK adults to reveal from a range of classic dishes those they had cooked from scratch at home. Split into two age groups, under 40 and 41-55's, the results reveal an accelerating decline in popularity for traditional British dishes.
Spotted dick, the pudding dating back over 200 years, has only been prepared by 5% of under 40's – a fall of 64% in a generation, and steak and kidney (13%), cooked by 60% less under-40's than the generation above.
Other endangered dishes include Beef Wellington (6%), jam roly-poly (9%), coronation chicken (15%) and sherry trifle (16%). People cooking these dishes from scratch have fallen by between 35-62% in the space of a generation.
And safe dishes include fajitas, chilli con carne, lasagne, and chicken, lab and vegetable curry.
In response to the survey, Tesco.com has created a category among the recipes on the website, 'Endangered Recipes' to ensure cooks rediscover these dishes.
Mandy Minichiello, of Tesco.com, explained the reasons for these increasing endangered foods: "Changes in diet, the increasing influence of ethnic trends, the popularity of eating out and a time pressured generation are all reasons why we are losing the ability to cook dishes we love for ourselves."
She continued: "Many of the dishes are available in restaurants or pre-made as ready meals, but these recipes are all delicious and simple to prepare. We've created this category on the Tesco.com website because it would be a tragedy if these treasures of our culinary heritage are lost forever."
Weblink:
www.tesco.com