British people eat all sorts of weird things, like Marmite and beans on toast. At least, they’re weird to the rest of the world. But there’s nothing quite as strange as some of the names we give our grub.
We openly admit it, there’s some pretty weird British food names to make fun of, and we really don’t help ourselves when trying to convince the world that food from the UK is just the best.
The absolute weirdest British food might well be jellied eels, or stargazy pie, but it’s mainly the funny food names which give the impression that British cuisine is weird.
Weird British Food Names
Bangers & Mash
Despite having a name that just seems strange to our friends overseas, the traditional UK pub food that is ‘bangers and mash’ is actually one of the best and most classic British dishes going.
The term ‘bangers’ is said to date to the First World War, when meat supplies in Blighty were low and sausages were filled with all sorts of ingredients, leading to them exploding (‘mash’ being mashed potatoes).
Bedfordshire Clanger
With a ‘clanger’ in everyday life being “an embarrassing blunder,” you’d think this regional dish of Britain’s would surely be awful. Despite the calamitous name, the Bedfordshire clanger is actually one of many famous British delicacies.
Bubble and Squeak
There’s nothing not to love about bubble and squeak, but it definitely deserves to be on a list of weird British food names.
The name suggests you should expect untoward noises while eating it, but it’s actually the sounds made during the cooking of this potato and cabbage delicacy that gives bubble and squeak it’s name.
Flies’ Cemetery
In parts of the UK, because of their appearance, fruit pastry slices with dried fruit inside, are weirdly referred to as a flies’ cemetery. It doesn’t get much stranger than that.
Eton Mess
One of the most traditional British desserts, there’s absolutely nothing messy about the taste of the strawberry, cream and meringue delight that is Eton Mess, even if the name is a bit weird.
Fool
A ‘fool’ is a pudding of puréed fruit mixed with whipped cream, or more traditionally custard, for example, a raspberry fool. But don’t be fooled by the name. There’s nothing foolish about the taste of British food or the fool itself, another one of many classic British desserts.
Stargazy Pie
The name of this fish dish might weird you out far less than it’s appearance to be honest. This traditional pie with fish heads protruding from the pastry topping definitely qualifies as one of the weirdest British foods.
Toad in the hole
Despite being another innuendo opportunity and the cause of childish giggles, toad in the hole is one of the most famous British meals, if slightly weirdly named.
Where the name came from is not exactly clear (eating toads isn’t really our thing), but we can tell you that this sausage and Yorkshire pudding batter dish is just incredible.
Faggots
You’d be forgiven for thinking we’re serving you a bunch of sticks for dinner with the weird British food name that is ‘faggots.’ Instead, faggots are simply tasty meatballs, traditionally made from minced pork meat and offal.
Garibaldi Biscuits
There’s nothing particularly funny or weird about Garibaldi biscuits themselves, they’re actually very tasty. The only thing is, a certain episode of Friends springs to mind when eating them, thanks to the lover of Chandler’s drag-queen Dad, Mr Garibaldi.
Spotted Dick
Perhaps the weirdest British food name of them all is Spotted Dick. As disturbed as you might be to try this delicacy from the UK, all you’ll be eating is a tasty yet retro British dessert, made from sponge and dried fruit, ideally served with custard.
Welsh Rarebit
It’d be an absolute travesty if one of the most traditional dishes from Wales was a rarity, as the slightly weird name suggests.
Perhaps the strangest thing about this dish is the fact that ‘rarebit’ is derived from the word ‘rabbit,’ but Welsh Rarebit is really just cheese on toast.
Knickerbocker Glory
The knickerbocker glory is another one of those awesome British desserts, albeit with a bit of an unusual name. It’s an ice cream sundae filled with joyous layers including fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate and whipped cream.
It’s not entirely clear to us where the name came from to be honest, but we’re also not sure it matters once you’ve tried one.
Neeps and Tatties
Neeps and Tatties are a traditional Scottish food, being the classic accompaniment for Haggis, one of Britain’s national dishes. But what is ‘Neeps’ and what are ‘Tatties?’ Well, ‘Neeps’ is turnips and ‘Tatties’ is potatoes (both mashed).
Pigs in Blankets
Pigs in blankets are just a super tasty side dish (sausages wrapped in bacon) that are mainly eaten at Christmas with a British Roast Dinner. But still, another pretty weird name for a food.
Pork Scratchings
The strange British food name that is pork scratchings suggests you’ll be devouring bacon with a side of chicken pox. Whereas, pork scratchings are in fact a famous and traditional pub food in the UK.
Rumbledethumps
Last but not least, our favourite weird British food name is Rumbledethumps. This potato, cabbage and cheese dish from Scotland definitely doesn’t taste as unusual as it sounds.
So there’s your list of weird British food names. But don’t let any of them fool you. Food in the UK tastes incredible, if you dine in a top-notch British eatery…
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