Some Historical Background

India

China

Britain controlled parts of China at major ports and could trade whatever they wanted with no restrictions or tariffs to pay. Britain obtained tea from Chinese smugglers who brought in and addicted the population to opium. At least 12 million peasants addicted to opium- potentially up to 80 million. Opium was grown in India. China was only a semi-colony to Britain, because they were making so much money from trade and it would be more expensive to actually run China. When China tried to stop the Opium Trade with the first Drug Czar, Commissioner Lu- Britain fought back in the first and second Opium War

Under Britain, India recorded some of its worst famines. Great Famine of 1876-1878- 6.1- 10.3 Million People died. Also the Indian Famine of 1899-1900, in which 1.25 to 10 million people died. Historians argue that British Policy in India worsened the famine. The English gained recipes for curry from the Indians, and they also used the colony to grow tea.

“humble” cuisines remained the lot for the rural poor. Middling cuisines spread rapidly and became the predominant cuisines in the wealthier parts of the world. The changes that gave citizens more say in the political process in modern states were paralleled by the shifts that gave them access to cuisines formerly reserved for a powerful minority. The gap between the food of the rich and the poor was replaced by a gap between states with middling cuisines and states with only high and humble

Changing British Cuisines

British vs. French Cuisines

Imperialism was the phenomenon in the late 18th through early 20th centuries that involved European countries spreading their influence around the world. Great Britain controlled lands in Australia, North America, Africa, India, and the Middle East. Many other European countries had a similar control over vast amounts of land and people. During imperialism, cultures (including food!) were exchanged, which is why we chose to focus on the food aspect of things.

Late 1700s English cooking, especially meat dishes, was influenced by French cuisine. The hundred Years War intensified national pride, so the British turned towards more local dishes rather than the French-inspired ones. French high cooking still was the favored way of cooking throughout most of the world though.