Tuesday 13 September 2011

Craving fish and chips

How about a trivial post after the serious ones I did recently? I take this blog way too seriously sometimes and I forget that trivia is fun. Let's have a mayonnaise kind of topic.

When I was walking back from work, I passed a small take away place that sells Chinese food and... fish and chips. I could smell the fish and chips from where I was. It always has the same effect on me: I salivate like I hadn't eaten in days. As I was famished, it didn't make my condition any easier. So I started craving fish and chips. Badly.

It happens fairly often, more often when the temperature is cooling down and I want hearty food. For me, fish and chips is the quintessential comfort food: rich, delicious, it clogs your hearteries and it fills you up for the night. With lots of malt vinegar and salt, it is simply irresistible. And there is fish in it, so at least there is something about it that is healthy (yes, I'm serious, I am a fierce believer in the virtues of fish). I discovered fish and chips when I started my studies here, it saved me from starvation many, many, many evenings. It also helped me deal with nasty hangovers. I used to eat it fairly often. But I haven't done in a while, which is a shame.The last time I remember eating fish and chips is in the Lake District, back in July 2010. This is way too long. I need to

My dad, during his trip here last April, probably had fish and chips every other meal, by the end of his holidays he could tell me where to find the best ones (in a local restaurant). What struck me in my father's search for the best fish and chips recipe is that something that is so familiar and homey here can be perceived as so exotic. I guess there is something in me that is now British. I usually don't buy them in restaurants, or even pubs, I prefer to find mine in the small take aways. But I will have some soon from Marks & Spencer. Not quite the same experience, but it will calm my craving for a while.

4 comments:

suzanne said...

I crave fish and chips regularly, and I usually have some when I'm in a pub. I'm unofficially trying to find the best in the city. There are a lot of pubs (and a lot of fish and chips) in Halifax. :D

Cynthia said...

I'd love to have some fish and chips when I'll go to London for the first time :)

Guillaume said...

@Halloween Spirit-Halifax must be a great place for fish and chips, as it is close to the sea. The best places to eat fish and chips are supposed to be in towns and cities by the sea. It is a tragedy that I never had any in Liverpool. But of course there are other places to try them. In Montreal Mont-Royal Hot Dog advertise theirs a lot. Never had any, although I had pretty much everything else from their menu.
@Cynthia-Try Mr Cod, they are everywhere. Or used to be anyway.

Anonymous said...

Marks and Spencer's fish, and chips? Oh dear oh dear Guillaume:-)