Hello Pastel
In a recent poll, curry was voted Britain's most popular dish. It isn't a soup: you could say it was a stew with many spices. The most common BrE types of curry are Indian, though Thai curry is also popular.
'Indian' BrE curries usually have a base of onion and tomato and garlic, fried with spices and condiments such as cumin, cinnamon, chilli, fenugreek, cloves, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, fennel, etc. Then cubes of meat and/or vegetables are added, and the whole thing is allowed to simmer for as long as you want.
'Thai' BrE curry is much lighter, and doesn't use as much tomato; the characteristic spices are chilli and ginger, perhaps with garlic and lemongrass; coconut milk is often added. Fish is often used instead of meat.
There are many other kinds of BrE curry; but that should give you the general idea.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, it's traditional for British people to drink large quantities of beer or lager, and then 'go for a curry' at an Indian restaurant. After the curry, more beer is consumed.
Much prestige attaches to the choice of curry: for instance, choosing a very 'hot' curry (i.e. one with a great deal of chilli) denotes an alpha male. A 'mild' curry, on the other hand, would be regarded as slightly effeminate.
It's a curious ritual.
MrP
|