Local Favorites in Newcastle

On my move-in day for my accommodation (housing) in Newcastle, I reluctantly entered the kitchen to see if any of my flatmates were in there. A girl in pajamas and fuzzy socks sat on a lime green stool, spooning small brown beans swimming in a liquid the same color onto a golden-brown piece of toast.

Before coming to England, I knew beans on toast were a big deal. My grandma told me extensively about “the English breakfast:” eggs, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, bread, black pudding, and baked beans. The eggs are cooked sunny side up, showcasing a bright orange yolk that perfectly runs down the rim of the plate when cut into. The tomato stands out to me, with its juicy red color and grill marks across the top of it, yet the beans will always be the star of the show. This dish is customary. It is absolutely impossible to sit down at a restaurant that serves breakfasts without the inclusion of a full English breakfast. Most likely due to my hatred for beans, I still have yet to try this staple dish.

As plates of this dish enter the dining room of a restaurant, a smoky and sweet aroma defines the air. Steam rises rapidly from the white dish and whirls around the noses of the people inside. This smell is present, yet it is subtle in comparison to a traditional American breakfast, perhaps indicating less grease used in cooking.

I know I will be kicking myself forever if I did not experience a full English breakfast while in the U.K., thus it is a necessary item to be checked off on my study abroad bucket list. I will most likely be saving this iconic experience for when I visit my great aunt Bev in Brighton- I’m sure she’d love to witness my first bite.

I really do wonder if all Brits are preconditioned to like this meal. To be honest, not all of it necessarily looks appetizing. The black pudding more so resembles a hockey puck, and the sausage appears as though it is burnt to a crisp. Yet, locals and those who visit, rave about this dish.

Some of my fellow Americans from Loyola get frustrated with the menus at breakfast places. Sometimes all a girl wants is a massive stack of thick, fluffy, golden brown pancakes. Yet, I have found that the majority of the breakfast meals here are savory. In addition to the “full English breakfast,” Eggs benedict, breakfast “baps,” toast, and porridge are common items to order.

A nice crisp and crunchy toastie” is another fan favorite (this is what the Brits call a grilled cheese). Out of all the toasties I have observed the people around me enjoying, I notice that more often than not, there is some kind of filling other than cheese inside. For example, a ham or a tuna salad toastie has a grasp on popularity. There is such a simplicity that exists within this meal yet is utterly irresistible to the public. This is another dish that intrigues me, but I still have not tried it yet.

England’s national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala. This is not too surprising to me, as when you hear about England, it is typical to hear about the Indian food there. It is a dish that expresses the taking in of external influences, thus conveying an important sense of multiculturalism. This was something I knew I had to try once I was in England, and I have. It is red, yet milky, sweet, and spiced; it’s warm and inviting. I cannot wait to eat it again.

I believe that part of the study abroad experience is to immerse yourself in things you may not otherwise try. This includes food. It can be daunting to indulge in something you are not used to, yet in doing so you just might find your favorite new meal: after all, it is someone else’s. Since that first day in my flat, I have seen my flatmate, Liv eats beans for breakfast on multiple occasions. Maybe that will become my own favorite after trying it for the first time.