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From my biased personal observation, I think the British have a higher affinity for bitter tastes due to their own heightened levels of bitterness. Maybe it's t
by dreen 6y ago
From my biased personal observation, I think the British have a higher affinity for bitter tastes due to their own heightened levels of bitterness. Maybe it's the weather. Incidentally, I believe British comedy being so good is also related to that.
- ThePadawan 6y agoPotentially there might also a genetic component? This is highly speculative on my part.
- MaxBarraclough 6y agoI sincerely doubt it, as there are celebrated British comedians of various ethnicities, for instance Romesh Ranganathan.
- ThePadawan 6y agoOh I'm sorry, I meant to say "a genetic component to the perception of bitter flavors", much in the same way as with the taste of cilantro.
- MaxBarraclough 6y ago> I think the British have a higher affinity for bitter tastes due to their own heightened levels of bitterness. Maybe it's the weather. As a Brit, I resent that! And plenty else besides. And that's despite the brief window of nice weather we're now having. Which, incidentally, is too hot, and is making many of us terribly bothered. Some of us even border on the flummoxed. Still more incidentally, I personally don't have strong feelings on marmalade, but I have very strong feelings on the proper way to prepare a scone. This is an issue that divides my nation. I refer the reader to an article which is about as British as the mind can comfortably conceive: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/queen-scones-jam-cream-what-goes-first-debate-cream-tea-outrage-a8260686.html https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/quee...
- onion2k 6y agoAnd that's despite the brief window of nice weather we're now having. It's lovely up here in Sunderland in the North East. And by lovely, I mean it has stopped raining. It's nice and grey now.
- MaxBarraclough 6y agoFine work. Here in London, we've apparently done something to deserve sun. We'll be having words about that.
- celticninja 6y agoA strongly worded letter to management should resolve that promptly.
- dnh44 6y agoI’ve always been amused that people complain about the weather all year long and then when they finally get their week and a half of summer they complain that it’s too hot :)
- Accacin 6y agoI feel as that I should be offended, but then I realise the statement might have a sliver of truth in it.
- jsmith99 6y agoToo much gin and tonic. British cuisine doesn't really use bitterness much. Although Britain brought back curry from India they didn't pick up a taste for bitter cuisine such as gourds.
- sandGorgon 6y agogin and tonic is pretty much India's national drink. Considering it was basically invented by the British to ..you know.. not die in India. P.S. and so is hydroxychloroquine ;)
- rsynnott 6y ago> P.S. and so is hydroxychloroquine ;) Not any more! (The strains found in India are largely resistant these days, and other drugs are more appropriate.)
- Thorentis 6y agoIs British ale/beer bitterer than elsewhere? I've heard it is, but can't confirm as I've never tried it. This might be a piece of evidence in your favour if so.
- robaato 6y agoEasy to find stories on the origins of India Pale Ale and how it survived by ship through the tropics...
- cesaref 6y agoI don't think so. Craft beers have been pursuing hoppiness and hence bitterness for years and have totally swamped the other flavours for me. A decent bitter should be warm and comforting, not in your face like some of the craft beers go for.
- gwd 6y agoI'm American, but I developed my taste for beer in the UK. It's so frustrating to be back in the States and want something akin to "a bitter" in the UK, and not being able to express it, because when you say "a bitter" the staff hear "the bitterest thing you have".
- smcl 6y agoPrior to the craft beer "revolution" (think 2000s and earlier) it would've been. I don't think anywhere outside of UK and Ireland did this style of hoppier, bitter and often (though not always) darker coloured beer. It's worth remembering though that from the '80s[0] onward Lagers would've dominated beer sales in the UK. So while we could buy more bitter beer than available elsewhere, we often didn't. [0] - I've no source from this, it may have started earlier but at a certain point in the mid-late 20th century we shifted to lager. Often very poor quality ones like Carling, Foster's or Tennents that would not compare favourably to those available in Germany, Belgium or Czech Republic.
- DonaldFisk 6y agoBelgium? It has an abundance of excellent ales, but it isn't noted for its lagers. They're mass (Maes?) produced. The same goes for the UK. I suspect it's mostly down to marketing by big brewers.
- dreen 6y agoI love being downvoted for this. I also love British culture, cuisine, and people. Love all of you. I'm so glad I moved here.
- gwd 6y agoPerhaps you also picked up the British habit of insulting people or groups you're fond of, which is quite shocking at first to Americans? If that's what you meant, I didn't pick it up in your original post, even though I've lived in the UK for over a decade now.
- dreen 6y agoI don't know about that but its always great hearing about US-UK attitudes, especially since they almost always tend to "accuse" each other of the same things.