Sir John Valentine Carden Survives. Part 2.
- Thread starter allanpcameron
- Start date
LOL. Yeah, it'll go great with all the other smoke flavoured items on Canadian menus nowadays.
So, food chat huh,...hmm.. perhaps with the amount of soldiers that would be camping in Malaya, perhaps the Western soldiers would have more exposure of authentic Asian food (no matter whether it is Malay, Chinese or Indian food), and therefore there would be less of a need to adjust the ingredients of the food in order to be placate the Western taste bud. Meanwhile, Malay(si)an cuisine would probably be more prominent among the Western audience.
That being said, the presence of the Westerners (especially if they are Americans) would probably have a considerable impact on the local food culture (ie: a dramatic increase in fusion dishes in the urban areas), and especially would impact the taste buds of the elites.
The reason I would emphasize Malaya in particular (other than the obvious reasons of me being a Malaysian) is the fact that this area in particular would have the most change in terms of culture due to the fact unlike the other fronts, Malaya has a relative lack of action in OTL, and the fact that Britain holds Malaya would create the most change in terms of the interaction between the Western and the locals.
That being said, the presence of the Westerners (especially if they are Americans) would probably have a considerable impact on the local food culture (ie: a dramatic increase in fusion dishes in the urban areas), and especially would impact the taste buds of the elites.
The reason I would emphasize Malaya in particular (other than the obvious reasons of me being a Malaysian) is the fact that this area in particular would have the most change in terms of culture due to the fact unlike the other fronts, Malaya has a relative lack of action in OTL, and the fact that Britain holds Malaya would create the most change in terms of the interaction between the Western and the locals.
The British have owned India for 200 odd years at this point, Indian restuarants and takeaways weren't as common as they are today but curries and other Indian food (or at least as close as you could get with ingrediants available in the UK) probably wouldn't have been a huge shock to British troops.
Malaysian food is pretty damned tasty I particularly like Nasi goreng.
Mark1878
Donor
I would not be so sure. I went on a course in mid 1980s, most people being in their early twenties, and we had curry for one meal. There were people on the course who had never had a curry.
The popularity dropped off a lot, I'm not sure exactly when it happened or why but in the Empire era Indian food would have been everyday fare for many people. Indian and "Anglo-Indian fusion" (such as Kedgeree and Milligatawny Soup) were common items for soldiers and civilians alike both serving in India and living in the UK. The first Indian restaurant in England (The Hindoostane Coffeehouse) opened in 1809, the oldest currently surviving Indian in the UK opened in 1926 and there were recipes for curry in instruction for Army cooks throughout the early 20th Century.
Donald Reaver
Donor
It could be because there is so many new choices out there that the share of the market is dropping.
That’s Indonesian, isn’t it?
I do agree that at the very least, there will be attempts by field kitchens to add a bit of variety to bully beef by using local supplies, plus British units working with Indian Army units may be enjoying more spicy food than they are used to. I’m thinking of the sort of situation where a tank squadrons working with an Indian until, tank squadron is instrumental in a battle saving lots of Indian soldiers from
Casualties, next thing they know they are getting cooked for out of gratitude.
O. A related note, the more British troops fight alongside empire troops, and the longer they do so, the less racism there will be in post war British society. Far more instances of “we fought together, ate together, bled together and won together. They’re alright by me- why do you hate my brother in arms?”
It would be nice to think so; I am not sure the principle necessarily applies. It was for example, their experienceof racism in the armed forces that encouraged many Indian officers to support independence. If I had time I would give you chapter and verse on that one, but i have asermon to prepare and am away for a week after that.
Curry powder - Wikipedia
There has long been an interest. You have issues of growing ingredients locally. Plus it can't be understated how the industrial revolution and rationing destroyed English cuisine.