The English really love pies, which typically does not mean dessert pies. Because of economic privation after the world wars, to this day they use oddball ingredients that can include onions, eel, liver, spuds, ale and Lemon-Scented Fabreze. For visitors to that land, this culinary adventurism takes some getting used to. During my university years, I became a fan of steak and kidney pie and Shepherd’s pie, as well, because the rest of the offerings were unimaginably vile and I hoped not to starve to death. But now a list of top pies compiled by online travel guide Taste Atlas has created quite the controversy, which in that weird country is pronounced “con-TRO-va-see”. The winner has shocked the mild men, women and children of the United Kingdom and, given that their previous PM was Boris Johnson, they don’t shock easily.
© 2024 John Oliver
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