Home sickness and … food

Guest Entry By: Bellerbys College, UK

No matter how excited you may be about your new life as an international student, there’s always a certain level of home sickness that will cause students some distress. There are the friends back home, the family, the familiar places, the food… While we know this already, what the students don’t know is that they have the chance of experimenting something others just dream of. Any experience out of the comfort zone has the great advantage of making those who undergo it wiser and more mature.

It may sound strange, but to many, food can be a real cause of concern. So here’s a list of British dishes and foods that are explained so that anyone knows what “bangers” and “mince pie” is.

The Classic British breakfast

It’s not made of cereals; you guessed that. While the contents may vary, there are some that remain the same: bacon, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans, fried eggs, sausages and sometimes black pudding – which is just another type of sausages.

Marmite
If you haven’t tried it already, you’ll either love or hate it. It’s as simple as that. This is a dark brown sticky food paste made of yeast extract; it has a powerful aroma, and is a bit salty. It is usually spread thinly on toast or eaten in combination with butter. It has a high concentration of folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and B12 – so that’s quite healthy.

Bangers & Mash
Translated, that’s sausages, mashed potatoes and gravy.

The Sunday Roast
That’s roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding – made of batter.

Mince Pies

These are to be eaten only at Christmas. They are a delicious combination of sultanas, currants, spices and pastry. At first, as the name suggests, the pastry did contain minced meat. The story is even more interesting – in the past it was observed that one of the best ways of preserving meat was by covering it in sultanas and raisins. Nowadays, the meat is preserved only in the name. It’s a type of dessert it’s impossible not to love.
photo courtesy http://www.mincepieclub.co.uk/

Fish and Chips
No longer a surprise, yet a must have!

While these belong to the traditional menu, the variety of foods that can be found in the UK is really amazing. After all, London is known to be one of the most cosmopolitan European capitals, so if you happen to study here or pass by, you may want to try Brick Lane Market, a place where home sickness has no meaning. There are so many interesting people to be met and so many unusual, delicious foods from around the world to be tasted, that the familiar lunch from back home becomes a “weak” memory. On top, the prices are really affordable.

And should food not be a problem, but you might need some help with the peculiar British vocabulary, here’s a list of common words you might want to learn in advance:

• Bespoke – custom made
• Dodgy – suspicious
• Wicked – cool
• Whinge –whine
• Tenner – £10
• Fiver – £5
• Tad – little bit
• Bee’s Knees – awesome
• Chuffed – proud
• Knackered – tired

Studying in a different country can sometimes be tough. There’s a different culture you have to get accustomed with, a different style, a different language, but at the end of the day people are just people, and what matters most is the opportunity of combining college or university studies with those that “life” teaches. And it’s quite comforting to know that there are plenty resources dedicated to offering students useful advice and guidance.