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Fish and chips

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Fish and chips is a warm and famous meal. It features fish that has been coated in batter and fried. This is served alongside chips, which are pieces of fried potato.

BCLM fish+chips
BCLM fish+chips

Many people call this the national dish of the United Kingdom. It is a very popular takeaway food in many different countries. You can find it in English-speaking nations and Commonwealth countries. It is a meal that many people feel a sense of comfort from.

Fish and Chips 2
Fish and Chips 2

Making this dish involves a few important steps. First, the fish is dipped into a batter made of flour and water. Then, the fish and the potato chips are fried in hot oil.

Frying range
Frying range

In the past, shops used a large cauldron of fat heated by coal. Today, many shops serve the food in paper wrappers. Some people still use greaseproof paper to keep the food warm.

BCLM fish+chips
BCLM fish+chips

It is often eaten as a quick meal while waiting in line.

The history of this meal goes back a long time. Jewish immigrants from the Netherlands brought fried fish to the UK. They prepared it in a way similar to pescado frito.

The Rock & Sole Plaice
The Rock & Sole Plaice

They coated the fish in flour and fried it in oil. In the 1860s, the first combined shops began to open. Joseph Malin opened a shop in Bow, London, around that time. John Lees also started a shop in Mossley, Lancashire, in 1863.

The Rock & Sole Plaice
The Rock & Sole Plaice

There are many interesting numbers in the history of fish and chips. By 1910, there were over 25,000 shops in the UK. This number grew to more than 35,000 shops by the 1930s.

Fish and chips
Fish and chips

During the World Wars, the government protected the supply of this food. It was one of the few foods not subject to rationing. In 1952, a shop called Harry Ramsden's served 10,000 portions in one day.

Harry Ramsden's, Marine Parade, Brighton (July 2020)
Harry Ramsden's, Marine Parade, Brighton (July 2020)

This amazing feat earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

This meal has spread all over the world today. In Australia, there are about 4,000 fish and chip shops.

Australian Hotel, St George, Queensland, 2021, 03
Australian Hotel, St George, Queensland, 2021, 03

In Canada, it is a common meal in the Atlantic provinces and Ontario. People in Newfoundland and Labrador often eat it with Atlantic cod.

Fish-and-chips-horseshoe-bay
Fish-and-chips-horseshoe-bay

In Ireland, a man named Giuseppe Cervi helped sell it from a handcart. People there sometimes call the meal "one and one." It remains a beloved tradition for many families across the globe.

Yaiza Playa Blanca - Avenida Papagayo 07 ies
Yaiza Playa Blanca - Avenida Papagayo 07 ies
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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:BCLM fish+chips.jpg
BCLM fish+chips.jpg
File:Harry Ramsden's, Marine Parade, Brighton (July 2020).JPG
Harry Ramsden's, Marine Parade, Brighton...
File:Fish and chips.jpg
Fish and chips.jpg
File:The Rock & Sole Plaice.jpg
The Rock & Sole Plaice.jpg
File:Australian Hotel, St George, Queensland, 2021, 03.jpg
Australian Hotel, St George, Queensland,...
File:Fish-and-chips-horseshoe-bay.jpg
Fish-and-chips-horseshoe-bay.jpg
File:Frying range.JPG
Frying range.JPG
File:Fish and Chips 2.jpg
Fish and Chips 2.jpg
File:Mobile Fish and Chips.JPG
Mobile Fish and Chips.JPG
File:Fish & Chip Routemaster (2).jpg
Fish & Chip Routemaster (2).jpg
File:Yaiza Playa Blanca - Avenida Papagayo 07 ies.jpg
Yaiza Playa Blanca - Avenida Papagayo 07 ies.jpg
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