Fish and Chips

Britain — the combination of fried fish (Sephardic Jewish immigrant tradition in London) and fried chips (possibly Belgian or French origin) was assembled in the 1860s; the first recorded chip shop opened in 1860 in London or Mossley (disputed)

Britain's most famous export — thick white fish (traditionally cod or haddock) in a light, crisp batter, served alongside fat chips (twice-cooked thick-cut potatoes) with salt and malt vinegar — is a dish whose quality varies enormously but whose ideal form is one of the great fried foods. The batter is the critical element: a light, carbonated or yeast-leavened batter made from flour, baking powder, and cold beer (or sparkling water) that fries to a shattering, hollow shell around the fish, protecting the flesh which steam-cooks within. The chips (never thin fries) are blanched at 140°C to cook through, then fried at 180°C to crisp. The combination of the battered fish's crisp shell and tender, sweet fresh fish with the creamy-inside-crisp-outside chip is the experience. Malt vinegar is structural, not optional.

• The battered-fried-fish format parallels Japanese tempura (lighter batter, different oils) and American Southern fried catfish; the twice-cooked chip technique is identical to Belgian frites production; malt vinegar as a condiment has no precise global parallel

Eaten from newspaper or a cardboard tray at the seaside; with malt vinegar, salt, and optionally mushy peas and tartar sauce; paired with a cup of tea or a cold lager; the combination of the sea air and the hot chip is specific to the British cultural experience of fish and chips