Sunday Roast

Britain — the Sunday roast tradition developed in the 18th–19th century when the village baker's oven was available on Sundays; families would bring their joints to be cooked in the communal oven while they attended church; the domestic oven version became universal in the 20th century

The defining British family meal — a whole joint of meat (beef, lamb, pork, or chicken) roasted and served with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding (for beef), seasonal vegetables, and a proper gravy made from the pan drippings. The Sunday roast is a social institution as much as a meal: the preparation begins in the morning, the table is set carefully, and the family assembles at 1pm to eat together. The quality of the roast potatoes — parboiled then roasted in hot fat until shatteringly crisp on the outside and fluffy within — and the quality of the gravy are the marks of the Sunday cook's skill. The carving at table is the host's act of hospitality.

• The concept of a dedicated weekly feast centred on roasted meat parallels American Thanksgiving, French dimanche rôti (Sunday roast chicken), and Argentine asado; Yorkshire pudding parallels French gougère and American popovers in the egg-flour-milk batter puff technique

1pm on Sunday — the British calendar's most regular food event; with red wine (for beef and lamb), white wine (for pork and chicken) or lager; leftovers transformed into Monday's cold cuts and Tuesday's bubble and squeak; the Sunday roast is temporal comfort