Tourisme gastronomique
May. 13th, 2005 02:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhomustA few years ago, several of my friends raved about a book called The Last Samurai, by Helen DeWitt; I didn't rave, but I read it and enjoyed it. The heroine is an American woman bringing up a child alone in London, and there is a running joke that in London you can eat fried chicken from states not previously known for fried chicken: "If you're good, I'll take you out for some Utah fried chicken..."
I assumed that this misrepresentation of the local cuisine was the sort of thing that happened abroad; for the fried chicken vendors of London, fried chicken is a generic American import, not a southern specialty. Apparently not: this morning I saw a café offering "Durham Cream Teas". Hitherto, I have thought of the cream tea as a reason for visiting the south west: the scones, the thick cream, the strawberry jam all reflect the rich pastures and sunny climate of Devon.
So what might a Durham Cream Tea consist of? A big plate of stottie cakes, served with leeks and a dollop of pease pudding on top?
I assumed that this misrepresentation of the local cuisine was the sort of thing that happened abroad; for the fried chicken vendors of London, fried chicken is a generic American import, not a southern specialty. Apparently not: this morning I saw a café offering "Durham Cream Teas". Hitherto, I have thought of the cream tea as a reason for visiting the south west: the scones, the thick cream, the strawberry jam all reflect the rich pastures and sunny climate of Devon.
So what might a Durham Cream Tea consist of? A big plate of stottie cakes, served with leeks and a dollop of pease pudding on top?
