Food of the Cods: How Fish and Chips Made Britain
£10.60£12.30 (-14%)
The story of Britain’s fish and chips obsession
‘A lyrical, amiable and educational celebration of what may be our greatest achievement: the chippy.’ Stuart Maconie
Step inside and unwrap this deliciously entertaining look at Britain’s national dish.
There is a corner of every town and city in Britain where the air is tangy with vinegar and the scent of frying. Following the irresistible lure, Daniel Gray ponders the magic of chippies and the delights they have sprinkled among us for the last 150 years as he investigates the social – and sociable – history of fish and chips.
Travelling to chippies from Dundee to Devon via South Shields, Oldham, Bradford, Bethnal Green, the Rhondda Valley and more – Daniel Gray explores our fish-and-chip nation to show how chippies have helped emancipate women, promote equality for immigrants and shape local and national identity.
Whether you were raised eating scraps of Wolverhampton’s orange chips, London’s ‘wallies’ or Hull’s chip spice – even if you think you know whether tea, Vimto or dandelion and burdock is the best accompaniment – this mouth-watering book is as much about who we are as what we eat.
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Additional information
| Publisher | HarperNorth (12 Oct. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 192 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0008628882 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0008628888 |
| Dimensions | 13.5 x 2 x 20.4 cm |
by gozeat
This book was recommended in an article I read. It is not the type of read I would normally try. The observations are superb The description of both the food and the various chippies is pure prose. It’s funny, endearing, charming all with an obvious passion and love of the subject matter. Like me Mr Gray is a collector of overheard conversations, some of which made me laugh out loud. He writes about the history and progression of fish and chips and those from the many countries that set up their fryers! My wife must be fed up with the number of passages I read to her over the breakfast table! Read it!
by Portybelle – Joanne
Warning: do not read this book unless you can get yourself to a chippy relatively quickly. Whether you are hungry or not, you will be craving fish and chips once you start reading!
In a completely selfless act, Daniel Gray has travelled the length and breadth of Britain tasting fish and chips from many, many different shops. As a result, Food of the Cods gives the reader a clear picture of the huge regional variations of what’s sold, how it’s prepared, what it’s served with and the right thing to put on your fish and chips.
Food of the Cods isn’t just about fish and chips today though but looks into the social history of this very British dish. Although generally eaten across the classes nowadays, and with some eye-watering prices, fish and chips originally was a cheap and filling dish often associated with the working class. We find out about who claimed to be the first to put fish and chips together as a meal, where the oldest chippy claims to be and how the Italian immigrant community was very involved in the fish and chip industry. The history of fish and chip shops really is a snapshop of British social history of the past 150 years or so.
I really enjoy Daniel Gray’s very readable style of writing and Food of the Cods is informative and entertaining, with a side order of warm humour. It’s an affectionate tribute to what is a well-loved British institution. Treat yourself to a copy, but make sure you can also treat yourself to a portion of fish and chips too.