The 5 Most Popular Ethnic Cuisines in the UK
It’s no wonder that people throughout the British Isles are looking for turkey, mince pies, and plum duff as the Christmas season approaches. What’s remarkable is that around the Christmas and New Year holidays, Google searches for our favorite ethnic dishes skyrocket, demonstrating how much we like diverse cuisine.
But which one is our personal favorite? Here, we analyze Google Trends data to see how the world’s cuisine rates on the UK’s palette. Google collects information on a variety of subjects, including national cuisines, and assigns a score to each one based on the amount of interest in the subject.
Additionally, Google utilizes artificial intelligence to classify national cuisine search phrases. For example, a search for Japanese cuisine will turn up hundreds or thousands of results, including names of well-known Japanese restaurants, Japanese rice, sushi, sushi recipes, and Japanese food.
If Bristol receives a score of 100 for Japanese cuisine and London gets an 80, this indicates that a greater proportion of individuals from Bristol are looking for Japanese cuisine, but not necessarily that there are more searches from Bristol than from London. Google then assigns an interest score based on how often they are used in nations, regional regions, towns, and cities in relation to all local searches.
Let’s take a closer look at the top six, which represent each region and city’s culinary preferences. Continue reading to find out how the world’s cuisine fared in the United Kingdom this year.
Japanese cuisine (Popularity Score 8)
The first Japanese restaurant in London didn’t debut until 1967, therefore this is a relative newbie to the UK culinary landscape. However, during the past ten years, there has been a surge in interest, notably in London, where it has a 100% popularity rating.
It all started with sushi, which may be scary if you weren’t sure what you were doing. So, how has it gotten a foothold in the UK culinary scene? According to the Huffington Post, “it’s never boring.” It’s a foodie theater, with a variety of flavors, textures, presentations, and colors that make it so attractive that social media adores it.
London is the capital of Japanese cuisine in the United Kingdom.
Mexican cuisine (Popularity Score 11)
Mexican meals rank fifth, three points ahead of Japanese cuisine in terms of intrigue. They are lively, spicy, and full of flavor. Since the 1970s, we’ve been enjoying chili with carne. However, in the mid-2010s, there was a surge in interest in tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, and New Mexican eateries sprung up all over the islands.
This year witnessed the opening of Scotland’s second Taco Bell, a Californian brand. Interest in this cuisine has remained relatively constant throughout the UK, at a single-digit percentage in comparison to the other four cuisines, with the swinging three of Brighton, Bristol, and Edinburgh having the greatest level of interest at 9%.
Edinburgh is the capital of Mexican cuisine in the United Kingdom.
Indian Cuisine (Popularity Score 28)
Shocked? Chef’s Pencil was where we were. Indian cuisine, a long-time rival to the renowned British roast, tied for third place. But, according to a study by retail app Ubamarket, curry remains Britain’s most preferred home-cooked cuisine, with spag bol coming in second and the classic roast coming in humiliating third. Of course, we’ve had a long love affair with spicy food, with the first Indian restaurants opening in London in the late 1700s to cater to viceroys returning from the subcontinent.
However, Leicester is currently the dish’s capital, having a plethora of superb Indian eateries, with the London Borough of Hounslow a close second.
Leicester is the home of Indian cuisine in the United Kingdom.
Thai Cuisine (Popularity Score: 28)
Thai food is a near relative of Indian cuisine, however, it is probably closest to Chinese cuisine. It blends sweet, sour, salty, and bitter flavors to create meals that are extraordinarily fragrant and appetizing. It’s also highly healthful, thanks to the primary components of fish, rice, and veggies.
People in the United Kingdom are not only eating Thai at restaurants and bars, but they are also making Thai cuisine at home, the most popular of which is the ever-popular Thai Green Curry. Brighton, which is stylish and trendy, is the Thai food capital, followed by Hambleton and London. In Edinburgh, Wick, and Leeds, Thai cuisine is also quite popular.
Brighton is the Thai Cuisine Capital of the United Kingdom.
Italian Cuisine (Score of Popularity: 36)
The United Kingdom’s love affair with Italian cuisine dates back to the Roman Empire. And now, according to a YouGov poll, the cuisine has been crowned the world’s favorite – but England and Scotland have a stronger preference, both giving it 20% of the vote out of the other four cuisines, while Northern Ireland gave it 16% and Wales gave it a measly 12%.
Pasta and pizza have embodied Italian cuisine since the 1950s. According to a recent poll, a home-cooked spag bol is a weekly staple in millions of families, and the typical individual eats 731 pizzas throughout their lifetime.
But Italian cuisine is so much more, and there’s a growing demand for genuine, high-quality regional items. Wine and alcohol imports, as well as charcuterie and cheese, are in great demand. York is the Italian cuisine capital of the United Kingdom.
This article was originally published on The London Info
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