The following extracts have been taken from The United Kingdom: 100 questions answered, Jan 2003, and United Kingdom: a modern tradition, May 2002, both published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London

What is the most popular food in Britain?

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

Britain's most popular 'fast food' has got to be fish and chips. Fish and chip shops first made an appearance at the end of the 19th century and since then have been a firm favourite up and down the country. The dish is simplicity itself: fish (usually cod, haddock or plaice) is dipped in a batter made from flour, eggs and water and then deep-fried in hot fat. Chips are made from thick batons of potato and deep-fried.

Fish and chips are served over the counter wrapped in paper, and traditionalists prefer to eat them straight out of the paper because they taste better that way!

The best-known British dish eaten at home has been roast beef, traditionally eaten on Sunday. The dish used to be so popular that the French still refer to the British as 'les rosbifs'! Roast beef is served with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy - a sauce made from meat juices and stock, thickened with flour. Yorkshire pudding - batter baked in hot fat in the oven - is a favourite accompaniment to roast beef.

More recently, the British diet has been enriched by the vast array of ethnic foods available in our shops and restaurants, from Indian and Italian to Chinese and Thai. Indeed curry - a spicy dish with meat, fish or vegetables - is now Britain's most popular meal.

Fish and chips

Fish and chip shops first appeared at the end of the 19th century and since then the dish has been a firm favourite, especially in seaside towns where superb fresh fish is readily available. A piece of white fish - usually cod, haddock or plaice - is first dipped in a batter made from flour, eggs and water and then deep fried in hot fat. Chips are made from thick batons of potato and deep-fried. Salt and vinegar are then added according to taste.

Fish and chips are served over the counter wrapped in paper - at one time newspaper was always used - and the experts say they always taste best eaten straight from the paper!

Harry Ramsden opened his first fish and chip restaurant in Guiseley, Leeds, Yorkshire in 1928. The company now has restaurants throughout the world.

Cheese

Cheese and salad sandwiches, Welsh rarebit (a tasty cheese mixture toasted on bread), and ploughman's lunch (a wedge of cheese served with crusty bread and pickles) are firm favourites.

Traditional cheeses are produced in many regions of the UK and are named after the area in which they were developed. Cheddar, a hard cheese with a strong, nutty taste, is the most popular and is now made all over the world. A 'true' Cheddar must come from the counties of Somerset, Dorset or Devon in south-west England or specifically from the Somerset village from which it takes its name.

Wensleydale comes from the Yorkshire Dales (valleys) in northern England. Originally made from sheep's milk, it is based on a recipe introduced by the Cistercian monks in the 11th century. Its mild refreshing flavour is said to come from the natural grazing on the limestone pastures of the Dales.

Traditional Lancashire, from north-west England, has a light, salty flavour and is made using the combined curd from three consecutive days. During the Industrial Revolution (around 1760-1830), Lancashire cheese was the staple food of the mill workers.

Caerphilly, a crumbly cheese, was first made in the Welsh town of that name in about 1831. The cheese is soaked overnight in brine baths to seal in the moisture. It was particularly popular with the local coalminers who lost a lot of salt during their work at the pit face.

Blue Stilton is often considered the 'king' of British cheeses. No Christmas meal would be complete without a slice of this blue, creamy cheese and a glass of port!

Haggis

Haggis is Scotland’s best known regional dish, a rich, spicy concoction made from lamb’s offal (lungs, liver and heart) mixed with suet, onions, herbs and spices, all packed into a skin made of plastic, or traditionally a sheep’s stomach.

Traditionally served on Burn’s Night, the haggis is often accompanied by mashed potatoes and mashed swede or turnips. Although the haggis neither sounds nor looks appetising, most people brave enough to try it agree that it is extremely tasty!

Ethnic foods

Across the UK, although a small country, there exists a tremendous regional variety of food and drink. Many regions have their own speciality dishes, or are famed for their local produce.

Throughout history different cultures have influenced the eating habits of the nation and brought new ideas and ingredients. The traditional fare of the British has been enriched in recent years by the vast array of minority ethnic foods available in our shops, markets and restaurants.

In many cities, populated over the centuries by immigrants from abroad, you will find whole districts with shops selling dazzling displays of exotic foods. Take London's Chinatown where many settlers from the New Territories of Hong Kong have made their home and run Chinese supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants.

In supermarkets too, consumers can buy anything from beef jerky from the West Indies to Japanese sushi.

Curry

It may be ordered in an Indian restaurant, bought as a ready-made meal from the supermarket, or prepared in the kitchen at home, but however it comes, the most popular dish in the UK today is curry.

This is a spicy dish, made with meat, fish or vegetables, cooked with crushed spices. It has countless variations and degrees of ‘heat', depending on how much chilli pepper you use.

Curry became popular among the British living in India during the days of the British Empire. The word comes from kari, meaning sauce, and grew out of a need to preserve meat in a hot climate. The heart of Indian dishes is the masala, the combination of spices which gives each dish its special flavour. The skill of a good cook lies in combining the spices correctly. One of the finest dishes, and one that is frequently ordered in Indian restaurants in the UK, is chicken tandoori. The chicken is marinated for several days in yoghurt and spices and then cooked in a sealed tandoor oven.

A range of side dishes are served with an Indian meal, including chutneys - preserves made from fruit, vinegar and spices.

Is it true that a lot of British dishes are named after places?

Did you know that HP sauce is thus known as it was created by a chef at the Houses of Parliament?

The rich variety of British regional cooking is reflected in the names of our favourite dishes. Many regions have their own particular speciality of sweet or savoury fare, or are famed for their local produce.

Cheeses are produced in many regions, although Cheddar, a hard cheese with a strong, nutty taste, is the most popular variety. It originates from a village in Somerset in western England, also famous for its gorge. Other types of cheeses include Cheshire, Lancashire, Stilton and Wensleydale.

Cornwall in south-west England is famous for its Cornish Pasties - a pastry case filled with meat, potatoes and vegetables, which was the traditional midday meal of workers in the region.

The town of Bakewell in Derbyshire has a rich pastry tart named after it. The Bakewell pudding or Bakewell tart was said to have been invented by accident, when a cook forgot to put jam over the custard filling of a pudding - instead she spread it straight onto the pastry case and poured the custard on top. Thus a new dish was born!

Welsh cakes, a kind of sweet cake cooked on a griddle, were originally served to hungry travellers when they arrived at an inn for the night while they waited for their supper to be cooked.

Many other dishes are named after places - from Lancashire hotpot (a casserole of meat and vegetables topped with sliced potatoes) and Dundee Cake (a rich fruit cake) to Anglesey eggs (a dish of leeks, mashed potato, hard-boiled eggs and cheese sauce), baked Ulster ham, and Bath buns (a sweet bun containing spices and dried fruit, originally made in Bath, western England), Indeed, dedicated gourmets could happily munch their way from one county to another!