Jingoism
As a Brit abroad (living in a Commonwealth country, no less) I don’t often get an opportunity to display any sort of national pride.
Britain has done so many awful things in the past that we’ve become a sort of cultural version of Milwall Football Club (a club only really notable in the English league by being universally loathed by everyone else).
Indeed, as I get older I’m starting to think that the only thing that connects the rest of the world is their dislike of us.
Whilst we’ve invented some cool things in the past (jet engines, the steam train, all good sports, parliamentary democracy, drum & bass, dubstep) I realised the other day in which the UK truly, truly leads the world is condiments.
Here are five reasons why the British should be truly, truly proud:
- Colmans Mustard - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colman%27s
- Branston Pickle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branston_pickle
- Lee & Perrins - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_sauce
- HP Sauce - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Sauce
- Marmite - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite
Peerless, each and every one.
(N.B. I will have nothing said in defence of NZ Marmite, made under licence since 1919 by the Sanitarium Food Company, which is owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, despite it being the dominant brand in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. It is like spreading creosote on ones toast and is utterly indefensible).
