We have refugees to thank for the chips too French protestants, fleeing religious persecution in the 17th century, known as Huguenots, might have brought their taste for fried potato with them to the UK, with many settling in the East End of London.
It is difficult to pinpoint the precise arrival of fried potatoes in England, but by 1860 we see the very first fish and chips shops. As usual with food origins, there are competing claims for being the first British fish and chip shop.
The origins of fish and chips is not entirely clear. Fried fish was first introduced and sold by East End Jews, while chips first took off in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Although it's a British favourite (as in many parts of the world), chips were first invented in France. Their first mention is in a Parisian book published in 1775, with the first recipe appearing in a 1795 cookbook, La cuisinière républicaine (The Republican Cookbook).
The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA. French fries were popular at the restaurant, and one day a diner complained that the fries were too thick.
Chips is British English, French fries American. If you ask for chips in the US, you'll get what we call crisps in Britain! Confusing, eh? British people often use the word fries, too because fast food chains in the UK such as McDonald's and Burger King advertise the product as fries, not as chips.
French fries got popular in Britain early on, and they called them chips, because they were slices of potato. Potato chips got popular in the States early on, and they called them chips, because they were slices of potato.
If you want a bag of what Americans call 'chips' in the UK, just ask for crisps.
Belgium lays claim to inventing French fries
If you had assumed that the name "French fries" indicates that the classic fried potato dish hails from France, you'd be wrong. According to BBC, the crispy spuds were most likely invented in the country's northeast neighbor, Belgium.
So the main differences in Australia are the varieties of potatoes used, plus no beef lard or tallow as is still used in the UK. In Australia we use completely different species of prawns and fish and scallops, but you can get Atlantic cod fillets that are frozen, for use in Australia.
From the early 21st century, farmed basa imported from Vietnam and hoki have become common in Australian fish and chip shops. Other types of fish are also used based on regional availability. In New Zealand, snapper or gurnard was originally the preferred species for battered fillets in the North Island.
Apparently when fish and chips were sold by street vendors many years ago the vinegar was there to dissolve the rancid fat they were cooked in. Vinegar is a good degreasing agent. It was commonplace and people liked the taste. So there you have it.
In 1931, Smith's took the humble potato and created an iconic new snack, capturing the hearts and taste buds of Aussies for generations.
From 1813 on, recipes for deep-fried cut potatoes occur in popular cookbooks. By the late 1850s, at least one cookbook refers to "French Fried Potatoes". The first commercially available chips in the UK were sold by Mrs 'Granny' Duce in one of the West Riding towns in 1854.
Salt and vinegar
Around eight in ten Britons have salt on their chip shop chips: 84% in Scotland, 82% in Wales and 79% in England. There are more obvious national differences when it comes to vinegar, with 77% of Welsh people dripping a dash on their chips compared to 66% of Scots.
Roast lamb rules as Australia's national dish.
The National Dishes of England
Number one on the list for many years has been roast beef and Yorkshire puddings followed closely by fish and chips.
Scotland's national dish is haggis, a savoury meat pudding, and it's traditionally accompanied by mashed potatoes, turnips (known as 'neeps') and a whisky sauce. Which brings us to the national drink – whisky.
Definition. In Australia, chips can refer to 'hot' chips; fried strips of potato. Chips also refer to what are known in other countries as crisps.
Australian, British and New Zealand English uses "chips" for what North Americans call french fries. When confusion would occur between the two meanings, "hot chips" and "cold chips" are used.
Yankee is sometimes abbreviated as “Yank.” People from all over the world, including Great Britain, Australia, and South America, use the term to describe Americans. (In Spanish, it's spelled yanqui.) Sometimes, it's a negative description. Other times, it's a playful term.
A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)
A British biscuit is not remotely similar to the fluffy and filling American biscuits made famous in Southern American cuisine. The closest British equivalent to those buttery miracles is a scone, which ain't too bad either.
Hard or crisp cookies are called biscuits in the U.K. while the chewier dessert can be identified as a cookie.
Biscuit (UK) / Cookie (US)
In the UK, these are generally called biscuits, although people do call the bigger, softer kind cookies, too.