Inside U.K. Gourmet Britain? By Richard Payne	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
グルメの国イギリス？ グルメとは縁遠かったイギリスの食文化が最近変わってきています。その火付け役は「セレブリティー・シェフ」と呼ばれる料理人たち。彼らが出演するテレビの料理番組は大人気で、料理本も飛ぶように売れています。今週は高まるイギリスのグルメ熱をレポートします。

Britain's cuisine isn't exactly known for being among the best in the world. Fish and chips, roast beef or sausages with mashed potatoes are hardly the sort of food to tempt the taste buds of people from abroad. But in recent years, there has been something of a revolution in kitchens across the country Eand that is thanks largely to the rise of the so-called "celebrity chefs" and the growing popularity of cookery programs on TV.

Some chefs have become as well known in the U.K. as our most famous footballers and pop stars. One of the youngest of the new breed of celebrity chefs is Jamie Oliver. At just 26 years old, he has had three TV series, published three books and runs his own restaurant. He is also considered to be something of a sex symbol and has made cooking trendy, particularly among younger people.

I met Oliver on one of his book signing tours. Hundreds of his fans had queued up at the bookshop to catch a glimpse of him.

Asked about his appeal to women, Oliver said: "The reason they like me is because they can use me to get their husbands, their boyfriends, their dads cooking more. They say, 'Look at him. If he can do it you can. Here's his book, just get on with it.' "

Traditionally, most cooking at home has been done by women. But, more and more men are braving the kitchen and trying out adventurous recipes for themselves. Richard Lewis, a 29-year-old friend of mine in London, is typical of many men of his generation.

"When I lived at home I never cooked. Mum did it all. I don't think I saw my father so much as boil an egg. Then I left home and went to university and I had to cook to survive. But I just did basic stuff — beans on toast, omelets, that kind of thing. I would eat out a lot and (get food from) take-aways. Now, though, I love cooking. I love having friends round for dinner and making something nice. In fact, I do far more of the cooking than my girlfriend. I think it's a confidence thing. I was brought up thinking that men don't cook. But, of course, they can and it's really good fun."

The most famous of all celebrity chefs is a lady called Delia Smith. She has had several TV series and her recipe books have sold 14 million copies, regularly topping the best-seller list at Christmas time. Her name has even been included in the latest edition of the Collins English Dictionary. The dictionary defines the noun "Delia" as: "The recipes or style of cooking of British cookery writer Delia Smith."

Smith has a huge influence on the type of food that Britons cook in their kitchens and the kind of ingredients they buy. In one of her books, she included instructions on how to carry out such a simple task as boiling an egg. In the few weeks after the book arrived in the shops, sales of eggs reportedly soared by 54 million!

Curry is now the most popular dish, having taken over from traditional English favorites like fish and chips and roast beef with Yorkshire puddings. And more people are cooking curry at home. Celebrity chef Madhur Jaffrey, who is also an actress, can take much credit for that. She has presented TV programs and written books explaining in a straightforward way how to cook successful Indian food at home. Most supermarkets in the U.K. now stock all the ingredients you could need, selling an array of spices, breads and rice.

It is not just in their kitchens at home where Britons are becoming more adventurous with food. In most towns and cities nowadays you will find restaurants specializing in different types of world cuisine. A few years ago, for example, there were only a few Japanese restaurants and food shops in the U.K., and most of those were in London. Now there are many Japanese restaurants right across the country.

Colin Baxter is an Englishman, but spotted the potential of opening a Japanese restaurant in my home city of Bristol in southwest England. He says it has been a big success.

"It has been amazing really. We are full most nights and in fact, we have just opened a second restaurant. The great thing is Japanese people are coming in, which tells me I must be doing something right. It's not just restaurants getting in on the act. Many British supermarkets are also starting to sell sushi."

So this evening, many Britons will be cooking up something special, using ingredients from around the world, having been inspired by their favorite celebrity chefs. Or, on the other hand, they may be too busy watching their favorite chefs on TV to actually do any cooking themselves. I notice tonight there are five different cookery programs on TV. That doesn't leave much time to get into the kitchen and get cooking — oh well, there's always the local take-away!

Shukan ST: Jan. 18, 2002

(C) All rights reserved