Gastronomic traditions as the reflection of English national identity
The article aims to carry out a culturological analysis of the peculiarities of gastronomic traditions of English people, as they are closely connected with national mentality and serve as a tool in understanding the national character. Eating habits are formed under the influence of a number of factors: the geographical position, religion, wars and invasions, and the way of life in general. Vocabulary reflects surprisingly accurately the historic events taking place in a particular country. This can fully be referred to the gastronomic vocabulary of Great Britain. The Norman invasion established bilingualism when the ruling class spoke French and the invaded nation spoke English. Food culture appeared in Great Britain at the end of the 20th century. Nowadays British gastronomic culture fully reflects the mentality of the inhabitants of the British Isles. On the one hand, it is open to everything new and unknown due to which culinary traditions were enriched by exotic and original dishes which came mainly from the colonies. On the other hand, traditional English dishes, tasty, substantial and plain, for many years exist in the menu of an Englishman. So, the culturological research shows that the analysis of gastronomic traditions is the key to understanding the nation.