Brits Whip Up 16.3 Million Different Spaghetti Bolognese Recipes
As a nation, Brits love their dinner just like mum used to make - but according to research out today, there are over 16.3 million different variations of spaghetti bolognese cooked in homes nationwide.
There are almost 19 million mums in the UK and according to over 1,100 mums polled by ChangeYourMeatNotYourMenu.co.uk, almost 9 in 10 (eighty-seven per cent) use their own unique recipe for spaghetti bolognese.
While the ingredients of meat, tomatoes and pasta tend to remain the same, there are hundreds of additional and sometimes unusual items added - from yoghurt to chutney and even chocolate.
The research shows that other British family favourites also have an astonishingly high number of variations; there are over 16.1 million different home-cooked recipes for lasagne and more than 7.3 million for korma curry.
The survey reveals that British mums really do have their own signature dishes as they add all kinds of ingredients to their standard recipes to give it that special ‘homely’ taste, including sage and onion stuffing in their lasagne, horseradish sauce in their bolognese and crisps, mint jelly and mixed fruit in their cottage pie.
The findings also reveal variations in taste across the country:
- Worcestershire sauce is a popular choice for Southerners - over a quarter of mums (26 per cent) add the tangy sauce to the UK’s favourite pasta dish and cottage pies
- Londoners have a partiality for herbs adding bay leaves, coriander and mixed herbs to their casseroles and lasagnes along with a generous splash of red wine (20 per cent)
- In comparison, Midlanders have the blandest pallet in the country, cooking their meals with just the bare essentials. Only one half of those surveyed add the essential ingredients of chilli, pepper and kidney beans to their chilli con carne
- Scots have a partiality towards red wine with a quarter adding it in generous quantities to their spag bols and lasagnes (26%).
- Scots seem to have a particular liking for weird and wonderful flavours adding everything from Worcestershire sauce to honey in their cottage pies, casseroles and stir frys
Lorna Cousins of Bernard Matthews Farms, who heads up the campaign explains; "We know mums have a repertoire of meals in their culinary armoury that they can cook at the drop of a hat, but who’d have thought there were so many variations to spag bol and lasagne.
"It goes to show how British mums like to add their personal touch to standard dishes and give them that extra special home cooked taste.
"As well as adding additional ingredients, mums can change the meat to turkey in their every day favourite dishes including spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and curry.
"Adding turkey means the dishes taste just as good, but they are also healthier. What’s more you’ll be lowering your saturated fat content and saving money."
Tagged in Food And Drink