Parody of Britain as 'Nation of Potato Eaters' Goes Viral in China

A Chinese parody of Britain as a nation of "potato eaters" has gone viral online.

Mimicking the format of popular Chinese TV show A Taste of China, A Taste of Britain satirises popular Chinese conceptions of British cuisine, and has received 800,000 hits in just a few days.

Meat and fish are complemented by other ingredients in all cuisines, the Loyd Grossman-like voiceover intones, "in Britain, there is only one such ingredient: the potato".

"There is one secret known throughout all kitchens in Great Britain," co-host Stuart Wiggin says.
"From an early age, the British are taught…", it pauses, "that small potatoes cook faster than big ones".

At one point Wiggin sprinkles salt onto a spud, and explains how the tasty snack can keep Britons going "literally all day long."

The parody, created for an English talk show on China Radio International, pokes fun at attitudes to British cuisine, which is regarded as unsophisticated.

When the British Embassy in China recently asked what three words Chinese people associated with British cuisine, the response was overwhelming: "potatoes, potatoes, potatoes."

"I envy them. At least they don't have to crack their minds every day thinking what to eat for the next meal," wrote one blogger.

The embassy responded on its website with a tongue in cheek introduction to three popular types of potato: King Edward, Charlotte and Desiree.

An object of fascination to many Chinese is the Stargazy pie, a Cornish dish which many Brits have never heard of, in which pilchard heads poke from the pastry crust.

"Oh it's so brutal. The poor fish died with their eyes wide open," said one commenter. "Great Britain's creativity has broken the limit of the sky!"

In an interview with the BBC, Wiggins speculated about why the parody had become such a smash.

"Chinese people absolutely adore their own cuisine," Wiggin told the BBC. "The Bite of China is well-produced, and everyone has seen it."

Watch the video below: