The Distance of a Portion of Fish and Chips: A Taste of Home on the Table of British New Immigrants
In the United Kingdom, fish and chips is not a special dish, but part of everyday life. Taking away a portion after work, buying a paper-wrapped pack by the seaside on weekends, eating while walking as the steam mixes with the salty aroma of oil—these scenes form the most direct memory of “life” for many British people.This dish originated from the working-class diet during the Industrial Revolution. Simple, affordable, and filling, crispy battered white fish paired with thick-cut potatoes provided the energy to get through a long working day. For British people, it is not refined cuisine, but something reliable and trusted.For many British new immigrants living in Taiwan, the earliest moment of homesickness often does not come during holidays, but when they suddenly crave a proper portion of fish and chips. Taiwan has no shortage of fried food or fish, but without that thick yet non-greasy batter, and without the familiar drizzle of malt vinegar, the taste feels incomplete.The soul of fish and chips has never been just the fish and the chips. It lies in the choice of fish, the ratio of the batter, the control of oil temperature, and the final sharpness of vinegar. This acidity is not meant to enhance flavor, but reflects a balance British people have been accustomed to since childhood. It may feel unfamiliar to many Taiwanese, but for British new immigrants, one bite is enough to take them back home.Some British new immigrants choose to make fish and chips themselves in Taiwan, adjusting fish types and substituting ingredients to gradually approach the flavor in their memory. Others simply leave fish and chips on the list of foods that “exist only in memory,” finding that talking about it occasionally makes them more aware that they have entered a different way of life.A portion of fish and chips connects the seaside, small towns, and rainy streets, and also reflects the adjustments and adaptations after migration. It is not flashy, but real—like the everyday lives of many new immigrants—quietly placed on a corner of the table, reminding them where they come from and where they are heading.