Berkley Center

Britain and the United States, being English-speaking countries, have rather parallel cultures. But often I encounter a cultural difference that I did not know existed between my home and host countries, and I am always surprised to find that there is a cultural and often historical reason behind these differences. They may not be striking; it’s frequently something as subtle as the use of the French name for vegetables where we use German or Italian-derived names, a fact which owes itself to England’s proximity to, and historical emulation of, France. At other times, however, I glimpse a deeper meaning behind the causes of some of the most seemingly benign differences between my own culture and that of England.

World War II, oddly enough, can account for many of these changes. The prevalence of black currant as a fruit flavor in many drinks and sweets can actually be traced back to the war, when food rationing and shortages deprived many Britons of vital nutrients, particularly vitamin C. Black currant, rich in vitamin C, was well-suited to grow in the United Kingdom’s climate, and as a result its cultivation was encouraged by the British government. It was given to British children in particular, and after the war ended most of the surplus crop was converted into syrup and used for flavoring in candies, drinks, jams, and other sugar products, explaining its popularity as a flavor with children and adults.

Fish and chips, another staple of British cuisine, has its cultural origins in World War II. While the dish existed well before the outbreak of war, it was one of the few foods that was not rationed by the British government during the war, and as such more and more households began consuming fish and chips as a meal. By the end of the war, it had become one of Britain’s most popular dishes and remains so today.

The echoes of World War II are felt in more than simply British cuisine. As an American, I do not feel the repercussions of a war that ended more than 50 years ago. It would seem that World War II is not a part of American national consciousness. But for Britain, this is not so. Given that the war never crossed the Atlantic, Americans were safe from many of the devastating effects of war. Our cities were not destroyed, our civilians were not injured or killed, our national landmarks were not bombed to the ground. World War II was fought in the European theater, and its mark is still strong in the English landscape and the British consciousness.

My classmates have many times told me that World War II is a part of the British curriculum in almost every year of school prior to university. There is a World War II Museum south of the Thames, marked by an antique sign directing pedestrians to the nearest bomb shelter. The HMS Belfast, a relic from the war, sits in the Thames just downstream from the Tower of London. Reminders of the nation-altering effects of World War II are everywhere, and they point strongly to the fact that, however similar British and American cultures may be, they diverged significantly after the World War II.