18 regional dishes from around the UK

Regarded as the regional dish of Teesside, the parmo sees chicken rolled in breadcrumbs, fried, topped with béchamel sauce and cheese then grilled. There are multiple theories regarding the parmo's origin, however the strongest theory centres upon US soldier Nicos Harris, a chef with the American army in the Second World War. Treated in a British hospital, he later moved to Middlesbrough and opened a restaurant on Linthorpe Road called The American Grill in 1958 – this is where the parmo was supposedly invented.

Nicos based the parmo on a dish from his childhood growing up in the US in the 1930s, the parmigiana, which originated from Parma in northern Italy.

Chicken parmos are typically sold as takeaway food in Teeside, though in recent years you'll find upmarket versions in high-end restaurants. To try it for yourself, check out our recipe for chicken parmo – it makes a great dish for a filling lunch or dinner, served with salad or your favourite sides.

2. Stargazy pie

Cornwall is known for its beaches, pasties and clotted cream, but not many people have heard of its other regional delicacy, the stargazy pie. It gets its name because, traditionally, it involves a fish head poking through the pastry crust appearing to look up at the stars. The classic recipe features pilchards or sardines with egg and potatoes. It’s a dish that comes with its own legend based on the story of Tom Bawcock who, so the story goes, caught so much fish one stormy night that he was able to make a huge stargazy pie and save his fellow villagers from starvation.

Try a twist on the classic with these golden brown stargazy pasties.

3. Eccles cakes

Sticky, sweet and packed with fruit with an extra flaky and light pastry, Eccles cakes are an English delicacy with a rich history. Historians aren't sure on the exact date of the cake's origin, however its history stretches back more than three centuries to the town of Eccles, now a suburb in Manchester. The word means church and each year a service was held in the town to celebrate the church's construction, followed by a fair where food and drink would be consumed in abundance, including the Eccles cake.

Recreate Eccles cakes at home with our take on the recipe.

4. Fat rascals

A cross between a scone and rock cake, Yorkshire's fat rascals are flattened buns filled with dried fruit and spices, and decorated with glacé cherries and almonds. Bettys in Yorkshire holds a trademark for the bun's name and design, although its origin dates back to the 19th century. Formerly known as turf cakes, shepherd's would cook these filling cakes in a covered pan over a peat fire.

Treat yourself to a Yorkshire classic with our fat rascals. They're a cheeky bit of fun to serve with a cup of tea.

5. Tottenham cake

Tottenham cake was first baked in the eponymous north London district in the late 1800s and remains a British favourite. In 1901, the cake was given free to local children when Tottenham Hotspur won the FA Cup for the first time. Local quakers still make the cake today, and it's even sold in some regional branches of Greggs.

Treat yourself to a slice of nostalgic Tottenham cake.

6. Lancashire hotpot

This quintessential meat and potato stew originates from Lancashire in the North-West of England. Lamb or mutton is mixed with onion, topped with sliced potatoes and baked low and slow in a pot. Its thought to have originated during the cotton industry in the 19th century, when the stew was left to cook slowly, ready for the workers at the end of their shift.

We think this famous lamb stew should be on the menu at every British pub – try our version.

7. Cranachan

Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert that's not dissimilar from trifle or Eton mess. Cranachan is Scottish Gaelic in origin, meaning 'churn', although the dish is also known as cream crowdie depending on the area. To make cranachan, sweet raspberries are folded into cream flavoured with honey, whisky and toasted oatmeal.

This seasonal pud makes a delicious yet light ending to a hearty meal – check out our recipes for cranachan, orange cranachan and raspberry cranachan trifle.

8. Cullen skink

Cullen skin is a thick, hearty and smoky fish soup originating from the town of Cullen in Moray, on the northeast coast of Scotland. To make this comforting soup, simmer haddock, potatoes, milk, onion and parsley.

Serve our cullen skink recipe with crusty bread for a filling lunch or supper.

9. Pease pudding

Traditionally, this classic British side dish is simply made using yellow split peas, water and spices. It's more a paste than a pudding and is typically served with cooked meats such as ham. The recipe goes back to Middle Ages, when it was known as pease pottage. There's also a nursery rhyme originating in the 18th century that children used to sing: “Pease pudding hot/pease pudding cold/pease pudding in the pot/nine days old.”

Have a go at making your own with our pease pudding recipe.

10. Bara brith

Bara brith is a traditional Welsh fruit loaf made with mixed spice and tea. A rich teatime treat, its name is derived from the Welsh language, bara, translating to bread, and brith, meaning speckled.

Try Good Food reader Win Morgan's recipe for this traditional Welsh tea bread loaf – serve sliced and spread with butter.

11. Manchester tart

The Manchester tart's beginnings are traced back to the 19th century, when it was formerly known as the Manchester pudding. Made by Victorian cookery writer, Mrs Beeton, the pudding was similar to the Manchester tart, without the sprinkling of coconut. The modern Manchester tart consists of a sweet pastry base, spread with raspberry jam, filled with custard and sprinkled with desiccated coconut and maraschino cherries. A staple of school dinners from the 1950s to the 80s, this tart is considered a retro dessert but has seen a resurgence in recent years.

You too can end dinner on a retro note with our recipe for Manchester tart. Easy enough to make midweek, it's pastry base and custard filling makes for a comforting treat.

12. Parkin

Parkin is a traditional ginger cake from Yorkshire, flavoured with syrupy molasses, oatmeal and warm spices. Parkin was originally a celebratory cake eaten at winter festivals, a custom that likely originated with the pagan practice of eating special cakes to mark the first day of winter. Parkin was plainer than it is today as it was made with dripping rather than butter, and early recipes didn't include eggs.

Yorkshire parkin recipes generally use more oatmeal than flour, while Lancashire recipes tend to have more flour than oatmeal. It's also traditional for parkin to be slightly undercooked, so that the centre remains sticky.

These days you'll find that parkin is readily available around Bonfire Night (in 19th-century Leeds, 5 November was even known as Parkin Day). Bake our version of parkin for Bonfire Night treat.

13. Scouse

This Liverpudlian dish is similar to an Irish stew or Lancashire hotpot. There are many versions of scouse, which differ slightly, but most consist of tender lamb paired with slow-cooked veg such as onions, carrots and potatoes, served with pickled cabbage or beetroot. As is the case with stews, the longer you cook it the better, either on the hob or in the oven.

Try scouse for yourself with our recipe for lamb scouse – it's a real winter warmer and counts as two of your five a day.

14. Staffordshire oatcakes

Despite its name, Staffordshire oatcakes are in fact a type of dense, wholemeal pancake made from oatmeal, flour and yeast. Staffordshire oatcakes can be traced back to the 1800s when they were made on the hearth before domestic ovens were commonplace. Oatcakes were also sold from specialist oatcake bakers in 'holes in the wall' throughout the region.

Oatcakes are a good source of fibre, though the overall nutritional value depends on the filling – popular ingredients include grated cheese, cooked bacon, tomato and cooked mushrooms. Enjoy these speciality pancakes from Staffordshire with our own recipe – we've filled ours with mushrooms and gruyère.

15. Banbury cakes

This currant-filled sweet treat reigns in the Midlands. A spiced oval shaped pastry, it's not too dissimilar from the Eccles cake, with a filling of currants, candied peel and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Once made exclusively in Banbury, it's considered to be one of Britain's oldest cake recipes, with origins dating all the way back to 1500s (although older recipes differ, resembling more of a tart or turnover).

Try our quick recipe for Banbury cakes for a teatime treat, wonderful with a cup of Earl Grey.

16. Glamorgan sausages

Glamorgan sausages are a traditional Welsh vegetarian sausage filled with Caerphilly cheese and leeks, and coated in breadcrumbs. Made in the historic county of Glamorgan in south-east Wales, these sausages are similar in style to croquettes and date back to the middle of the 20th century. The original variety however is believed to contain pork, with the first published mention of the sausage dating back to the 19th century.

Make your own Glamorgan sausages with our own recipe.

17. Gypsy tart

The gypsy tart is a classic Kentish dessert consisting of shortcrust pastry and a dark treacle filling, complemented by light, zesty cream. The origins of the tart are vague, but legend has it a woman made the dessert using whatever she could find in her kitchen for a group of malnourished gypsy children playing in the fields.

Featuring a simple two-ingredient filling of evaporated milk and dark muscovado sugar, the gypsy tart was a school dinner staple in the area in the 1960s-80s, with fans of the dessert praising its soft, moussy texture.

Sure to satisfy any sweet tooth, our gypsy tart is perfect for sharing with friends and family.

18. Brummie bacon cakes

These brunch cakes from Birmingham are similar to savoury scones. A breakfast favourite dating from the 19th century, there are many variations of this bacon cake, with the most simple consisting of cheese and bacon mixed into dough, baked in the oven and served warm with lashings of butter.

Recreate Brummie bacon cakes at home with our take on the recipe, with cheese, tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce – perfect with eggs.