Ted gets "musical"

.. another euphemism for “raspberry tart” and yet despite their reputation for causing social “outbursts” we have an on-going global love affair with Baked Beans. The navy or haricot beans used in baked beans are native to North America and didn’t even reach Europe until the 16^th century.
So ... it’s no surprise really that the baked beans we enjoy today are actually an American culinary invention. Like many things they actually started life as a good source of cheap protein that fed the masses and found particular favour with lumberjacks and cowboys … no guesses why there … 

In 1886 the venerable Fortnum and Mason of Piccadilly starting importing them into the UK as a luxury item!! Nowadays, if facts are to be believed, Heinz dominates the market (Heinz means Beanz) and Britons eat 38.5 tonnes of baked beans an hour!!. That’s four times as much as Americans, but everyone is well outdone by the world baked bean consumer champions, Ireland (as in Ireland the republic, and not Northern Ireland, which is officially part of the UK). The Irish should be cheered by the fact that food scientists have said that they will consider baked beans as one portion of the 99 fruit and vegetable portions that we apparently all need each day in today’s world to stay healthy … or at least they will consider it once the sugar and salt levels in the tomato sauce are reduced to … well bland and boring levels I suppose …

Oddly enough I didn’t really have any volunteers to do a taste test with me, as yet again the vegetarians were all strangely "busy" (what do vegetarians do that makes them all so busy all of the time??) and the carnivores said “get real ... that’s breakfast food Ted!!”.  So I did it myself by myself for myself .. so there!!  I made myself my version of a “partial” english breakfast and no english breakfast is complete without baked beans (much like crisps at lunchtime).  I can’t say it was a “full english” as that legendary institution must include bacon, black pudding, tomatoes, and mushrooms as well.

So the baked beans Ted how did you rate then ??? … well nice of course, but honestly they all tasted kinda the same … even the organic ones … and well ... maybe that’s because I ate breakfast at dinner time?