It is common knowledge that the United Kingdom enjoys its "curry". However, in the last few years, the Chicken Tikka Masala, which has become a ubiquitous dish all across Britain, is being touted as the national dish of the country. In 2001, Robin Cook stated:
Chicken Tikka Massala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences. Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish. The Massala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy.
The origin of the dish has since become a contentious topic. The British claim that it originated in an Indian restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland, and that it was prepared by a Bangladeshi chef for a customer who wanted a gravy along with his Chicken Tikka. However, this has been greeted with derision and raucous claims of "prior art" in India.
There have since been ironic reports that the dish is now being exported back to the subcontinent, albeit to cater to the palate of British tourists yearning for a taste of home rather than the natives.