I presume, from context, when you write “spiced”, you refer to south asian spices. As such, it’s hardly surprising that those flavour don’t traditonally appear in the various north European cuisines. Cultures traditionally eat what they grow.
That said, Britain colonial past means we have incorporated more spice into our food, over the centuries, than perhaps our neighbours have done. It’s a long history, with many dishes, mainly desserts, surviving. Our oldest published recipe for “curry” appears in Hannah Glasse’s 1747 book and, more recently, I know that recipes for “curry stew” appeared in Army cookery manuals (and soldiers pocketbooks) in the pre Great War period.
I’m sorry you had such a disappointing recent trip to the UK. As always, research is everything. Yorkshire, for example, is an excellent county for eating, with a great committment to local seasonal produce. I agree that Northumbria, outside of Newcastle, is more of a challenge. Feel free to drop me a PM next time your’re visiting and I’ll be happy to try and recommend some places where you can enjoy British food.
